As the last few days of the winter holiday pass, Marie becomes visibly healthier.
"Are you ok?" Harry asks as Marie scratches at her arm.
Marie pulls her hand away guiltily, "Yeah I'm fine."
"What's up with your arm?"
Marie sighs irritably, "It itches, my bones ache, my muscles ache, my teeth ache, and I keep tripping over. It's not bad, but it's all the bloody time."
"Marie, I think you should talk to Airmed and Mr Greengrass."
"Do you mean Reginald?"
Harry's shoulders slump, "Yes, that's his name. I can't stop thinking of him as Daphne's father."
Marie puts a smile on her face, "Don't worry, I think that's a problem all kids have at some point or another. Us adults don't really have names unless we know them personally. I think my weirdest moment was meeting my art teacher out shopping after I got back from uni and I called her Mrs Mackenzie. She immediately asked me to call her Liz as it always makes her feel like she's in school if people don't."
"I can't imagine what that's like."
Marie rubs his head, "Don't worry about it, you've got plenty of growing yet. Before you know it, you'll be an adult and look back at this time of your life wistfully. Just remember to ignore the adults when they tell you that these are the best years of your life. They've forgotten what it was like to grow up, and so they're mistaking ignorance and innocence for happiness."
"Um, where did that come from?"
"Philosophy class as part of my degree."
"Marie, I can see you scratching again. Are you going to see Airmed and Mr Reginald?"
"Sure, once I work out how to get there."
"Take my hand, and I'll take you to Daphne's house. Well, to Daphne, but if she's not at home she'll probably be able to point us in the right direction."
Reluctantly, Marie takes Harry's hand and they disappear into the mist.
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The two of them step out of the mist into the Greengrass' personal apothecary where Daphne is demonstrating one of the potions they've learnt for Airmed and Reginald. After a moment, it becomes clear that her attention isn't on the potion, rather it's on the discussion that Reginald and Airmed are having about the suitability of the ingredients for a boil cure.
When she catches Harry's eyes, he looks pointedly at the potion and she looks back. Eyes widening, she levitates it off the flames and after a few seconds adds the porcupine quills.
"I don't see why you're not using Yarrow in the potion rather than the porcupine quills. They would have the same effect and also be safe for mundane people to use."
Reginald shakes his head, "It's the symbology as much as anything else. The quills are sharp and represent the lancing of the boil if no other treatment works."
"Then use Lesser Burdock leaves, the hooks on the flowers and seed pods do the same things. They should also make the potion safer to brew, as the magic flows shouldn't be explosive if they're added sooner."
"But what about the magic inherent in animal parts?"
Airmed waves her hand, "The magic flows are still there, they just need gentle reinforcement from the brewer. Any competent herbalist should be able to sense those flows and reinforce the parts that are needed for the illness they're treating."
Once it's clear that the two adults aren't actually paying any attention to the rest of the room, Harry interrupts, "Airmed, I need you to talk to Marie. She keeps scratching her skin."
Airmed spins around and looks at them, "Oh, yes, we were going to talk about the possibility of a potion to help you sleep. Reginald, what was it called?"
Reginald sighs, "Dreamless sleep."
"How long would it take to brew a batch? I'd like to watch so that I can see the flows and how they might interact with Marie."
Over the next hour, all three of them watch Reginald skilfully mix a dreamless sleep draft. At the end of it he carefully fills a single vial and hands it to Airmed.
Airmed hold the vial up and looks at it, "This won't keep her asleep, but it should send her into a natural sleep for around 5 minutes. It may well be the best way to get to sleep in a few days, but you should keep them for when you can't sleep. It will allow you to get to sleep, and hopefully you'll be able to sleep the rest of the night after that. Now, Daphne, Harry, I believe it's time for you both to go to bed as you need to catch the train in the morning."
Harry and Daphne both share a glance, "Yes Mum/Airmed."
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The next morning, the 1st year Hufflepuffs reserve two compartments, as the 6-8 person capacity of each one is easily exceeded. As the carriage is filling up, Daphne, Susan, Harry, Marianne, Hannah, and Tracey, all look up as there's a rather timid knock at the door.
Hannah calls, "Come in?"
As the door slides open, Millicent Bulstrode stands there looking nervous, "May I sit with you?"
Marianne smiles, "Come in, there's plenty of space. I don't think I've seen you before, so I'm known as Mari."
Millicent smiles, "Thank you." With a grunt she lifts her own trunk up to her shoulder and then onto the overhead rack.
Sitting down she looks around, "Hi, I'm Millicent Bulstrode. Just call me Millie unless my housemates are around."
Marianne smiles, "So what house are you in?"
Millicent looks at her, absolutely gobsmacked, "How do you not know what house I'm in?"
"I'm not a student, duh. I'm just here for the ride."
"But, how?"
Daphne smiles, "Mari is being trained in Celtic magic by Harry's mother, Dr Danann. The only reason Harry got a Hogwarts letter is that he's adopted. I suppose you could say that she's a late bloomer, and she only just had enough magic to learn Celtic magic when the school year started. To be fair, most pure blood families would have considered her a squib and cast her into the mundane world long before this, so it's better that she was born to a mundane family."
Marianne stares at Daphne, going over what she said in her head.
Millicent on the other hand just nods, "I see. You see that occasionally, people with just enough magic to brew potions or tend to magical plants. The ministry ain't got much use for 'em, but they can still earn a pretty knut in the rest of the population."
Harry looks at her confused, "You seem very confident in that?"
Millicent smiles, "Da got a job at the Ministry, so I was allowed to test for a scholarship. I'm the first of my family to go to Hogwarts, and I'm going to become the best witch I can so that more of my family can go too."
"That's going to take a lot of hard work."
Millicent nods, "I know, but so does anything worthwhile. My Da, he used to work the Greengrass fields, but he saw an opening at the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office and took a chance. Da's working to buy a house in Dylife, Powys so that we can vote. I want to help him do that, I want to show that the Bulstrode's are not just a common family our family line goes back just as far as the Malfoy's."
Marianne looks at Daphne accusingly, "Everything you said about me is true, but it makes a lie. How did you do that?"
Millicent chuckles as Daphne puts her face in her hands. Tracey rubs Daphne's back soothingly, "It's often not what you say that makes a lie, but what you don't say. Learning to listen for what you're not told was a, required, skill in Daphne's home."
Millicent makes a face, "Ugh, don't remind me. It's a required skill in Slytherin too. Everyone keeps assuming that you must be some sort of political animal if you ended up in that house."
Harry arches an eyebrow, "So why did you end up in that house?"
Millicent laughs, "I didn't know that Greengrass here was going to go to Hufflepuff, so I didn't object to being placed there for my ambition."
"Why is daphne's family so important to your decision making?"
"Large parts of the wizarding world have a saying, 'If you want to know which way the wind's blowing, you can either look outside yourself, or you can see what the Greengrass' are doing.'"
Daphne looks surprised, "Why?"
"It's simple, you're one of the oldest families in our world and you've always been successful. Never the most successful, but never not successful. According to my Da, it's why a lot of the common folk played lip service to the Dark Lord, they saw the Greengrass' doing the same."
Susan sighs, "I suppose I'm going to be the one to do this. Why did you ask to join us today?"
Millicent nods, "As soon as I got off the train, me Ma signed the letter and we sent it from the owl post office that evening. I did a quick count, and outside Hufflepuff, there're less than 8 muggleborn in first year. I figured it would be a good idea to get to know you before we get to school and house divisions get in the way again. I'm willing to bet my lunch money that I'm the only Slytherin in the class."
Tracey shakes her head, "I wouldn't take that bet."
Daphne sighs, "Let me guess, your mother signed you up so quickly because I'm in this class?"
Millicent smiles, "That's right. I'm not sure you're aware of how much influence your family has."
Daphne laughs, "Oh, I'm very much aware, and we take great pains not to use it. I had to learn a lot of political history before Hogwarts, and one thing's clear. The top families only ever stay there for a generation or two. Currently, that's the Malfoy's and Notts, but before the war it was the Potters and Longbottoms. A few centuries ago it was the Bones, I think the Abbor
With the ice broken everyone started to chat and get to know Millicent.
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Half way through the journey, and several compartment changes later, Draco Malfoy slides open the door to the compartment.
"Bulstrode, we've missed you in our compartment."
Bulstrode smiles and responds slowly, picking her language carefully, "While I'm flattered that you care, my family has long been allied with the Greengrass'."
"Whether that's in fact true of your no-name family," Daphne winces, "I've heard that you're going to be learning muggle subjects."
"Given that my family's name appears in the doomsday book and the Malfoy name is not to be seen. I'd say I could care less about your opinion of my family, but I'd be lying."
"You should be careful about what you say, after all, what might happen if my father heard about it?" Draco closes the door, and just before it's closed, he pops his head back in, "Oh, and congratulate your father on passing the probationary period."
Harry looks at Daphne, Justin, and Wayne, "Is it me, or did that seem out of character for Draco?"
Millicent laughs, "No, that's what he's like in the dorms. I don't think those threats are empty either, as he exchanges letters with his family on a nearly daily basis."
Daphne nods, "Makes sense, I wonder how much of it is coached from his father."
"Dunno, but I know that he's only scoring average on most of his subjects. Whether that will change is up in the air."
Wayne asks, "Millie, why did you sound so different when Malfoy was here?"
"In Slytherin I've learnt that speaking with a common accent is a good way to be isolated. That and it makes most of them forget that I got here on a Scholarship, after passing the exam."
Marianne gets up and squeezes between Millicent and Justin, before giving the larger girl a hug, "That sucks, I know what it's like to be bullied and isolated. Let us know if things become problematic and, assuming we've become good friends, I'm sure that we can start you learning Celtic magic. If Morgana agrees, then maybe Daphne can start to teach you."
Daphne get's a panicked look in her eyes and squeaks out, "I'm not ready to teach this."
Harry nods, "You're right, you've still got a couple of skills to master before you have the children's stuff learnt. The stuff you should be able to do as easily as walking or jumping. Once I think you've mastered those, we can teach you to make your own tokens. Once you have that skill learnt, you'll be able to teach the basics."
"Harry! You're supposed to be on my side."
Harry chuckles, "I'm supposed to be your teacher, and one of the best ways to learn is to teach. Your father will undoubtably be at the same stage you are now in a month or less. However, he won't be as good with any of his skills as you are. That's the difference between being allowed to practice and being pushed."
Millicent's eyes widen, "You don't have to do that. I'll be fine."
Wayne laughs, "You should have thought of that before you started to befriend a group of Hufflepuffs. Even if we do have a couple of Hufferins here."
Daphne puts on an injured expression as the others laugh, "Oi! I resemble that remark."
Justin looks at her oddly, "Where did you hear that phrase?"
"Watching cartoons with Harry and Mari when Astoria got too much for me. She just hasn't stopped moving since her curse was cured. That's not public information by the way, my family thinks it would be better to see who comes calling when father stops looking for a cure. To that end, Astoria's going to school in Dunblane until she's Hogwarts age."
From the doorway, Neville smirks, "I bet your father was overjoyed with that."
"He just about blew a basket."
Justin shakes his head, "Gasket, he just about blew a gasket."
Daphne shrugs, "I'll get there eventually."
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As the train arrives at Hogsmeade station, Harry receives the oddest message from his Mum, "Bring Marianne up to the school with you, she can go home after the feast."
Turning back, he catches Marianne just as she's disappearing into the mist. It takes him a couple of seconds to catch up with her and pull her back to the compartment after a quick explanation. When they emerge from the mist, Millicent is staring at the space they just left from.
"I guess I know why you and Tracey joined Hufflepuff now."
Daphne shrugs, "I wasn't exactly going to advertise the fact for those too stupid to see."
Once they get off the carriages and enter the Main Hall, Harry and Marianne both break into a run when they see Morgana sitting at the end of the top table.
"Mum/Morgana!"
Morgana laughs, "Go and sit down, Marianne sit with Harry for now."
As they head back to the table, Harry notices a smaller table set behind the Top table that has Dora and Marie sat at it along with the caretaker and grounds keeper.
The whispers and muttering about the new seating arrangements comes to an end as a clearly disgruntled headmaster stands up.
"Good evening and welcome back. I hope you all had a good Christmas holiday. As you can see, there have been some seating changes for the feast today. Seated at the end of the table is our new Professor, Dr Danann. She will be teaching those 1st years that are taking their mundane studies. Additionally, she will also be teaching Muggle Studies every Wednesday. I have been assured that this will no longer be an easy pass, though the Examining Board will be observing the first lessons next Wednesday. For those that have noted Professor Quirrell's absence, he had some urgent business to attend to and will be back in time for his classes on Monday.
"Professor McGonagall will now be reading out the 1st years that will be joining mundane studies."
Minerva stands and coughs, "When I call your name, please stand up. Hermione Granger, Sally-Anne Perks, Dean Thomas, Millicent Bulstrode, Su Li, Padma Patil. Congratulations, you are all accepted into the class. There is still one space left that can be filled in the next couple of weeks. Now, given that Dr Danann lives in the muggle world, we asked her to prove that she can indeed do magic, so I will now let her demonstrate."
Morgana just smiles and slowly reduces the occlusion that she's using until the enchantments in the hall are starting to strain. She just sits there as the looks of distress throughout the hall become more and more pronounced. Eventually the headmaster flares his own magic and croaks "Enough!" the only visible effect of the flaring of his magic is that his throne pops like a soap bubble as the magic holding it together unravels, leading it to turn back into the rather mundane chair that it was, and collapsing as the headmaster falls the 8 inches between the old seat height and the new seat height.
Professor McGonagall struggles to her feet, "Dr Danann, would you be able to bring your magic back under control. I think the demonstration has gone on long enough."
Morgana nods at McGonagall and her magic starts to recede.