The Nations had already planned for the morning after classes started to be their official first meeting. England had designated a lesser-known spot that was accessible to all houses as the assigned place. It was a little, dusty corridor that led to nowhere unless it was the third Thursday of the month, and since it wasn't a Thursday there should've been no reason for anyone to be down that way.
Romania and Norway arrived at the meeting place a little after breakfast to find England already there.
"How long have you been waiting?" Norway asked him.
"Not long. Don't feel bad. Unlike you, I'm able to somewhat keep a distance from people in my house. Makes it faster to eat without all of the chitchat," he replied. He pointed to a spot next to him at the windowsill, inviting them to sit beside him.
The morning wasn't a cold one, but it was sure windy. England enjoyed watching the leaves begin to fall off the trees as it meant that fall was drawing near. Speaking of fall, he would have to letter Wales about keeping his garden and greenhouse tidy.
"You were sorted into Slytherin," Norway commented. England saw how his brow had the slightest furrow.
"Yeah. I thought the plan was to stick together. You said that the sorting hat would understand the dilemma and assist us!" Romania complained.
England looked guiltily at his companions and admitted, "I might have pissed it off a bit. We have a bit of history, and I might have said a few choice words it didn't wish to hear."
"So, because you can't your mouth shut, we are now separated, and it is going to make this mission ten times harder?" Romania deadpanned.
"Now, now. Not necessarily. The Dark Lord keeps a lot of ties in Slytherin. Most of his followers are from that house, and thus, because of 'traditions', so are their children. I think this is the perfect opportunity for us to have an insider, me," he grinned, incredibly happy with his deduction.
"He does bring up a good point. It makes it difficult in the way that we were associated and will continue to associate with a member of the enemy house. Weasley has already implanted into Harry's mind the idea that all Slytherins are trouble. I saw the look of distrust he was aiming your way," Norway told.
"That won't do. We either must set something up or be at the right place right time. If the plan is to work, we each must be on Harry's and his friends' good sides," England thought.
"It would be better to just wait instead of barging in, don't you think? Authenticity and the likes," Romania suggested.
"Yes. That would work best. Wait, hold on…" Norway looked down the corridor. Footsteps were getting closer to the trio as they went still.
"Act natural," Norway hushed. A figure appeared from around the corner and stopped once it noticed the trio on the windowsill.
"Ah, first years. You best scatter off and not be late for your class. That would be most… unfortunate," the dark-haired professor sneered.
"Apologies, professor. We'll be on our way," Arthur muttered, keeping his head down. The trio scurried down the hall trying to keep the air that they were innocent first years exploring and nothing more. They were unaware of the gaze following every movement they made.
Yesterday, classes weren't too bad by Romania's standards. Sure, he would prefer being home now with his little brother, but life as a student hadn't stop him from having fun. Even the strict teachers had alright classes. He was having the grandest of times in Transfiguration, his favorite subject so far.
Norway had preferred the charms class. That was no surprise to Romania as the Nordic would constantly perform charms around the house. It seemed that showing off wasn't in his interest, though, as he had pretended to fail with him on his first try.
Defense Against the Dark Arts was an experience. Not only was the teacher a complete coward that gave off odd vibes, but he also seemed to have fabricated lies about his accomplishments. Zombies in Africa? Garlic around the room to ward off vampires? Romania took pleasure in flashing his fang at the professor when he mentioned that causing him to almost run out of the room in shock.
Double Potions would be their first class with the Slytherins.
Ron hadn't kept Harry's hopes up about this class and neither had the other students. All that he had learned about potions so far was that the professor was a right git. Biased and unfair, Snape had been mapped out to be his least favorite teacher already. Still trying to keep an open mind about the subject, however, he prepared himself to at least try his best.
Arriving down at the dungeons, Harry could immediately see the dislike radiating off both the Slytherins and Gryffindors. The tense atmosphere did not benefit the damp and dreary dungeon, and the cold continued to seep into his bones.
Three students, who were previously sprinting down the halls, abruptly halted next to Harry and Ron.
"Hoo! We made it before him!" Vlad yelled in triumph.
"Keep your voice down. You're attracting attention," Lukas scolded.
"I thought he was going to give us detention," Arthur exclaimed, tilting his head to the ceiling in relief.
"I didn't say detention. I said attention," Lukas corrected.
"Oh."
"Who are you talking about?" Ron asked rightfully confused.
"The professor! We were trying to find the classroom when he showed up out of nowhere, and it was so scary!" Vlad shrieked.
The door to the potion's classroom opened with a bang.
"Get inside. There should be no need for any of you to wait out here. Sit at a desk and prepare for class!" the professor said from the door.
"How did he get here before us? We were running to get here," Vlad whispered as they entered with the other students.
"Oh, shush. He's been at this job for years and probably knows the fastest way to his classroom," Arthur consoled.
"Snape caught you wandering the halls?" Ron asked slightly horrified.
"It will all blow over. He didn't seem upset earlier anyway. Just a bit cryptic," Lukas assured. Once Arthur had entered the classroom, Harry told Lukas and Vlad about the invitation to Hagrid's that he received this morning. Even though they were confused that he hadn't told them when Arthur was present, they agreed to join them after class.
In the classroom, they separated into pairs as they sat down on the stools and put their potion equipment on or under the table. Harry and Ron sat together, and so did Vlad and Arthur. Lukas ended up joining up with Neville. He had seemed like a nice human to keep as a sort-of-confidant to the Norwegian.
Roll call was a bore with only a little pause at the name Kirkland. It wasn't until Professor Snape got to Harry's name that he had any outright reaction.
"Ah- yes. Harry Potter. Our new… celebrity," he sneered. The snickers that followed from a few select Slytherins were stifled by Arthur who sent them a look that said, 'you're making fools of yourselves.'
"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making. As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses… I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stop death if you aren't the bunch of imbeciles I usually have to teach."
The professor's lecture ended with a drawn-out silence. Probably for dramatic effect, Arthur thought. Wasn't going to work on him, though he would have to pretend.
"Potter!" he called. Harry started from his staring and gave him an anxious look. "What would I get if I added powdered root to an infusion of wormwood?"
How the heck was he supposed to know that? He hadn't even known he was supposed to look over the material before class started. Shouldn't that have been on the itinerary or something? Hermione had her hand up, so maybe she saw it somewhere.
"I-I don't know, sir," he replied, head down.
"Well then, your fame isn't everything, is it?" he jibed.
"Again, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"
Seriously, why did this guy think he knows everything? Clearly, he doesn't. Not even Arthur could stop Malfoy's laughter this time.
"I don't know, sir."
"Couldn't be bothered to open a book before coming, Potter?"
Harry tried to keep looking straight with a difficulty. He had looked through the books, but who could retain that much information in such a short amount of time? He didn't even remember a bezoar being mentioned.
"What is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?" he asked once more.
"I have no idea, but Hermione seems to. Why not try her?" he said earning some laughs from his fellow Gryffindors.
Extremely vexed, Snape snapped at Hermione to sit down and turned to Arthur who held his gaze with fervor.
"Kirkland, what would I get if I added powdered root to an infusion of wormwood?" he looked to be proving some point. Arthur didn't seem too keen to respond, but with the staring contest seeming to have no end, he thought he should end it promptly.
"Draught of Living Death, sir," he answered.
"And could you give an answer to the other questions I asked Mr. Potter before?" he questioned with a smirk.
"A bezoar is from the stomach of a goat. Wolfsbane and monkshood is the same plant under different names," he replied keeping his face straight.
Snape looked at him for a long moment before walking towards the front of the classroom. "What I would expect from a Kirkland. Pray that you don't blow up cauldrons as much as your elders."
Arthur stood from his spot and stared the professor down. "Seeing as Harry has only known about the muggle side of his family and has no knowledge of our world prior, as I'm sure you know, I am not surprised that he was unaware of those facts. There are many different backgrounds, Professor Snape. Best not to forget them."
Snape continued to stare at him as the atmosphere of the class went from stiff to suffocating. Harry wanted to run out of the room and hide behind the armor sets he saw out there.
"You act much like your relative, Robin. Promptly sit down before you befall the same fate," he glared harshly. That name again. Harry would later realize how both Vlad and Lukas gave Arthur a look of perplexity before he sat back down silently.
"Now that that episode has come to an end, we may commence with our class. Open your books to the page dictated on the board."
Vlad was enjoying the potions class. Arthur, though, wasn't great in the art of potions. It appeared his cooking reflected his potion-making skills, and Vlad had to keep an eye on him at all times. It was during the one time that Vlad's gaze left the Brit that the cauldron, to the Professor's dismay, blew up. This, of course, resulted in Vlad scolding Arthur in Romanian. They were escorted from the class and sent to the infirmary to make sure there were no underlying injuries from the blast. The last thing they heard from the dungeons before sprinting out was the screaming of a few students and Snape's yelling. It seemed that someone else's potion had gone terribly wrong.
Coming to a stop at the top of the staircase, Romania turned to England, eyes narrowed.
"So, why does Snape hate Harry so much, and who is Robin?"
England stared at him as they kept pace and sighed, "Harry's father, James, and the Professor have quite the history together."
Romania decided not to pry at the blatant avoidance of the subject.
Once England and Romania were released from the infirmary, though they didn't have any injuries to begin with, England decided to leave Romania to the Gryffindors and take a stroll through the Forbidden Forest. You know, as one does. Throwing all caution to the wind, he didn't even survey a particular path.
He still loved to watch the magical flora and fauna of his country. It never got old. It was not every day that even he could see an entire herd of unicorns after all. Once upon a time, he had walked this forest biweekly at the very least, and so he hadn't expected any new creatures to inhabit the forest.
He was proven oh so very wrong when a large boarhound bounded into him from behind a bush.
"Ach!" he startled. The dog kept licking his face, and he couldn't get the hound off him.
"Fang! 'Ger off the kid!" a deep voice hollered from beyond the tree line. A large figure shoved its way through the brush in order to pull the dog off the nation.
"Little trouble-maker doesn't know not ter jump on people. Sorry 'bout that," the figure, identified as Harry's previous guardian from Diagon Alley, apologized. "What are yer even doin' out here? You're Arthur Kirkland, right?"
"Yes. I was, uh, just admiring the scenery. It's a very nice place…" he struggled, trying to come up with an excuse. Though he guessed it was the truth (one that would still get him punished).
"Can't blame yer for that. I myself enjoy a nice stroll through here. It isn't safe for students, though," he said.
"I-I know. I just really like magical creatures. I wasn't planning on going far in," Arthur replied sheepishly.
"Magical creatures, you say?" Hagrid smirked. "Listen, Harry and a few friends are gonna visit my hut in a few minutes. You're welcome to join."
Arthur had gathered that was what Harry had pulled the other members of his trio over to talk about. He didn't try to feel hurt as it was expected for a Gryffindor to leave Slytherins out of activities. Still, Vlad could have told him on their way to the infirmary.
Nonetheless, he accepted Hagrid's invitation with gratitude.
Harry walked with a bounce in his step, Ron, Lukas, and Vladimir behind. Class was over, and that meant he was going to see Hagrid. He couldn't wait to introduce Ron and thought that he and Hagrid would get along swimmingly.
One look into the surrounding forest immediately told him why they were warned against entering. The dark abyss and fog told of the unknown and dangerous spectacles that laid there in wait. He even thought he saw a man with a horse's body hiding behind a tree but shook his head when it disappeared.
"So, this Hagrid is a friend of yours?" Ron asked.
"Yeah. He was the one that took me to Diagon Alley. That was where I met Lukas, Vlad, and Arthur too," Harry responded.
"We should do that every year! I had so much fun!" Vlad shouted.
"Keep your voice down," Lukas huffed. "This hut is located around here, yes?"
Harry stopped. He then pointed and said, "That's it right there. I'm sure." The hut he pointed to was what it was described as. An old, wooden (flammable) hut. Very flammable. For a minute, Norway was skeptical about letting Romania in there.
"I still think you should have invited Arthur," Lukas suggested.
Ron scoffed. "I can't believe you're still considering that snake a friend. Slytherin's are all the same! You can never trust them no matter how long you've known them."
Vlad huffed indignantly at this and countered, "Arthur isn't that bad. Sure, he can be stubborn and sharp-tongued, but that doesn't mean he's bad! We've all got our flaws like Lukas's tendency to fight with his brother over mackerels!"
"Shut it," the Norwegian said, slapping his head.
"You have a brother?" Ron asked.
"Yes, but he's none of your business."
"Oh look! We're here!" Harry announced with relief. He had had enough of the bickering between the two and was unsure how Arthur could handle it for so long.
Once he knocked on the door, he heard a commotion of barks and even a curse from inside the hut. The door opened to reveal Hagrid attempting to keep a large dog away from the door.
"Get back, Fang! Hurry in before he gets out," he commanded. They obeyed. The one-room hut was barely big enough to fit them, though they somehow managed to fit.
"I still think you have invited Arthur too," Vlad hissed. A clearing of a throat caught their attention away from the Romanian. Sitting next to the fire was the man -or boy- of the hour, Arthur Kirkland himself.
"Oh, come on. How did you get here?" Ron queried exasperated.
"'Found him in the forest takin' a stroll," Hagrid supplied.
"You went in there?" Lukas deadpanned, sitting next to his friend.
"Couldn't pass it up. I had free time, and you know what happens when I get that," Arthur muttered.
"Are you going to show up wherever we go? They have separate houses for a reason," Ron grumbled.
"If you're implying that the houses were created to keep us separated, then you would be terribly wrong. Unity between the houses was one of the goals of the original founders," Arthur explained with a smirk. "Just because I am a Slytherin and you lot are Gryffindors does not mean I can't be friends with you."
"He's got a point. Besides, I already tried to tell you. Arthur isn't bad. ("You were talking about me behind my back?") Never mind that! The whole point is that not everything follows a stereotype!" Vlad protested.
"What a nice talk yer havin'. I've got more rock cakes for yer," Hagrid offered, liking the reaction he was getting from Arthur. He seemed to enjoy them more sincerely than his other guests had. Wonder how he could stomach them?
"Um, thank you, Hagrid. Anyway, what's the deal with the caretaker?" Harry asked.
"Oh, you mean Filch. I've got a lot to discuss with him!" And so started the long conversation about teachers and subjects that was only ended with Harry finding a copy of the Daily Prophet.
"There really was a break-in?" Harry asked himself. He remembered Ron mentioning it. But he didn't know that it was on the day he was at the Alley too. "Hagrid, the vault was broken into on my birthday! We might have been there!"
Hagrid seemed like he was holding back a greater reaction than he let on, and the Magic Trio looked at him through narrowed eyes.
"What does he know?" they each thought.
Thank you for reading! I don't have any real news. You might have figured out who "Robin" is by now. It might be obvious, but I tried not to make it so.
Cheers,
Wozzy
XXX