Disclaimer: I do not own Familiar of Zero or Harry Potter, they belong to their respective owners. I'm not making money, this is just for fun and a hobby at most.
AN: This is a story.. This is being released much later then I had intended. I'm sorry. I didn't have enough time to write before now, Argh! It is sometimes really hard to find time to write, damn you RL and Job. Not just that though, I Don't like forcing myself to write either, as that just creates bad writing from me, for everyone. Anyways, if you are fine with all that, please enjoy!
Chapter Eight: I Am Wizard
"Winky!" Minerva called.
With a pop the small house elf returned back to the headmistresses office.
"I'm so sorry head Missy. I didn't mean to leave you behind." Winky bowed.
"It's quite alright Winky. What went wrong?" She asked Winky. Not that she thought a house elf would be able to explain it very well.
"Me's not very sure.. Winky lost head Missy as Winky tried to get trough the dark area between worlds. It's very dark and scary in there." The elf replied.
Headmistress Mcgonagall was not sure what to make of that. Apparition was not an exactly perfectly understood magic. Elves magic was also very different from wizard apparition. Though she had never heard the process being described in this manner. Apparition was instantaneous, it caused feelings of sickness in most if not all, but the most hardy and experienced users avoided it for the most part.
"What are you talking about Winky? I've never heard of traveling through a void during apparition, and whats this about another world?" She asked puzzled.
"That's the best way Winky can think to describe it head Missy. That place is so far away that the dark place tried to consume Winky! I'm sorry me's can't be getting you there head Missy!" Winky finished as she prepared to harm herself.
Minerva stopped the elf. "There's no need to harm yourself Winky, you are not to blame. Still this leaves quite the problem, perhaps a custom made port-key? On which will pull and anchor myself to this foreign school?"
She had much to do, and port keys were complex. Still her runic magic skills had been tested in the order plenty of times on much more tight time restraints.
*Chapter Eight: I Am Wizard*
"Eww gross, did that second year just vomit out a slug?" Said a girl amongst a group of older girls.
"Wow she really did." Another girl pointed.
"Look how she's dressed, I bet she got some magical disease from one of her partners." Another giggled.
"How many do you think are in her stomach? Who eats that many slugs.." The girl said mockingly making an obscene gesture with her hand.
"Ignore them." Tabitha said as she patted her friends back.
"This is rid..." A slug slid out of her mouth into a nearly full bucket. "Ridiculous Tabitha! The nurse said she couldn't rem... Bleh!"
They walked past the group of girls, whom had made way for the younger fiery young red head. None of the girls wanted to be near slugs. Thankfully the stairs were just ahead, so the third years would not follow and mock her. The older students received the lower floors, which just added to Kirche's humiliation.
The jeers, insults, the mocking... The slugs... It was all so gross. Kirche internally seethed. The lower floors had had plenty of upper years to pity and laugh at her. This was all the zero's fault. She would get her back!
"Can't get worse." Tabitha stated. The two girls were nearly at the top of the second years girls dormitories stairs.
*Chapter Eight: I Am Wizard*
Louise was fuming. After the duel, the one which she had won, regardless of what Professor Chevreuse had said, she found herself walking back to the picnic area. Her half eaten cake still sat there, along with her slightly damaged book of spells. Another point which made her angry.
This had all started when her dumb bird Familiar had run off, where was he! "Come here at once! You dumb bird Fawkes!" She yelled without thinking.
With a burst of fire, a bird, along with a large blue dragon materialized above Louise. Without hardly any warning, Louise jumped away just in the nick of time.
A dust cloud formed as the dragon alongside it's Phoenix companion landed. They had only fallen from a low height, but they had managed to smash Louise's cake and table to smithereens.
Getting up and dusting herself off, a task she was fairly used to at this point due to her spellmanship, Louise remained calm. She still had her book, and she was not injured. "You dumb bird! You almost crushed me with Tabitha's dra...g" The words escaped her. Why was her familiar with Tabitha's Dragon Familiar. "What were you doing with Tabitha's familiar!?"
Fawkes cooed as she landed on her masters shoulder. Master's hair is a mess Fawkes thought, better fix it for master. Luckily she had already put away her sunglasses, as those would get in the way of such delicate work. 'Are these split ends!' Fawkes had a lot of work to do here.
Louise should have known better than to expect an answer from her Familiar. 'I guess Phoenixes are just as dumb as birds.' Louise sighed as Slyphid tried to nuzzle against her while purring.
"Enough already! I get it you're both sorry!" She pushed the large blue dragon away from her. Fawkes was still diligently cleaning and fixing her hair.
"Really now, whats a master supposed to do? You both play dirty." Louise cried out as both Familiars tried to apologize in their own way.
"Come along now Fawkes, we need to get back to my room, I need to write a letter to my mother." She couldn't put off writing to her mother after all.
*Chapter Eight: I Am Wizard*
Professor Colbert had just about had it. How long will old Osmond even wait for him to return, the old man was probably smoking his pipe right now... Meanwhile Colbert knew his distilling machine, one which he had repurposed towards a new task, might start having issues again. He was attempting to turn the steam from his machine into kinetic force. The problem was it kept having leaks, or the metal was breaking.
Which is why he had reinforced it's cylinder, and created a valve to bleed away the excess steam while running the mechanical piston. The problem with the leaks had only started when he took off the coiled pipes in exchange for a large cylinder instead, as he was no longer trying to condense his spirits. Still he hated leaving his projects alone for too long, what if he missed a breakthrough in his invention?
'Why is there so many stairs in this school.' Colbert internally complained.
The hunt for the portrait had led Colbert to the girls dormitory in a vain hope of finding the living portrait of Albus. He hoped that perhaps Louise or her Familiar had reclaimed it, it was his last hope.
Colbert found that, as he ascended the floors, people were gossiping about miss Zerbst. "Please go back to your classes or rooms, I will not tolerate bullying in this school." Colbert stated to the girls, before climbing the stairs to the second years floor.
"I said Zerbst, it's not my fault that you put wet sloppy things in your mouth all the time!"
"Miss Valliere!" Colbert yelled. "Is that how your mother raised you!?" Colbert finished as he reached the top of the stairs, nearly out of breathe.
"I'm sorry Professor Colbert, but she started it!" Louise pointed at the girl, as she spit out a slug?
"Are you alright Miss Zerbst?" Colbert asked, genuinely concerned.
"The zero cursed me!" Kirche managed to yell before vomiting another slug.
"It was a hex, not a curse! It will only last six hours! Surely it's not that unusual of a thing for you? Your sessions at night go longer then that." Louise defended herself, although it may have made things worse.
"Six hours! Bleh!" The girl dipped her head into her bucket.
"Enough! How did this even happen!?" Colbert demanded.
"Duel. Spell misfire." Tabitha stated.
"Blegh! Zero cursed me!" Kirche pointed at Louise.
"Who allowed a duel!" Colbert shouted.
"Professor Chevreuse. Sparring duel." Tabitha fired back quickly.
"Please help Miss Zerbst, Miss Tabitha. Let's have a chat Louise." Colbert pointed towards her room.
"Yes professor.." Louise complied.
*Chapter Eight: I Am Wizard*
"Nothing's working! Winky did you notice any powerful wards at this other school?" Minerva threw her fifth portkey at a wall. Her portkeys had worked, but they had left her behind every time!
"No I don't think so's. Winky thinks the void itself is blocking the Head Missy." The elf stated.
"That shouldn't be possible! During apparition, traveling anywhere on the planet is possible! It's been tested for centuries! The void is just the space between spaces, it can't block anything without a ward!" She slunk back in her chair. She was frustrated.
Things were a lot more complicated then she had first thought. Wards could be used to block others magic into the void. Hogwarts used such wards. Anyone trying to apparate into Hogwarts simply could not. Elves could however, and Winky had made it through.. Hell even her portkeys had made it through... Without her! Had the wards been setup to block only Witch's and Wizards, but not her portkeys? It was a mystery..
"Maybe Albus might know?" She said aloud.
"I'll go fetch Albus for the Head Missy!" The elf popped out of existence. Winky wanted to help the Head Missy, she really did.
*Chapter Eight: I Am Wizard*
"So it was here!" Colbert exclaimed as he saw Dumbledore's starry filled eyes stare back into his own.
Louise looked around her room. 'Where had all theses odd objects come from? A sock was on her bed, it wasn't one of hers. A strange looking pointed hat was sitting at her desk, and other various items were all over?' Louise glared at her familiar as it flew to its stand.
"It, has a name you know. Professor Colbert. Even if I'm just the living memories of the deceased." Said Albus, the living portrait.
"I'm sorry Albus. Creations such as yourself are new to me." Colbert bowed in apology.
"I'm confused professor Colbert. I thought you left with the painting earlier?" Louise inquired.
"Don't try to change the subject Louise. What kind of weird spell did you cast at Miss Zerbst?" Her teacher Colbert demanded lightly.
Louise gulped before responding. "It was just a slug vomiting hex..."
Colbert was taken aback for a moment. Keeping silent as he tried to remember such a spell. 'What did she mean by hex?'
"Okay Fine it was a curse, a charm really, but professor it really was an accident! I was in a duel using non lethal spells whilst Guiche used line class magic! I should have won that duel!" The pink haired girl yelled.
Placing his hand on his forehead, Colbert strained to not chew out the girl. Her opponent had used line class magic. That was not something Louise was able to handle, Mr. Gramont had obviously not restrained himself in this duel. Where had the teacher been who was overseeing the duel?'
"If I may professor Colbert?" Albus eyes twinkled.
"It seems that Miss Valliere realizes her actions were wrong, and was not solely at fault? With another professor present, was it not their duty to hand out any punishments?" Albus asked.
Louise looked over to the painting of Fawkes previous master. She had not expected for a living painting to defend her.
"What is in question here is not Miss Valliere's punishment." Louise winced as he spoke that line.
Colbert slapped his hand on Louise's desk. "Miss Valliere used an unknown spell, a self admitted curse, one which has another on of my students vomiting out slugs. A spell I have never heard of, our know a cure for."
Louise looked at Albus pleadingly. Surely Fawkes previous owner would have an explanation for her professor, hopefully.
"Surely you're school would cover basic spells and charms?" Albus stated, more so then he asked.
"There is nothing basic about that spell Albus, what element can one create slugs with, and how does one make a spell last?" Colbert all but demanded.
Albus wore a shocked expression. "Surely you cannot still be using elemental magic? Elemental magic has been in disuse since the age of Merlin and the founders, I can hardly name enough proficient elemental casters in Great Britain on even a single hand."
Colbert then too was confused. "If you don't use the element to cast magic in your society, what in Brimir do you use?" His tone covered an array of both excitement and worry at his question.
"I suppose you need a small history lesson Professor Colbert. The four founders of Hogwarts created a school, Hogwarts, long ago to educate magicals in Great Britain. The school taught the foundations for standardized magic involving, hexes, charms, transfiguration, spells, and array of other such subjects such as Astronomy. Merlin himself pushed for these changes as well in the past to move away from the archaic spell-casting which relied on the elements, besides modern spell-casting can create even better results by recreating them." Dumbledore finished is brief overview.
"But that, that is hearsay to Brimir. Magic cannot work without elements!" Colbert shouted back.
Albus sighed. "I'm not aware of you religious views, but I assure you casting without elemental assistance is quite easy given the proper training. Even your student has accomplished a spell that most first year students take weeks to learn, and I assure you it's quite harmless. The effects will go away very quickly if you give your other student Treacle Fudge." Albus looked toward Louise and then continued.
"Modern spells do not need to rely on the elements, accept in rare instances such as alchemy, otherwise spells are formed through ones magic, their focus, and ones intent alone. Of course spell-casting also requires a proper incantation and wandwork. At least until such time wordless or even wandless magic can be performed. Even without a proper focus, one can still connect their magic to the void for their spell-casting. The Olivanders pushed for proper focus wands for all those who attended Hogwarts pretty earlier on." Dumbledore finished as he re lit his pipe.
"Did you say Void!" Louise blurted out.
Colbert was not prepared for shock after shock. "Please explain! What do you mean the void is in your spell-casting?"
Albus set his pipe down. "Merlin, one of our greatest wizards of all time, coined the term. Although it has fallen off in modern use. It's rather complex, but he used it to describe the place in which our magic merges with the mundane world to alter the physical world with our spells. To control the space between spaces, first observed during the creation of apparition, void is nothing, but at the core it's the basic requirement for all magic to occur. I believe this is why Merlin preached the words of the founders and the practice of elemental magic fell out of favor. Only a few magic of that era survived including family magics, and the rare craft of alchemy by some researchers."
"Then..." Louise was stuttering.
"You are all void mages?" Colbert couldn't believe he had even uttered that sentence.
"Another old term.. I do believe Merlin tried to claim that term as well, though the founders preferred the terms Witch's and Wizards."
Colbert couldn't form the words to speak, Louise however could. "So I'm a wizard?"
"No my dear. You are a witch. A powerful one I expect." Albus softly informed her.
"Why would you expect Miss Valliere to be powerful?" Colbert asked, as he was curious.
Fawkes cooed as she landed on Louise's shoulder.
"Fawkes is a very rare Familiar, he has mostly served powerful masters such as myself and Merlin. Phoenixes are said to be immortal creatures, but they are very picky of whom they will follow, requiring both a strong magical power, as well as a strong conviction towards good. That is why this old man thinks my successor is such a person." Albus finished taking another drag from his pipe.
"Fawkes is immortal?" Louise yelled out. It wasn't so much a question, as she was voicing her disbelief.
Colbert ignored Louie's outburst. "Just who is this Merlin, and these Founders you keep mentioning. To my knowledge all magic was derived from Brimir thousands of years ago."
"Merlin was perhaps the greatest wizard who ever lived, he hailed from Albion from within the Holy Romanian Empire. He helped the founders spread modern magic after he attended their classes. He was also responsible for the creation of house elves. But that is a story perhaps, that is best saved for another time."
Albus took another hit from his pipe before continuing. "The founders of Hogwarts; Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff and Salazar Slytherin. They were all respectable Witch's and Wizards of their day. They came together as friends to build the greatest magic school ever seen. A castle of which to house all the magicals of Great Britain, and her future generations."
"That's quite an interesting story, I can't help but notice this Merlin has a place close to our founder Brimir. These others founders also seem important to your country of Great Britain. I think I've heard enough, I would hate for you to have to explain everything over again to our headmaster Osmond." Colbert finished as he walked over to retrieve Albus.
'I'm a Witch, a Void Mage! I! Am! A! Witch!' Louise repeated over and over in her head as Professor Colbert left her room.