"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!"
The Sorting Ceremony was tradition, but also very tedious. Marina decided to instead focus on her new schedule. She had dropped Astronomy and History of Magic. And Dumbledore had agreed, per owl, to let her and Carmen – and whoever else was was interested – have the same deal as last year; they could take only one extra class (Runes or Muggle Studies) but take both N.E.W.T.s at the end of their seventh year.
Monday:
Morning Period: free
1st Period: Care of Magical Creatures, Prof. Hagrid
2nd Period: Divination, Prof. Trelawney / Arithmancy, Prof. Vector
3rd Period: Transfiguration, Prof. McGonagall
Lunch
4th Period: Defence Against the Dark Arts, Prof. Moody
5th Period: Defence Against the Dark Arts, Prof. Moody
Afternoon Period: free
Frog Choir
Tuesday:
Morning Period: Care of Magical Creatures, Prof. Hagrid
1st Period: free
2nd Period: Charms, Prof. Flitwick
3rd Period: Charms, Prof. Flitwick
Lunch
4th Period: free
5th Period: Potions, Prof. Snape
Afternoon Period: Potions, Prof. Snape
Wednesday:
Morning Period: free
1st Period: Divination, Prof. Trelawney / Arithmancy, Prof. Vector
2nd Period: free
3rd Period: Ancient Runes, Prof. Babbling / Muggle Studies, Prof. Burbage
Lunch
4th Period: Transfiguration, Prof. McGonagall
5th Period: Transfiguration, Prof. McGonagall
Afternoon Period: Herbology, Prof. Sprout
Thursday:
Morning Period: free
1st Period: Defence Against the Dark Arts, Prof. Moody
2nd Period: Charms, Prof. Flitwick
3rd Period: Potions, Prof. Snape
Lunch
4th Period: free
5th Period: Care of Magical Creatures, Prof. Hagrid
Afternoon Period: Care of Magical Creatures, Prof. Hagrid
Frog Choir
Friday:
Morning Period: Herbology, Prof. Sprout
1st Period: Herbology, Prof. Sprout
2nd Period: Transfiguration, Prof. McGonagall
3rd Period: Ancient Runes, Prof. Babbling / Muggle Studies, Prof. Burbage
Lunch
4th Period: Defence Against the Dark Arts, Prof. Moody
5th Period: Apparition Training
Afternoon Period: Apparition Training
Marina almost choked on her orange juice.
There was only one Moody she could think of who had the qualifications to teach DADA and who Dumbledore would ask. He really must not have been able to get anyone else.
"What is it?" Harry asked across from her. She wordlessly showed him her schedule.
It took him a moment to realise what she meant – he had barely listened when they'd spoken about Mad-Eye at all, so he couldn't understand just how crazy this was.
Mad-Eye was, in general, not good with kids.
She was so preoccupied with the social disaster about to happen this year, she only snapped out of it at Mad-Eye's rather dramatic entrance.
The entire Great Hall was gaping at him in shock as he slowly made his way up front. Given the enchanted ceiling, and the weather outside, the lighting made his profile stand out strongly.
Marina tried to imagine what he must have looked like to the other students.
His entire face was basically one big mess of scars, minus a chunk of his nose. And then there were his eyes, after all. One was his natural, small brown eye – maybe a little beady. But the other was the magical eye he'd received after a Death Eater had cost him his own; it was bright blue and spinning endlessly in the socket – watching could make you dizzy. Every step was audible, due to a loud clonk because of the metal leg.
All in all, she supposed, he looked rather terrifying. She couldn't blame the others for staring at him like they'd spotted a miniature troll.
When he reached Dumbledore, his eye rolled over and Marina knew he was looking through the back of his head. It was creepy, to say the least.
Her friends weren't all that discomforted – but Harry and his friends stared every bit as much as the others. Mad-Eye had agreed to tutor Harry during the next holidays, but they hadn't actually met yet.
"May I introduce our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher," Dumbledore said brightly. "Professor Moody."
Not even the other teachers applauded, too transfixed by Mad-Eye who had taken out his own pocket knife to eat. He didn't seem to mind the stares. As they all watched, he pulled out his flask and took a gulp – he never drank anything offered to him by someone else (paranoia at a whole new level).
Dumbledore reclaimed everybody's attention, smiling in understanding.
"As I was saying, we are to have the honour of hosting a very exiting event over the coming months, an event which has not been held for over a century. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year."
That caused a very loud round of exited whispers, and even the twins quickly forgot their mood over not being able to play Quidditch.
Everyone listened very closely as Dumbledore explained just what the Tournament was, but Marina kept looking at Mad-Eye. And here she'd thought last year had been a shock, what with Remus taking the job without telling her – but this was even worse. She hadn't felt quite so gobsmacked in a while now.
"The Heads of Beauxbatons and Durmstrag will be arriving with their contenders in October, and the selection of the three Champions will take place at Hallowe'en. An impartial judge will decide which students are most worthy to compete for the Triwizard Cup, the glory of their school, and a thousand galleons personal prize money."
Marina was not at all surprised to hear many of the students around her announce their intention to compete; including Fred Weasley. She hoped Dumbledore had braced himself for their reaction at the second part of his announcement.
"Eager though I know all of you will be to bring the Triwizard Cup to Hogwarts,-" he said, "-the Heads of the participating schools, along with the Ministry of Magic, have agreed to impose an age restriction on contenders this year. Only students who are of age will be allowed to compete. This is a measure we feel is necessary, given that the Tournament tasks will still be difficult and dangerous, whatever precautions we take, and it is highly unlikely that students below sixth and seventh year will be able to cope with them."
As predicted, everyone under seventeen yelled in protest – whatever for, she didn't know. The decision had been made months ago, which was why only students of age from the other schools would arrive.
When Dumbledore sent them off to bed, Marina left it to the new fifth-year Prefects to rally the first-years and show them the way; sixth-years were always on late-night patrol and detention duty.
"Did you know?" Carmen asked her at the door. Trish and Samantha were with her, discussing the Ravenclaw class schedule. Angelina and Katie stood behind Marina, also – curious, she imagined.
"Not a clue," she shook her head, waving back at Harry who was leaving the Hall with his friends.
"This will be interesting, won't it?" Carmen mused, looking up at the teacher table.
"He'll probably scare the first-years half to death," she replied dryly. "Mad-Eye was a great auror, but we both know his people skills leave something to be desired."
As if he'd heard her – which even he couldn't have – the grouch's magical eye settled on her.
"But at least they'll learn something," Carmen argued mildly.
"That's for sure," she agreed. "I wonder how long it'll take them to figure out that he can see through solid objects."
"Took us long enough."
"We were seven," she replied. "Let's get out of here. He'll berate me for not wearing my wand in the sheath he gave me soon enough."
Breakfast, the next day...
The fourth-years had just gotten their new schedules and were going over them – instead of eating. She was just about to ask why Hermione looked positively peeved, when Harry gave her their schedule.
Monday:
Morning Period: Herbology, Prof Sprout
1st Period: Herbology, Prof. Sprout
2nd Period: Care of Magical Creatures, Prof. Hagrid
3rd Period: Care of Magical Creatures, Prof. Hagrid
Lunch
4th Period: Arithmancy, Prof. Vector
5th Period: Arithmancy, Prof. Vector
Afternoon Period: Astronomy, Prof. Sinistra
Tuesday:
Morning Period: History of Magic, Prof. Binns
1st Period: History of Magic, Prof. Binns
2nd Period: Ancient Runes, Prof. Babbling / Muggle Studies, Prof. Burbage
3rd Period: Potions, Prof. Snape
Lunch
4th Period: Transfiguration, Prof. McGonagall
5th Period: Transfiguration, Prof. McGonagall
Afternoon Period: Defence Against the Dark Arts, Prof. Moody
Wednesday:
Morning Period: Charms, Prof. Flitwick
1st Period: Charms, Prof. Flitwick
2nd Period: free
3rd Period: Arithmancy, Prof. Vector
Lunch
4th Period: Herbology, Prof. Sprout
5th Period: Herbology, Prof. Sprout
Afternoon Period: Care of Magical Creatures, Prof. Hagrid
Thursday:
Morning Period: Transfiguration, Prof. McGonagall
1st Period: free
2nd Period: Ancient Runes, Prof. Babbling / Muggle Studies, Prof. Burbage
3rd Period: Ancient Runes, Prof. Babbling / Muggle Studies, Prof. Burbage
Lunch
4th Period: Defence Against the Dark Arts, Prof. Moody
5th Period: Defence Against the Dark Arts, Prof. Moody
Afternoon Period: Astronomy, Prof. Sinistra
Friday:
Morning Period: History of Magic, Prof. Binns
1st Period: Care of Magical Creatures, Prof. Hagrid
2nd Period: free
3rd Period: Charms, Prof. Flitwick
Lunch
4th Period: Potions, Prof. Snape
5th Period: Potions, Prof. Snape
Afternoon Period: free
"Well... looks like you have a busy year," Marina said cheerily, mentally commiserating. They had a lot of classes with Slytherin.
"At least I don't have to sit through Double Divination," Harry shrugged and dug into his toast.
"Do yourselves a favour," she advised gently. "Use all your free periods to study. You have your O.W.L.s next year and, trust me, you'll be grateful for everything you don't have to catch up on."
"Bill said the same," Ron chimed in, munching his breakfast.
"Figures. And your brother is one of the few students who actually got twelve O.W.L.s. So listen to him, will you?"
Though she highly suspected nobody was going to get any studying done at all once the Tournament started.
"Did you know?" Hermione suddenly asked and stared at Marina moodily.
"That's rather vague," she replied, surprised at the amount of anger she sensed.
"Did you know Hogwarts functions on slave labour?"
Harry and Ron pointedly looked back down at their breakfast.
"House-elves aren't slaves, Hermione," she sighed. "They're house-elves. And did you ever talk to one of the kitchen elves? They love it here."
But of course Marina knew where the girl was coming from – she'd reacted similarly when she'd inherited Grimmauld Place and realised she'd now owned an elf. She would have freed him, but he knew too many dark secrets – and would probably have given himself a heart attack over being cut lose from the House of Black.
"Dobby thinks they are!" she disagreed vehemently. Marina snorted.
"He had Lucius for a master, of course he does. There are very few wizards and witches who treat elves like that."
Hermione harrumphed and proceeded to shovel food.
End of Fifth Period
"You couldn't have let me know?" Marina asked Mad-Eye after class, with a strong sense of déja-vu. She'd asked Remus exactly the same.
"Why should I have?" he asked gruffly. Typical Mad-Eye.
"So I wouldn't sit there, gaping like the rest of them?" she replied ironically. "You almost gave the entire hall an apoplexy, you know. Why were you late anyway?"
"Checked on the wards," he answered as if it was perfectly normal. Then again, for him it was.
"Only you, Mad-Eye," she shook her head, exasperated. "So I take it you wanted to talk about the fact that I'm too advanced for your curriculum this year."
"You and a few other six-years," he agreed grumpily. "Think you can play nice with Slytherins long enough to take an extra class?"
"If you can find a period we all have off, sure," she sighed. "How many are there?"
"You, Nott, Stimpson, Wood, Johnson – thanks to you, I heard."
"Ange is this good all on her own," she disagreed. "And there was not a single Slytherin in that list. Jolene Wood is a Hufflepuff." And Oliver's little sister.
"Rookwood." The Death Eater's poor, innocent kid. Her father had killed the girl's own mother when she'd found out who and what he really was.
"Okay, how come it's just girls?" Mad-Eye snorted in response.
"Because lads are too lazy to do extra work."
"Clearly you've never met Percy Weasley."
She could all but see the retort he was going to make form in his head, when suddenly his magical eye swirled to the side and stayed there – looking outside the room.
"Trouble?" she asked, unconcerned. Kids fighting wasn't news around the castle.
"Not for long," she growled and limped out of the room.
Marina sighed, fingering her necklace. This year was going to be exhausting.
Saturday
"He did what?" Marina all but shrieked, shocked. Her entire week had been swamped.
Between classes, tutoring the first-years in Transfiguration (yes, she'd agreed to that again), her extra lessons with the other advanced students, Frog Choir... she hadn't been keeping an eye on things. Or on Mad-Eye's class.
"He demonstrated," Hermione replied calmly, but outraged.
"The Unforgivables. To a class of fourteen year-olds."
"On spiders," Susan offered helpfully, pouring Hermione juice. The Hufflepuff had become Hermione's best friend so quickly it was astounding, given how different they were. But they shared their love of studying – and their unwavering loyalty to the boys.
"Neville is a wreck," Hermione continued, righteously angry.
"Harry looked like a statue," Susan added and set down the pitcher a bit forcefully.
"He... he showed you the Killing Curse?" Marina whispered, completely horrified.
"And pointed out that only one ever survived it; staring at Harry."
Marina pressed her eyes shut, mentally swearing. She should have known he'd do something like that. Had he not used the Imperius on her and Carmen only last year? So they'd know how to fight it?
Oh dear Merlin... He wouldn't, right? On fourteen year-olds?
"Can you talk to him?" Susan asked her and pushed the book Hermione was reading towards the latter, trying to get her focused on something less disturbing.
"No," Marina sighed. "I can't talk to him like I would at home. He's a professor now."
"They're illegal for a reason!"
"True. But if Dumbledore is really on board with this, the Ministry won't be able to do anything." In other words, don't tell your aunt.
Marina didn't actually get to talk to Harry until the next day. Neither one of them was in a particularly good mood: Hedwig had brought mail the night before...
"Kitten,
we have a lead on Bellatrix. An entire Hit Wizard Squad is going. Don't worry too much.
If I'm not back by Monday, you'll have to keep Moony company on your own.
Love,
Dad"
Harry's had read pretty much the same – except they hadn't come up with a Marauder nickame for him yet.
Then the Nott family owl had dropped in too, making it even worse.
"Marina, love,
I'm not supposed to tell you this, but I won't be able to answer any letters for a while.
I'm on a team going after Bellatrix – so is Elias; please tell my sister.
Don't worry about us, we'll be fine.
Yours Always,
David"
Was it really any wonder she had no nerves left?
October 7th 1994
"McGonagall said we're done with animagus training," Harry told her exitedly and she smiled.
The four of them had taken to training quickly and were naturals. She'd more than once spotted Ron and Susan run up some trees. Harry flew around when he needed peace and quiet to think, and Hermione had noticed that her brain worked even better after some prowling on four legs.
Marina knew what her brother was about to ask.
"Can I come with you on the next moon?" Harry asked and looked at her imploringly. He'd been talking about joining Remus for months now.
"Sure thing. As long as you tell him. He still doesn't know." She and her father had both chickened out.
Using McGonagall's floo to get home every month was so against the rules she was surprised Dumbledore had gone for it. But she wouldn't complain.
October 19th 1994
"Still no word from Sirius?" Carmen asked Marina as she accompanied her to McGonagall's office. It was five o'clock and all their classes were done, so she and Harry would be flooing home to join Remus.
As expected, he had not been happy about being kept in the dark for so long. But he had not offered any protest when Harry had informed him that he'd come home for the moon too. Maybe Moony was learning.
"No," Marina answered her friend. "But your brother somehow manages to send me notes every few weeks or so, to let me know they're alive." And given what she knew about the Ministry, she did not want to think about how much trouble he would get in if he got caught doing it.
October 30th 1994
She swore to Merlin, if people didn't stop staring she'd scream.
The Beauxbatons and Durmstrang delegations had arrived yesterday. It had been an impressive sight, the Abraxan winged horses pulling the carriage and the giant underwater ship. The entire school had been groomed and present, the teachers strangely tense. Showing off was common even in the magical world, so the professors wanted them on their best behavior.
Marina had been awed by Madame Maxime as much as anyone else – though no one could rival Hagrid. The man was gobsmacked to have met someone as... large as he was. On the other end, of course, was Karkaroff.
Perhaps it was a good thing that her Dad was still on a pointless chase – he would not take it well to have a Death Eater under the same roof with her and Harry.
The whole lot of them had then proceeded to the Great Hall and taken their seats at their regular tables. All the Beauxbatons students had promptly sat down at the Ravenclaw table – Carmen, Trish and Sam had promptly started a conversation with some of them – and the Durmstrang students had taken seats with the Slytherins. Elvira (Rookwood), whom she got along with amazingly well, saved them from the schmoozing of the residents – all but one of them.
Because Viktor had crossed the Hall after the feast, come over to the Gryffindor table, and pulled Marina off the bench and into a hug. She hadn't seen him coming or she would probably have fled.
All three schools, sort of, were staring at them in shock.
"You just had to this now," she grumbled, even as she hugged him back.
"Tey vill stare anyvay," Viktor replied and took a small step back.
"Yes, but now they'll stare at me too." Which had most likely been the point.
For all he was an international star, Viktor hated the attention. All the wanted was to play Quidditch and, at some point, win the World Cup. Schmoozing and small talk weren't really his thing.
"Sŭzhalyavam1," he told her sheepishly.
"No, you're not," she retorted. "You did it in purpose. In case I'm not there to keep the masses at bay, Elvira will help too." The girl couldn't care less about fame – her name was infamous enough for a dozen people.
Before any more could be said, Dumbledore rose and demanded attention. Viktor returned to his school mates and she sat back down, pointedly ignoring the stares and envy.
"The moment has come," the Headmaster said, smiling." The Triwizard Tournament is about to begin. I would like to say a few words to clarify the procedure which we will be following this year. But first, let me introduce the Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, Mr Bartemius Crouch, and the Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports, Mr Ludo Bagman."
"Good thing you've been distracted so far," Angelina mumbled as everyone applauded. Marina had not kept her disdain for Crouch secret at all.
"Mr Bagman and Mr Crouch have worked tirelessly over the last year on the arrangements for the Tournament,-" Dumbledore explained, "- and they will be joining myself, Professor Karkaroff and Madame Maxime on the panel which will judge the champions' efforts."
"Yes, because that will be totally impartial," Fred muttered.
While Dumbledore was setting up the Goblet of Fire – the ancient magical artefact that would chose the champions – Marina looked around and noticed a lot of disgruntled faces. People still hadn't gotten over the age restriction.
"To ensure that no underage student yields to temptation, there will be no opportunity to submit your names yourselves. Professor Karkaroff, Madame Maxime and myself have drawn up lists of all our students of age, including those under a Maturity Exception, and will be submitting those lists tomorrow evening."
Maybe she was imagining it, but he'd put extra emphasis on mentioning the Exception.
"Any of you who do not wish to compete have until tomorrow at four o'clock in the afternoon to let us know. Your name will be taken off the list. And then it will be out of our hands – and the Goblet will decide who will represent our schools."
It hadn't even started yet, but the Tournament was already giving her a headache.
1 Bulgarian for I'm sorry.