Alright here is chapter five not much is going to happen beside Stefan training, making new friends and new enemies.
"Stefan front and center now!" A tall man shouted and he came up in front of the group. " I hereby promote you company sergeant as today with all the honors and duties that go along with it, '' he said and pinned a small silver dragon on Stefan's tunic.
He then dismisses the squires for class, Stefan walks alone to class with many fellow squires giving him a dirty look. He couldn't blame them; many had trained three years as a page to be a squire and he showed up on the first day as a squire. Even more was they know he is a Brankovic and has his famous grandfather as his backer in the order.
They see him as a well connected boy and just earn his position because of his family name. Stefan sighed knowing there was not much he could say to help, it's only the fourth day and already he hated or disliked at best.
He thought it's not his fault that after two days of the order testing all the squires skills. Stefan, out of over seventy squires in the group, showed him to be far ahead of the others in skills and knowledge.
And so because of his results he was promoted and now stood as the class leader. First class was potion where they learned to make, defecate and make the antidote to poisons. Then was sword fighting class where they paired off Stefan was paired with a skinny brown hair Romanian boy named David Tennant.
They practiced with wooden swords with many leaving class with bruises. Third class was a language where the teacher, a short Greek teacher, began teaching them Turkish. Stefan picked some of it up more quickly than others. A blond girl named Rose Tyler asked me for help and he did help her before class ended. After class is lunch and Stefan found most tables not very accepting of him.
" hey sit here" Rose Tyler called out to him and Stefan sat down with her. David Tennant, Matt Smith and Rory Williams. Matt and Rory are both English from poor families but they both have a relative in the order who supports their entrance to the order.
"Stephen, what part of the UK are you ?" Rose asked as she took a bite of her meal.
" I am actually from America but I am half British from my dad's family. So as company SGT what are my duties anyway. I also go to Hogwarts in Scotland, it's a great school and when do they pay us?" He said while eating his meat stew.
" Well it's your job to wake us up in the morning, check that we are all ready before breakfast, build teamwork between us, keep us in line and a few other things. They give us our pay when we leave." David tells him and asks if he wants his rye bread. Stefan passes it to him and David thanks him for it.
"What is Hogwarts like? My family tried getting there but I was accepted to another school and they couldn't switch me." Matt said while playing with his hair which was combed to the side. The rest of lunch was spent with them listening to Stefan describe Hogwarts and its wonders. Final class of the day was a gym where they ran laps and worked out. Stefan then stayed over with a teacher for extra lessons in horse riding and history of the order.
The next day after Stefan woke early, got ready for the day and to wake up the group. After he did roll call was breakfast and a morning lap around the castle. After which Stefan was to select a fellow squire to be his corporal or second in command. But he was in a tough situation when he looked over his choices, just like at Hogwarts he found that blood matters here. Most members in the order are pure blood or half blood with a tiny few muggleborns.
Michael Brun, Louis Heller, Luis Anjou, Frederick Holland, Vlad Adamski, Peter Ruirk and Lysander Zeroni are all top choices due to their being pure bloods and come from families with major influence and power. He also could pick a half blood which will be acceptable but if he is for a muggleborn like Ryan Grant of Poland who scores second after him he faces problems with most of the group.
In the end Stefan picked Lysander Zeroni since he seems less resentful to him and smart enough for the job. The first week passed quickly with classes and drills before they gave each a horse to care for and began horse riding lessons. Then dueling classes start on the third week with their teacher teaching them many hexes and jinxes.
Stefan found his position to be very unstable with the group split into two factions. One led by Luis Anjou with his second Frederick Holland and the other Stefan with his second Lysander. Luis and Frederick plot to overthrow them and seize control of the grouping. Stefan held command because of loyalists like Rose, Lysander, David and Matt in his faction. Luis tried several times to sabotage him in his job and almost won but Stefan was no fool and saved himself.
Today Stefan led his group mounted in their small horses through a field with several knights of the order with them. " ok today I want you all to split into two groups and battle each other. You will fight mounted with your wands, only stunners, no other spells besides shield ones for blocking or else. These knights here will be watching for any cheating and to evaluate you all. Now split up and get ready. Winning side will get a day off and their leader a special reward" the instructor told them. Stefan gathered his faction while Luis did the same with his faction. The instructor turned the scarves of Luis's faction red and Stefan's blue.
After both teams got in position he raised his right hand to signal both teams to begin. Red team with over 40 members outnumbering blue team's 30 full frontal charge. Stefan orders a retreat and for fourteen to follow Lysander while the rest with him. Luis, who was so focused on Stefan, didn't notice when Lysander ran off with his group. His goon Frederick told him this but he dismissed it and chose to crush Stefan's force then Lysander's.
Stefan led his force around the field dodging enemy attacks on them. Unfortunately two squires were knocked off their horses by the red team. Luis never noticed when Lysander slammed his force into the middle of the red team. In one moment Luis's team is split into two groups, one half in confusion scatter and are run down by Lysander's group before they get far.
Then they chase after the other half, Luis by this time has realized what has happened and halt to regroup his remaining forces. He then charges Lysander's group and with a volley of stunners knocks out six of Lysander's group before they clash. Luis and his force overwhelm the Lysander force and knock him from his horse personally.
His victory was short-lived when they were swept aside by Stefan and his band. Rose sent Frederick off his mount with a well placed hit to the chest. David took out four before falling himself, Matt after being knocked off his mount fought on foot striking down three and Stefan in the heat of the clash duel with Luis who found Stefan to be much stronger than he thought.
Luis couldn't get through Stefan's shield and in a moment of rage unleashed a cutting hex on him. Stefan dodged the hex and unleashed a bone breaking hex that scored a hit on Luis's wand hand. It broke most of the bones in his hand and he fell screaming in pain, seeing his remaining followers surrender by dropping their wands.
The instructor and knights rode up to the squires. Luis and any other badly injured squire were sent to the nurse but Luis was chewed out by the instructor for using a cutting hex in the exercise.
The Red team was gathered up and the GrandMaster personally awarded the team their day off and to their surprise a small bonus of money. For Stefan his prize for leading his team was the barony of Karytania. The squires grasp and look on as Stefan is given a scroll, silver necklace and a silver armband with writing on it. " With this Title you are now Baron of Karytaina, the village, Castle and surroundings are now yours with the income provided by the people there. I expect you Brankovic to act like a good lord and not a tyrant with the people." The GrandMaster told him as he bowed and accepted the reward.
The Grand master then left the squires with two knights following. The next hour Stefan is mobbed by my fellow squires who praise him for leadership and for winning the title.
Rose told him despite Karytania being a small village in the mountain in Southern Greece it was in fact a full magical village that he now ruled and gets tax from as their Baron. "While in the muggle world your title no longer exists after the principality of Achaea was dissolved but in the magical world many of these titles still exist and are awarded to people by orders or magical governments. The order of the Dragon has many titles from which they provide much of the order funds. What you got was a barony that small enough that they won't notice the lost of income from it since its doesn't provide much tax"
Stefan later filled out the scroll which was a registration form for the barony. After a week he sends it off he gets the deed to Karytania castle and papers saying he is the official Baron of Karytaina. The next two weeks Stefan performs his duties and earns good marks in his classes. Luis and his faction had been in the time since their loss weakened badly since members deflect to Stefan's faction as his star is rising. Luis was now following Stefan's orders and sadly due to him being the idiot he earned bad marks in his classes.
He stood now in the bottom of the group since even now any remaining followers refuse to do his homework or help him cheat in class.
Stefan by the end of his six weeks training won over his group by hosting a party for all the squires after getting permission from their teachers. " Hey Matt, get a minute, " Stefan asked him during the middle of the party. Matt told yes and Stefan led him to a corner to talk.
" Matt I need a chamberlain for Karytaina" He said and Matt stared back shocked at him. "why me?" He said and Stefan told him he trust him and told him he won't take no for an answer.
In the end Matt was appointed chamberlain of Karytania castle. He kneels for Stefan to place his silver necklace on him and to swear an oath of loyalty to Stefan. " Good now I expect you and your family to move into Morytania castle soon so you can perform your duty to me, '' Stefan told him and they shook hands.
Later that night after the party ended, Stefan asked where Lysander will go to school. " Hogwarts my Baron. My parents got me accepted there over the summer" he said and Stefan told him to join Gryffindor. Lysander told him yes he will do that and Stefan promised him a reward later for his loyalty.
On the last day August 20 two days before his birthday Stefan waits for his family to come for him. His new friends had said their goodbyes, Rose and David are now personal squires to knights after Stefan gave good reports on them. Matt had left to assume his new position with his family in tow.
Lysander has left for home and will soon be at Hogwarts for the new school year. A score more squires found service with knights because of a good review from Stefan and the rest will go home for a while and return or stay some more before leaving. A few like Luis and Frederick were sent off to the worst outpost in the order for failing or punishment.
Stefan sat on his trunk in his uniform and played with his wand by turning his scarf into different colors. " big brother!" He heard and was knocked to the ground by his little siblings. They got off him when he told them and a moment later the rest of the family came.
His mother hugged him tightly and told him how much she missed him and how he grown. He now stood taller and somewhat tan since she last saw him. His father ruffle his hair and wore a grin when he saw him in his squire uniform. "Baron of Karytaina," his grandfather said with a smile.
" yep I won it in a training exercise and I appointed a chamberlain already to run it for me" Stefan told him and his grandmother praised him for thinking ahead. After greetings they went to the Brankovic house in London by international portkey. Stefan had found from his grandparents that his title of Baron of Cumbria is going to Peter but he was getting the title of Viscount of Liverpool.
His sisters were a little mad they got no title but Stefan promised them ones later on. Samantha and Emma kept begging for Stefan to let him loan his wand to them. But he refused on the grounds that they are not students yet and it's dangerous playing with one without knowing what to do.
He did let them read his books and play with his potion set after making sure they couldn't blow up the house. Stefan's birthday was celebrated with a small party of family and friends.
Stefan invited Hermoine, Neville, Susan, Sue, Terry, Michael and Fay. They came with their families and presents. " Hermione I tried reaching Harry but I couldn't get a reply from him" he asked her and she told him she was having the same problem too. This unsettled him but he couldn't do much right now.
His friends like many stare eyes wide open when they see his parents and siblings. They watched at one point Stefan wrestling with his siblings over his wand which they tried to borrow. They found the triplet to be very different from him in not just looks but personality. Peter, Samantha, Emma are wild, carefree, kind hearted, smart and easy to get along with.
Where Stefan is less wild, very smart, more serious, dark in a sense, but kind and has the making of a leader in him. Later Sue asks why Ron isn't here and Stefan told him he couldn't make it for some reason. Samantha and Emma got along with the girls quickly and Peter with boys too. Soon they're all outside playing hide and seek in the backyard.
As they enjoy the day the adults talk over tea. Stefan's parents at first feel uncomfortable with the wizards and witches but soon find they have a lot in common. Especially with the Grangers who are muggles, Luke and Elena Brankovic found they were still getting used to having magical kids.
Mrs and Mr Li ask if they had betrothed Stefan yet. Luke and Elena stare at them as if they've gone crazy. " He is only twelve right now!" Elena said to them. " Mrs Brankovic, as hard as it is to believe in our world, a betrothal is still quite common, especially when it comes to pureblood families. " Amelia Bones says to Elena.
Luke's father mentions when he announced Stefan's first bout of magic, he received over 198 betrothed offers in the first week from all over Europe." Ancient and famous families in Wizarding Europe offer up brides for him. The Medici, Sforza, Savoy, Greystark, Bourbon, Hesse, Reginar, Brabant, Montfort, Valois, Percy, Burgundy, Orleans, Habsburg, Hanover and many other noble houses. Luke already I got offers for Peter, Samantha and Emma" he said.
"Father, I don't like the idea of marrying my kids off. Remember Romulus' father, if I recall correctly he eloped with that girl instead of marrying that other girl you set him up with." Luke said.
Stephen Brankovic stared at his son for a long moment. " and where did that get him Dead! And all because of her, if she hadn't been part of that stupid little club of Dumbledore then he weren't had been involed in that war. He should have been in America with his wife, not fighting for the cause of that old man and what was his reward! A grave in our family graveyard, she also joined him and along with her whole family later. But they're buried somewhere else. I refuse to bury her next to him. '' he said.
" Father! What Romulus did was his choice, his wife didn't encourage him to join, he did so out of his free will. Marlene McKinnon was a good woman, she was kind, loving and smart." Luke said to his father. " Wait, she was married to him, her brother John is my late husband. Why did he never tell me?!" Amelia said.
" They kept it a secret, my... younger brother wanted it as a secret til the war was over. Me and Elena were there at their ceremony" Luke said in a sad tone. " Me and your father also watched it from the shadows knowing we couldn't change their minds," Elizabeth Brankovic tells her son.
" Are some of those houses you mention aren't extinct ?" Elena asks them. " Yes Medici and Habsburg are houses that are extinct in the muggle line but the magical side of them still lives on Elena" Stephen answers her." If you were to betrothal Stefan, would you prefer a lady in Britain or on the mainland?" Mr Li asked. Stephen knew well enough the man wanted to marry his daughter to Stefan. Part of him wanted to refuse him outright since his family is of lesser standing than his. But that will cause problems and trouble.
" Mr Li, if my wife and I ever do betrothal our eldest son he will have a choice in the matter at least. While I don't like them I can see many benefits from one" Luke said and Elena agreed though she said no gold diggers or evil witches. Everyone laughed at that and then they talked about the magical world.
Advice, tips and knowledge was traded. Amelia tries to learn more about Romulus and Marlene but Luke refuses to reveal anything else. Stefan reenters the house with Hermione and Susan holding both his arms. Luke stares at his son and knows in a few years Stefan was going to be very popular with ladies. Already he developed quickly and lost most of his baby fat he had left last year. He is taller than most kids his age by three or four inches and lean with a hint that he has a runner's body when older. " Hey, is the cake done yet?" He asks and Elena tells him yes then he off with the girls and calls the rest back in.
The party ended with Stefan's cake, a large chocolate one was eaten and he opened a few gifts. Neville got him a book on plants, Hermione a book too on knighthood, Susan a gold necklace with a small ruby hanging from it, Fay a book on quidditch, Terry a magical toy car and Michael an old magical staff. Stefan also got gifts from his family as well. Later at night after everyone but Stefan is asleep he looks over his gifts then the other gifts he also receives today. Mostly simple jewelery like gold or silver rings, well made shirts with designs, necklaces and a few lovely belts with gold or silver buckles. Each present came with a letter and photos of girls his age. He studied the letters and found at least twelve girls wrote to him.
They looked innocent at first glare at the letters but after reading them it's clear to him. They wish him a good birthday and hint at the benefits of a friendship and more. One outright mentions that she heiress to a magical county and fortune. Stefan wrote back a reply to them but three he wrote more than a thank you note. To Justina Habsburg, Marissa Medici and Catherine Sforza he wrote letters of his thanks for the gifts, questions asking about them and if they wish to write to each other. With his owl Steve he sends off with a letter to Justina and then sneaks out of his room to the place where his Grandparents keep their owls. He sends off the final two and later he will send off the thank you notes to the other girls.
Stefan went back to his room with a grin on his face.
well that was a long one. Next one starts with shopping for Stefan's siblings and the beginning of second year. I am now going to have Stefan start planning ahead and gathering supporters. He is going to meet a certain blond who is just so loveable too.