x x x
Chapter 21: A Storm Is Coming
x x x
The rest of the journey went by peacefully enough, as the team alternately read or listened to the Weasley twins talking incessantly, and in such great detail, about the Quidditch World Cup, until the team could almost have quoted a play-by-play of the match... if any of them had actually bothered to listen.
It was easier for Gwen and Owen who, having lived in Gryffindor tower for the last school year, were now quite accustomed to ignoring the twins' antics.
Once they began to tire of this subject, however, the twins started on Ludo Bagman.
Bagman had apparently been a great Quidditch player in his prime, and had always been an even greater gambler, rather infamous for pulling a few quite dramatic scams when he got too deep into debt. The twins had convinced themselves that this was what they had unintentionally gotten their own money involved in. They did go on about it at great length, ranging from virtual hero-worship of his Quidditch skills to vicious verbal assaults on his refusal to pay them.
By the end of the journey, none of the team were sorry to see the two leave.
"Next time, Jack... tar and feather them." Owen had suggested, tiredly.
After quickly changing into their uniforms and scrambling off the train, they found themselves bombarded by a downpour of rain, and a bone-chilling wind. It wasn't long before the surging crowd of other students, all eager to get up to the castle as quickly as possible, had separated the team.
Gwen found herself being helped up into a- thankfully enclosed and relatively dry- carriage, by one of the Gryffindor third years, Neville Longbottom. A second glance out the window told her that the carriage was drawn by a pair of Thestrals. She stared.
Neville elbowed her sharply, and gave a pointed look at the other two Gryffindor boys in the carriage. Both of them were entirely oblivious. Gwen was surprised at the thought that the quiet and rather adorably clumsy boy could see the creatures that only those who had witnessed death could look upon, but she did take the hint and stopped staring.
"Did you see Malfoy?" Ron Weasley asked, grinning from ear to ear, "That was bloody brilliant, that was."
Neville laughed nervously, "Yeah. Rather him than me."
Harry Potter remained silent, but he was clearly amused by the memory none-the-less.
"I saw it happen." Gwen pointed out, smiling at the opportunity to be included in this discussion. To be the one to offer additional information.
"Yeah?" Ron asked, leaning forward eagerly, "Who did it? I want to shake their hand."
"Jack." Gwen answered.
"Jack who?" Ron asked blankly.
Gwen blinked, still not used to people not knowing who Jack was. In Cardiff- in her own time- if someone working for Torchwood said Jack's name, everyone in the whole city knew who you were talking about.
"Jack Harkness. My year... Slytherin." Gwen elaborated.
Ron's face fell dramatically... then turned several shades whiter. He was blatantly horrified at the realization that he had just complimented a Slytherin.
"Oh, I remember him." Neville said, nodding, "Last year's Sorting... everyone made a big deal because he's got a famous last name."
"No wonder he got in Slytherin." Ron sulked dourly, folding his arms and sitting back with a look of purest disgust plastered across his face.
"If he tarred and feathered Malfoy... he can't be all bad." Harry put in diplomatically. The serene smile he wore as he said this was that of someone reliving a truly blissful memory.
"Harry! He's a Slytherin! They're the enemy!" Ron whined.
"Don't forget the Hat nearly put me in Slytherin, Ron." Harry returned, still seeming rather calm about this whole thing, compared to his friend's barely contained rage.
Gwen glanced at Neville with uncertainty, and was relieved to see an exasperated eyeroll as his answer. He agreed that Ron was being overdramatic, and that made her feel a bit better.
She really hated when other students picked on Jack, just because he was in the 'evil' house. There was no conclusive evidence that Slytherin was evil... it was just a popular rumour. That was entirely unfair.
Then again, Jack tended to be able to take care of himself.
As she saw, when the carriage stopped in the main courtyard at the front of the castle. The three boys in her carriage clambered out into the pouring rain, to join the crowd forming a semi-circle around Jack... and Draco Malfoy. Draco still had some of the tar in his hair, but had otherwise done a surprisingly good job of getting cleaned up on the train.
Rain continued to fall unabated, drenching all the students gathered there... but nobody seemed to notice, far too intent on what looked like the prelude to a wizards' duel.
Gwen quickly spotted Tosh, Ianto, Hermione and Luna leaving another carriage, and joined them.
Luna produced a huge, brightly coloured umbrella from a handbag it should never have been able to fit into, and opened it over their heads, happily sharing with anyone who was able to squeeze in underneath it.
"What's going on?" Ianto asked, sounding concerned. At least for him... if you didn't know him, you would probably assume that he was entirely disinterested, but in Gwen's opinion, a year spent saving the Earth together really lets you get to know a person.
"No idea." she answered.
Owen wandered over to join them under the limited form of shelter, as well. "This looks like fun." he pointed out, grinning.
"Come on, then, you little brat." Draco taunted, wand drawn, in what was- according to Professor Flitwick- a classic duelling stance, "I dare you."
Jack snorted, "Yes, I'm sure you'd love me to throw the first curse, in front of all these witnesses, now wouldn't you?" Unlike Draco, he appeared unarmed... and totally unconcerned.
"Chicken!" Draco sneered.
"Is that really your best insult?" Jack asked, laughing, "You couldn't take me."
"You're only a second year, Harkness." Draco retorted, "I could hex you from here into the middle of next week!"
Jack grinned. Gwen knew that grin. It was the 'I'm an unkillable superhero and your threats are a very lame joke' grin.
"Prove it."
Draco glanced around. Witnesses. Yes, he clearly knew that he couldn't be the one to throw the first curse, either. "I'll get you next time."
"You have no idea how many bad TV villains have said that in the past." Jack crowed, causing what seemed like every single Muggle-born student in the courtyard to laugh.
Draco seethed with anger, clearly despising being the subject of ridicule... even though he had made it perfectly clear, in the past, that he loved to be on the other side of these degrading situations.
Jack glanced up behind Draco, and grinned. Gwen followed his line of sight, too see what was there. One of the Thestrals, ruffling its wings irritably, to shake off the rain. Without warning or explanation, Jack whistled... the sort of whistle that one tends to use when calling a pet or other tame animal.
The Thestral responded. Gwen wasn't sure whether to be surprised or not, and ended up simply staring as the creature followed the call obediently... shoving Draco to one side with its shoulder, in the process. Knocking him to the ground.
Most of the school expressed confusion. But then a small number- including Neville and Luna- began to laugh... and the laughter spread, until what seemed like the entire school had joined in mocking the humiliated Slytherin.
"Oops." Jack said brightly, "Forgot to say 'look behind you'... but it's just so cliche."
He turned and walked away to where the rest of the Torchwood team had been watching, putting one arm around each of Gwen and Ianto's shoulders, and beginning to lead them towards the castle doors. The rest of the gathered crowd began to part as they approached.
"You have no idea how much fun that was." he told them, in a quiet but incredibly cheerful tone.
They had only just turned to walk up to the castle, when a rushing sound warned of a spell cast at them. Jack pushed both of them away to either side... not hard enough to make them fall, but certainly enough to give him some space, as he turned around with startling speed.
Surprisingly, he didn't draw his wand to defend himself.
No, Gwen didn't see exactly what he did... only that he held up his left hand defensively, and the flash of blue light deflected harmlessly from the palm of his hand to the ground. He must have been holding something, but at this angle she had no idea what.
Jack lowered his hand slowly. "Are we done here?" he asked Draco calmly. Draco raised his wand to attack once more. Jack sighed, almost managing to feign an exasperated and bored tone, "The next one gets reflected back at you."
"There are spells that a mirror won't stop." Draco sneered.
So it was a mirror. Must have had it in his hand the whole time, to be able to react that quickly, and even then... to catch a curse on it like that, his reflexes must be amazing. Of course, this was Captain Jack Harkness... so why was she surprised, again?
"Yes, and they're almost all illegal." Ianto pointed out coldly.
"You're in plenty of trouble as it is, Malfoy." Owen put in, from where he and Tosh were still standing under Luna's umbrella, "Everyone here saw who started this... and is that Professor McGonagall I see?" he added, pointing right past Draco.
Draco spun around so fast that he fell over in the process. He was lucky, Gwen thought, that the courtyard was paved, and he didn't land in the muddy sludge that had once been grass.
It turned out, in fact, that there was no sign whatsoever of Professor McGonagall. Nor any of the teaching staff, for that matter. "We're going to be late for the feast." Ianto said quietly, while their rather large audience was once more laughing at Draco.
"Alright." Jack conceded, sounding incredibly reluctant, "Playtime's over."
Then, much to Gwen's surprise, he walked back over to where Draco was still sitting on the ground looking rather sorry for himself. The humiliated Slytherin tried to edge away from Jack... who did nothing more than offer him a hand to help him up.
"Don't be a bad loser, Draco." he said in a gentle but carrying tone. "I don't really want you for an enemy."
Draco stared at the offered hand with blatant incredulity.
Silence echoed through the courtyard. Even the wind died down to a dull and distant roar, and time seemed to draw out from mere seconds to a small eternity as the two stared at each other.
Then Draco looked away first, turning his eyes to the ground... and he accepted the offered hand, allowing Jack to help him to his feet.
x x x
The crowd of students poured into the entrance hall, pushing and shoving to get in out of the rain, now that the spectacle was over. A loud yell of horrified outrage echoed through the room... sounding suspiciously like Ronald Weasley.
Peeves cackling, and McGonagall yelling. Jack looked up to see that the pernicious poltergeist was in possession of a large assortment of water balloons.
"If I were you." a familiar and smooth voice said calmly, "I would duck in three-" Jack looked at the source of this voice. "Two-" It was the Bloody Baron. "One." Jack ducked, and a water-balloon soared over his head, to strike the person behind him.
This turned out to be Mark Avery. Jack snickered maliciously at Avery's misfortune... but then the Baron turned away and began to float towards a wall. Jack followed, while everyone else paid far more attention to McGonagall's failed attempt to chastise Peeves.
"Wait."
The Baron hesitated, turning to glance at Jack over his shoulder.
"You call that protection?"
"Two." the Baron said simply, before snorting with dark amusement, "Out of seventy?" And without any further explanation, he turned and vanished through the wall.
Jack wanted to swear.
"Two out of seventy what?" Tosh asked, from behind him.
Jack turned to look at her, and realised what the Baron meant. On average there were about two hundred and eighty students in Hogwarts. Seventy in each house. The Baron was either accusing him of breaking his end of the deal, or- and Jack thought this was the more likely- unsubtly reminding him about it.
He feigned innocence, even knowing the team never fell for it. They usually at least knew well enough not to ask, when he did it. "Nothing important."
He watched her head off into the great hall, fully aware of the eerie prickling sensation on the back of his neck, which made him feel sure he was being watched.
Just as a precaution, in case the Baron had heard that and interpreted it badly, he added in an undertone, "Nothing you need to worry about, anyway, Tosh."
x x x
"Children are like pack animals." Owen grumbled to Gwen, as they settled themselves at the Gryffindor table.
The entire school was murmuring about Jack and Draco's little disagreement earlier. Looking at it in that light, it really was true. In spite of his youth, Draco Malfoy had been the most influential student in Slytherin house... and he had just been bested by a second-year.
Not only that, but instead of instigating yet another feud within the school, Jack had offered peace.
"The rumour mill will be in uproar." Gwen said, quite sure that it was only a half joke.
"Look at the smug git, lording it up over there." Ron Weasley sniped, "Thinks he's so great."
"Oi." Owen retorted, "That smug git's never done anything against you, Weasley."
"Sod off, Harper." Ron sniped back, before pointedly turning away from Owen and Gwen, and focusing on the new first years as they trooped up the centre of the great hall.
Gwen and Owen shrugged and also watched, as Professor McGonagall placed the familiar stood and hat in front of the new students.
And the hat began to sing.
"A thousand years or more ago,
When I was newly sewn,
There lived four wizards of renown,
Whose names are still well known:
Bold Gryffindor, from wild moor,
Fair Ravenclaw, from glen,
Sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad,
Shrewd Slytherin, from fen.
They shared a wish, a hope, a dream,
They hatched a daring plan,
To educate young sorcerers,
Thus Hogwarts School began.
Now each of these four founders,
Formed their own house, for each,
Did value different virtues,
In the ones they had to teach.
By Gryffindor, the bravest were,
Prized far beyond the rest.
For Ravenclaw, the cleverest,
Would always be the best.
For Hufflepuff, hard workers were,
Most worthy of admission.
And power-hungry Slytherin,
Loved those of great ambition.
While still alive they did divide,
Their favourites from the throng,
Yet how to pick the worthy ones,
When they were dead and gone?
'Twas Gryffindor who found the way,
He whipped me off his head,
The founders put some brains in me,
So I could choose instead!
Now slip me snug about your ears,
I've never yet been wrong,
I'll have a look inside your mind,
And tell where you belong!"
"Got to be a pretty boring life, hasn't it, being a hat?" Ron said a bit too loudly, "I suppose it spends all year making up the next one."
Owen's eyes narrowed, and his hand moved for a fork, intent on throwing it at Ron. Gwen caught his wrist, and when he looked up at her she met his eyes and slowly shook her head.
He sulked. He wanted to stab Ron Weasley with a fork. Why couldn't he stab Ron Weasley with a fork? It would be so satisfying.
After that, they both kind of tuned out, during the sorting. Owen really didn't give a damn about which part of the castle a bunch of kids he didn't know would be sleeping in for the next seven years.
"Y'know, I often wonder what the hell Jack thinks he's playing at, when he does stuff like that." Owen told Gwen quietly.
She nodded slowly, "He's been acting kind of oddly, since we started Hogwarts." she commented reasonably.
"After that bastard, Hart, I get the feeling they might all have been like that. Y'know..." Owen glanced around and then whispered, practically in her ear, "Time Agents." returning to a normal tone, he continued, "Seem to think like Slytherins, is all I'm sayin'."
"Oh, don't tell me you're prejudiced, too?" Gwen demanded.
"Just that the stereotype is scheming and plotting. Jack's good at that sort of thing when he wants to be." Owen defended.
"So was... Vera." she muttered, her tone darkening deeply as she spoke the name.
It was at this moment that Professor Dumbledore chose to stand, causing them to realise that the sorting had completely finished while they had been talking.
"I have only two words to say to you." he announced happily, "Tuck in."
And with that the spectacular feast they had come to expect after last year appeared before them.
No further thought was wasted on anything but the food. At least, not for Owen. He distantly registered vehement complaints and a hissed argument from the direction of Ron and his friends... but he neither took any notice, nor imagined he would have cared if he had bothered to listen.
Food. Good. That was all that mattered, for the moment.
Far sooner than he would have liked, the plates cleared, and the feast had come to an end.
The general noise of chatter died down, when Dumbledore stood again, leaving only the echo of the rain bouncing off the castle rooftops, and the wind threatening to tear off said rooftops, as ambient sound.
"So!" the headmaster announced brightly, "Now that we are all fed and watered, I must once more ask for your attention, while I give out a few notices. Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to tell you that the list of objects forbidden inside the castle has this year been extended to include Screaming Yo-yos, Fanged Frisbees, and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs. The full list comprises some four hundred and thirty-seven items, I believe, and can be viewed in Mr. Filch's office, if anybody would like to check it."
"Didn't Ianto get us a copy of that list, last year?" Gwen asked.
"Yeah. He even gave me a pop quiz on it." Owen sulked.
"As ever." the headmaster continued, seeming rather amused at the possibility that anyone could ever want to read the aforementioned list, "I would like to remind you all that the forest on the grounds is out-of-bounds to students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all below third year. It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year."
Instant uproar rang through the hall. Harry Potter shouted, the Weasley twins heckled, and a loud thumping sound from the Slytherin table caused Owen to turn in time to see Jack slouching with his arms folded, looking entirely too childish and petulant for his real age.
Judging by the overturned goblet, now dripping whatever beverage it had once contained into Mark Avery's lap... Jack had most likely kicked the table in his little fit of temper.
"This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy... but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts-"
An incredibly loud clap of thunder interrupted this speech, timed perfectly with the main doors of the great hall crashing open.
Everyone jumped- with the possible exception of Dumbledore himself- and turned to see who was there.
x x x