September 1974
On the train this year, Lily set the members of her study group looking for this year's muggle Firsties. They were easy to find, having no trim on their robes if they had them on, or muggle clothing if they didn't. The parents had found many families and made other arrangements for their magic educations before the Letter from Hogwarts were even mailed. They knew they had not found all of them, even by staking out Diagon during the school shopping days, so Lily's group was searching for them. They were actually easy to tell from the kids raised Wizard, and were quietly herded into a compartment. Cleaned of listening and Compulsion charms, and packed in like sardines, with older kids watching in the hall, the 15 new muggle born firsties had a few facts of life explained. Names and addresses were collected to be sent to the Parent's group as soon as the train stopped. There would be home visits tomorrow, and quick MG papers signed, and if possible they would be enrolled in the correspondence program. The Sorting was explained, with introductions to the members of the study group in each house. Monday would be hectic so the first study meeting would be Tuesday. Starter jars of Bezoars were passed out, and everyone ate their first one. Several children looked particularly dazed, so a quick list was made of who to take to the Hospital Wing as soon as they got to their Dorms. One said he had been signed up for Eton, and was not sure how or why his parents had suddenly changed their minds, forfeited the deposit already made, and enrolled him in Hogwarts. A funny little man had come one day to Tea, and suddenly here he was. His Mum was Lady-In-Waiting to the Queen, and his father a Captain of the Guard!
He and the others were given several copies of a special flier to send home, for their parents to share. The flier, for the Parent's Association for the Invitation-Only "Aberdeen Academy of Art" was nicely illustrated by the children with paintings, drawings, photos of spinning wool, making fabrics and Lace, on a background showing a castle, a beautiful classic red steam train, and a Loch. It was professionally printed on glossy paper and described a seven year Honors program, divided into three levels: Introductory 1 & 2, Intermediate 3 – 5 with Electives in mundane terms, and an optional Advanced Program for 6th and 7th years. The required use of the National Home School correspondence program and standardized Exams was emphasized. It was everything their parents had really expected and never gotten. Most important, it included a Post Office Box in Aberdeen! The Parent's group had set this all up. Hogwarts knew nothing about it! The flier carefully did not claim to be an official publication of the school, but was presenting the Parent's group. Any mail that did arrive at the box would be handled by the magical parents, including mail muggle parents were sending to their children at Hogwarts.
The firsties were shared out between the study group compartments, with box lunches for those who had not known to bring one (provided and shrunken by Eileen.) They were shell-shocked and had a million questions.
James found the Marauders in their usual compartment near the front of the train. He added his trunk to the pile on the corner rack, opened his book bag and brought out a tiny white box. Tapping once, he shared huge cinnamon puffs dripping with icing. Moans of pleasure were the only conversation for a while.
Licking his fingers, Sirius began the interrogation. "OK, spill it. Are you all right? You look all right, but is there damage not showing?"
All of them were tall now, but James appeared a little taller, having cleared 6'2" over the Summer. He had gained some muscle mass, but was still very thin for that height. His bird nest of curls was cut short, showing his neck was getting thicker. He was darkly tanned, in contrast to the normal pale skin of Scottish students. "I'm actually fine. More than fine. Miriam is wonderful. I am the luckiest guy on the planet to have her! She baked those puffs we just ate!"
"Show me your ring."
"Sure. One of her brothers is a Silversmith, and he made them. Another brother Enchanted them."
"Enchanted? Oh, dear, that might be bad! Put your hand here and let me run some Diagnostics..."
"It's OK. I know what's on them. First is a 'finding' spell – we always know where the other is, at least a direction and distance if we've never been to the place. Right now she's gone to Aberdeen. I can tell she's happy and healthy. We can't take the rings off, but we can transfer them from one finger to another. Last, when we came back from our honeymoon her Father tied the rings to the wards, so I always know what's going on at home."
"Several questions there, but let's start with that honeymoon. Where did you go?"
"All over Europe, and mostly muggle. We went to the Alps and rode a glass funicular up the mountain, where we stayed in a tiny hostel at the top of the world and watched both an amazing sunset and an amazing Dawn. I think we rode every roller coaster in Europe, at least all the big ones. We certainly went to enough parks! That was like flying, except we were strapped in and couldn't move! We were supposed to be alone, but we are really young and can't sign in to Hotels, so my Dad made all the reservations and bought all our tickets. We'd sometimes catch a glimpse of one or another parent, or one of her older brothers in the distance. I spoke to my Mum once, on the Eiffel Tower. We did have a wonderful trip! Before we came home we spent a week on the private Potter Island. I can't tell you where it is, except that it is not far off the mainland and very warm. Beautiful beach, too, so neither of us have any tan lines. The house has elves, but we didn't see them. Food appeared, clothes were clean, and so on. When we came back to Hogsmeade the house was ready. Herman had the Goblins ward it heavily while we were away, and then tied those wards to our rings. We've been there for about three weeks."
Another voice, deeper than it had been in the Spring, but smooth. Peter, "What's she doing in Aberdeen? Shopping?"
"No, she started her college classes two weeks ago, so she's doing homework at the Library today. I went with her several times, and the classes are really interesting. She's started at the business college there, but is taking the General courses to get her Basics out of the way. The first week she was taking Placement exams to see what classes she qualified for. They were very pleased with her language skills. I don't know how many languages she speaks already, but she signed up for Mandarin. One of her brothers is also in school there, so he's making sure she is getting started well. After all, she has to have something to do while I'm at Hogwarts.
There is a roller rink near the college, and we went nearly every day after class. She's quite a good skater! She's teaching me how to dance on skates. I have danced since childhood, of course, but it's harder on skates! We're the same height, so we match well. She shows me the steps at home, and then we practice on skates. We've taken little Eddie every Friday night, and he is a speeder, racing around the fast rings. His Animagus is going to have to be something fast!"
"What have you been doing while she was in class?"
"Mostly I sit in the college Library and read. I've started that correspondence program. I took the Placement test and tested as almost third year for the 'O' exams. I'll start there as soon as I finish the Remedial/Late Start Reading list. Miriam would like me to take those 'O' exams at Easter before my OWLs, and try to finish the 'A' after the NEWTs. That's a hard schedule! I can finish the 'A' later if I need to, but she says I need to take the Business course, too. She'll be working in her family business, and I will be helping Dad, so we need to know what we are doing! She really thinks ahead! I was just going to hire someone to manage for me, but this will be better."
"So, you want to come with me to the study group? Almost everyone in there is working on those books, though everyone helps tutor the younger ones in Magic, too."
"Actually, no. I'm still under orders from Dad to stay far away from Lily, even though I'm no longer interested in her. Dad's worried about what other Clauses she may have. I could use a tutor! Miriam is going to tutor me on the weekends, but she's going to be busy, too."
"No problem. I'll show you how to set up a proper study notebook to keep your notes in. You'll do one for each book you study, because writing things down helps you remember them better. It will help Miriam see where you are, too. You really ought to be doing that already for your Hogwarts classes, though I haven't seen any of you doing it. I have plenty of blank notebooks in my trunk, and we can order more."
"So, you are going home every weekend? But, what about Quidditch?"
"No, it's fine. She'll come here on game weekends, and we'll go home after the game. Or, she'll bring her homework and stay all weekend. I qualify for a married student apartment, though I'm going to stay with you guys unless she's here. We will go home on Hogsmeade weekends, of course. I will go every weekend I'm not tied up here. We'll go to events at her college, too."
"So, who's going to take care of your house if you are here and she's somewhere else?"
"The elf, of course! The wards are full War Wards and we'll leave them on most of the time, so no one will bother her. She has a cow, chickens, and a garden to care for as well as keeping house for Miriam and I. No one Magic can even see the house; muggles think it's still a ruin. Only a very short list of names are in the Ward Book, for now. Most of the people from the wedding can't quite remember where it is. There's even a Mail Ward, directing any owls or delivery elves to a special shed the elf checks before anything comes in. The muggle post man sees a large mail box shaped like a cute tiny cottage by the road in front of the wrecked house – muggles do that sort of thing a lot, and he thinks nothing of it. We don't get much muggle mail."
"What are War Wards? Sound nasty! Why would a pair of kids need all that?"
"They are nasty! The Goblins installed a double set of wards, the ordinary ones that everyone has, and the War level. Miriam's Dad is insisting all of his family have them, because there is a Dark Lord causing chaos. War Wards have multiple automatic reactions set that will happen even before I wake up! The most minor, first offender detection, automatically ejects the person who tried to the frozen deserts of Patagonia, naked! Please don't sneak over to try to surprise me!
When the wards are on, you can Floo call me, but not come over unless I specifically invite you and add you to the Book. That has two levels of permission. First level allows you access to the room with that Floo, probably my study, and is only good for a few hours. Second level is Family, with full visiting rights."
"Patagonia? I don't even know where that IS! Naked? How do you get home from there?"
"I'd call my elf to come get me, because it's on something called a 'Great Circle'. It's just an inconvenience, really. But that's only one item, and there are a lot more and worse. I don't even know all of them. Herman is quite inventive!"
As for Malfoy, he was livid! He was ranting to a trapped audience near the other end of the train. "The Blacks were supposed to be negotiating with my father. This Summer they sent all their children to France, and only Andi and Sirius came back! All the others are enrolled in Beau Batons! We've been told Cyrus is sorry, but Andi is not available for a Betrothal. More than that, his Father had declared Family Head Rights and refused to Contract little Cissi to me! All because their Contract with the Lestrange family went bad? We didn't have anything to do with that! Father is going to talk to McGonagall to find out which girls at Hogwarts are still available, and see if he can find a good match for me. I'm going to be checking out girls myself, so if there is one you have your eye on be sure you let me know! We're still kicking ourselves for missing the Bulstrode girl! Her Dad is at our house all the time, does business with my Dad, and we completely overlooked her!
That reminds me, I'm supposed to get a list from all of you, names and ages of ALL your young relatives, even the squibs if you know of any! We're not going to miss another match! Father says we need to pair off ALL the squibs, mostly with each other but some maybe with younger sons and cousins, to get more magical Heirs. He's working up a huge chart."
He wound up making several lists. Betrothed couples, or couples whose families were still negotiating. A shorter list of those they knew were Betrothed, but didn't know who to. A list of un-matched, both male and female. A very small list of families who were refusing to negotiate. Squibs were such an unmentionable subject in most families that they gave no names here. Malfoy knew he had an older sister who was a squib, but he didn't know where she was. She was only a memory of a playmate, dancing in the sunny garden, who suddenly wasn't there. She had vanished right before his Mother died. Perhaps his Father would find her and bring her back? Lucius wasn't going to risk wrath by mentioning her. He went to his room and wrote his Father, including the lists of names he had collected on the train.
Albus listened to all the gossip the portraits and the elves brought to him. They knew he was always interested in gossip, and he didn't sleep much, so they entertained him. Thus, Albus came to the startled conclusion that the Blacks had Betrothed little Cissi to Severus Snape! That could be why they sent their children to France, breaking off negotiations with the Malfoys. The two Paterfamilias knew each other in the Wizagamot, and Pollux was rumored to be annoyed with Cygnus over the Lestrange embarrassment.
Snape was only a half blood. His mother was a Prince, but his father was a nobody (as far as anyone else knew.) He decided he needed to confirm this. He would go talk to Alexander Prince. He had been to the house before, so he'd just pop over after Breakfast.
A very tall, thin but healthy man landed in the frozen grass in a tumbling sprawl. He sat up, realizing it was sunset. At least, it didn't feel like early morning. It was easy to tell the grass was frozen, as he discovered he was completely naked. Completely bald! Where were his beard and hair? He patted himself over to see what else was missing. Even eyebrows and eyelashes? Had he splinched? He stood up to look around, trying to figure out where he was. A slurred voice with an odd accent spoke from a nearby tumble of rocks, but at least it was English, "Just call yer elf to come get you, Wizard."
"How did you know?"
"Been a lot of you lately. Somebody thinks this is funny. It is funny watching you land! I'm out here watching sheep already, so I keep an eye out for you. You could freeze before you managed to walk to town, but the wolves would probably get you first."
"FAWKES! TAKE ME HOME!" A flash of flame, a rather loud double 'pop', and the Wizard was gone.
The shepherd perched on the high gate by the stone pen examined his hand-rolled smoke. "Some really good stuff in it this time! A Wizard and a flaming elf? I hope I don't see that white dragon again – last time it stole an ewe lamb and the boss was really mad!"
Back in his quarters, Albus took a hot bath and some hair growth potions. Everything came in dark red, of course. He had to spend some time changing it all to white and getting the lengths right. Then he dressed in clean clothes, found his second pair of enchanted glasses, and decided to try calling Prince's Office on the Floo. That worked without fuss, which was a relief.
"Headmaster! What a surprise! How can I help you? Does the Hospital Wing need something in a rush?"
"What? Oh, no. This is more of a social call. I recently tried to drop by your house, and found myself bounced somewhere far away! That was very strange! If one of your elves finds my belongings I'd appreciate their return, because I dropped quite a bit."
"Oh. I'll tell them to look, though the Wards usually destroy loose stuff. We aren't home much anymore, so the place is shut down and the Wards are up. I suggest calling ahead so you know we are there. Catherine is shopping in Italy, and I'm actually about to head out to Japan to negotiate a new contract there. I've sent quite a few of my people there already for preliminary work. If you had called tomorrow I'd be gone." His impatience was clear.
"I'm looking for some information and thought perhaps you could help. The whole school is in turmoil over Betrothals. I know that's not really the purpose of the school, but many good families do meet their spouses here, and many are betrothed. Minerva tries to keep an informal list going to avoid conflict. Your grandson Severus is here and I'm told he is Betrothed, though I don't know to whom. The rumor is that his Betrothed is the youngest Black girl, Cissi, whom the Blacks recently took out of negotiations with the Malfoys and sent to France. The Malfoys are furious! I'd like to know for sure while I try to calm them down."
Alexander thought quickly. "I can confirm that my grandson is Betrothed to a younger girl, but our Contract protects names. It will be a long time before any Marriage occurs, and there are stipulations. I have plans for him, and for his little sisters. You will have to talk to Pollux Black, and I cannot see him releasing family information. The Malfoys need to quit behaving like 2 year olds who are denied a cookie! There are plenty of other girls. If that's all it is, I really need to get back to making sure I am ready for my trip. Goodbye!"
Dumbledore found himself looking at a normal grate, the connection broken. How dare he cut him out and off?!
The mention of Malfoy brought to mind the gossip about the Dark faction collecting squib names and possibly marrying them back into the lines so as to get more Heirs. THAT was the answer to his missing Squibs! Someone else was collecting them! The Dark children might have just learned about a project that had been going on for years!
The more he thought this over, the more sense it made. It did not match up with the requests for Betrothals brought to Minerva, but those might be only the main lines, where they needed political Alliances, with the Squib lines being discretely tied. Since most families still considered having squibs shameful, it even made sense. Magical children would be added to main lines later. Most children weren't even announced until at least age 5 or 6, and often not until they were 11 and ready for wands. They didn't appear in his Book of Names until they did their first Magic. That made it easy to put Squib children out of sight and blood adopt Magical. He had even arranged some of those placements for Light-side families! He should be monitoring the Dark families for younger children. Few of them used St. Mungos midwives, preferring home births with mothers and Aunts attending. That was one reason children could be swapped in and out without public notice. It meant his Meadowes had no access. He'd have to figure out some other way.
His first thought, now that he was thinking clearly, was the Bulstrode family. They had 17 sons and only one daughter! They were Dark and Traditional, though he knew they were not tied closely to the Dark Lord, even though they did business with most of that faction. They were part of the old Knights, and the younger ones showed no sign of changing their allegiance to the new Dark Lord. He had spun the Marriage to Potter as a good idea, but he really wasn't sure what was going on. But, 17 sons? Not likely! They must be blood adopting magical Squib born from their extended family. That would explain why they all looked like Herman!