"The world is changed. I feel it in the water. I feel it in the earth. I smell it in the air." Ooops, wrong story...
Squib 33 Epilogue
The castle was beautiful. Over the Summer it had been cleaned, repaired, and refurbished until it looked absolutely new. Bright lights had been installed everywhere. The little boats had been painted in bright colors. Windows shone with colored glass, and there were no drafts anywhere. Walking the high stone bridge was like walking in a rainbow. As the new students arrived at the entrance to the underground docks a beautiful bird was seen soaring high in the last rays of sunlight.
At the Opening Feast, a slim, rather small redhead stood at the Headmaster's place to welcome the students. She wore tartan, but cut in a modern business suit with a deep red blouse. Around her neck hung a gold chain with a dark red stone. "Welcome one and all to Hogwarts, or, as many have taken to calling it in the muggle world, 'Aberdeen Academy of Art'! I know you are hungry after the trip, so allow me to introduce the elves who will be serving your tables. Call yours if you need something. House Gryffendor is served by 'Nitwit', House Ravenclaw by 'Oddment', Slytherin by 'Tweak', and House Hufflepuff is served by 'Blubber'." As named, an elf in a uniform of the colors in that House appeared briefly at the end of the table. 'Blubber' was particularly chubby, and cheerful. He waved at his students before vanishing again. Everyone sat down and a very nice dinner was presented. Dessert included bowls of ice cream, fruit pies, and trays of assorted Baklava.
After dinner, she stood and spoke again, "As you look around, you will see many familiar faces are gone, and many new in their places. We are still hiring permanent staff, so some of your classes will be taught by members of the Board of Governors for now. We will continue the practice of all teachers having Aides, which worked very well, and a few have Apprentices. All can give and take points or Detentions, so behave!
Some of us have small children, so you will see children around the castle. Please be very gentle with them! A special playground has been set up for them in one of the South gardens, outside their own classroom, but if they wander keep them away from the Loch and the Forest. All staircases are now equipped with invisible child gates. This means the small children cannot climb stairs unless they are holding the hand of an Adult, including Prefects, Aides, and Apprentices. If there is no stair at your landing, the child gate becomes solid to everyone. This type of child gate is being installed at the gates in the fences, along the edge of the Centaur Forest, and near the Loch, but until they are finished we need to take extra care. The Centaur Forest remains 'forbidden' unless you are with Staff.
The Centaurs will not hurt you, but there are many wild animals which might. If you get hurt or in some trouble we have not anticipated, call a castle elf. The Phoenix Fawkes and the Loch Squib have also rescued people, so there is help from unusual sources.
The Wards providing safety netting have been expanded both outside and inside the castle – it is no longer possible to fall down the stairs or stairwells, slide down banisters, or climb the ramparts and balustrades. I have been asked, 'What about fire?' In case of fire all hallways and stairs turn into slides to the nearest exits, many of which are windows out to the safety netting. This applies even to the dungeons – you will be slid UP to the nearest exit at a safe speed. We will hold a drill soon. Everyone will be taught the Flame-Freezing charm and containment charms as soon as your Magic is strong enough.
Allow me to introduce some of us. You will meet the rest in class. I am Professor Minerva McGonagall, and have agreed to be Headmistress for one year. I have no other positions but may substitute or help teachers as needed. Taking my old position of Transfiguration will be Professor Flamel. His wife, Professor Flamel, will take Charms. They have two young Apprentices who will be taking NEWTs with the 6th and 7th years as well as their private lessons.
Professor Binns was convinced it was time to pass on, and has been replaced by Professor Mearle. We think you will enjoy his teaching style. He is the author of a very interesting book about King Arthur. We anticipate this is the beginning of a series on historical figures. Copies are available in the Library.
The old Defense classroom was found to be cursed, so lectures will be held down the same hall in the small auditorium while the classroom is cleansed, and practicals will meet in the Gymnasium. Defense classes will be taught by a rotating series of injured or retired Aurors, using the traditional seven-year series. That class will also include Dueling at all levels every May. Older students should be glad you wrote those Summer Essays!
Many old Electives will be returning as we find teachers. Everyone will choose 3 Electives every year, which can be new or advanced levels of ones you started before, and will meet one period a week. We have taken the initiative to randomly assign you to Electives and sports, but your Head of House can help you switch if there is something available you really want. Upper year requests will get precedence. Some Electives are available only to the upper years. There will be a required weekly Lecture in Wizarding Traditions. There will be a rotating set of Special Lectures as we arrange special speakers. These will be immediately after Breakfast, before other classes.
ALL students need to heed that you are ALL now taking Muggle Studies using the National Curriculum. We have hired seven Certified Tutors and are looking for more. You will find your assigned class times and rooms on your schedules. Those of you who have already begun will be grouped accordingly; beginners will get more time with your Tutors. Exams for 'O' and 'A' levels will be arranged every Spring Break. Study groups from previous years are encouraged to continue. We realize that many of you are 'Late Start' students now, but we will be expecting future students to complete their 'A' by Graduation. Most of the other Schools of Magic in Britain are following our lead in adding the National Curriculum, and we expect that all will be making arrangements to do so soon. The other ICW Nations already have equivalents in place, and we are simply catching up to the rest of the world.
Breakfast and Dinner and Feasts are required attendance, though you may obtain a waiver from your Head of House or the Healer. You are only required to sit at designated tables during Feasts; otherwise you may sit with anyone.
Everyone is going to be required to take a daily Vitamin and a daily Bezoar, which the Medical staff will arrange, provide, and supervise. These will be on your Breakfast plate with your name on them, along with any medicines the Healer has you taking. All students, starting with the firsties, will take a full medical exam in the first two weeks of school. Check your Common Room board for your time, or an elf WILL come after you.
These exams are required for all sports, and everyone is required to participate in a sport. Several muggle sports have been added. We have hired a new Games Master, with several Assistants, in addition to our returning Flying Coach. Quidditch will continue and tryouts will be the third week of school, after your physical exams. There will be Intramurals in each House if you have enough players for multiple teams. We will also offer Quadpot, 'footie', Rugby, Hiking, and Tennis out-of-doors. Quadpot and Tennis will continue indoors when the weather gets bad, but students in the others will have to choose a second sport indoors for the Winter. Indoor sports will include a general Fitness Room next to each Common Room, Karate, badminton, volleyball, American Basketball, and possibly Fencing. A Salle and a Dojo have been opened. If you have enough for some other sport, talk to the appropriate Games Master, and tutoring is available. We have an indoor pool as well as the Loch, but have not hired pool staff as yet. Even though you will participate in your assigned or chosen sport, there will be regularly scheduled 'Open' sessions where anyone may play. This will allow you to sample many sports in a year, and decide what you prefer for the next.
For your information, several practices have been discontinued due to new information. First, there will be NO bullying tolerated, and discipline is going to be severe. Pranks and small teasing are expected but had better remain fun for the victim or will be considered Bullying. Standard Handbooks are on all your beds, and information you need is in them. Read them, because you are responsible for the contents. Each copy has it's owner's name embossed, and the elves will return them to you if they are lost. Your parents also have copies for reference.
Second, there are no such thing as 'pure, half-bloods, muggle-born or squib.' This isn't just talk, it is fact. Every person in this room is a 'pure-blood', as are your families. 'Squibs' are fully Magical but have something blocking their access. Every child born of a Magical parent is fully Magic, but some have problems. Thus, the school will no longer facilitate Betrothals between students.
ALL of these changes and updates have been written out in the new Handbooks, and your parents have been notified. New ways for them to contact the School have been arranged, which are also in the Handbook. There is no electricity here, and no phone service, but we have arranged a post box address in Aberdeen and a phone answering service number at Gringott's in London. You may speak to your parents or to any of us if you have questions. Dismissed!"
Alice had spotted Lily in the crowd, and waited for her by the doors. "Why weren't you on the train? Why are you and Sevi wearing those robes? They are nice but they aren't Hogwarts robes. They look like dueling robes."
"We aren't Hogwarts students anymore, so we don't wear student robes. We didn't plan to come back, until our Masters were hired here. We don't sleep in the dorms, but we will be taking classes with you for NEWTs. We did pass our 'A' levels, but we are going to try to raise our scores. Come with me and I'll show you where my room is on the Staff corridor. You can't go down that hall unless you are with one of us, but you can meet me at the stairs or ask an elf to deliver a note."
THE END
What? Wait! What about...? I can think of lots of questions, but I'm going to wait for someone to ask them. What happened to Remus? What was Minerva doing? Will Sevi and Lily marry? (I dunno) Who is that? Who played that prank? Fwoopers abound in this silly story, but I tried to leave clues. Yes, some people were lying when they said... If you ask me, either in a registered ID Review (so I can answer you) or in a PM, I will answer. Ask me if something is a fwooper? Sure. Ask me what was going on? Sure. Spot a glitch? Please tell me so I an fix it!
For now I will NOT answer in the story, but I might pull together some sort of Q&A later. I had a few ask good questions early enough that I was able to make some adjustments, and it is a better story.
I know I hate bad Science, but I have one item in here, very relevant to the 1970s. No one has spotted it, or at least no one has mentioned it. I'm not changing it. The storyline would not work quite as well if I substituted. I know what and where it is, obviously, and will admit it if you spot it, and give my reason.