Translations for some of the text are available in my Yahoo Group. Everyone is welcome to join it. The disclaimer is there to cover my arse. You can find a link to my group on my website. Thanks for reading and reviewing! Hope everyone had a wicked Halloween. ^__^ Nengski
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Chapter Seven: Durmstang With Dad
Der Schwindel and the Savier
Blaise stepped off the ramp and searched the crowd for a familiar face. After the train ride back to Platform 9 ¾, she had taken a taxi to the muggle airport, and from there flew to Bulgaria. This would be her first Christmas Holiday in Durmstang. Her first visit to the place at all.
"Blaise! Over here, Blaise!"
Blaise grinned in relief when she saw her father break through the crowd. Zonarius Zabini still had his silvery blond hair in a ponytail, with a hint of facial hair along his jaw. His blue-violet eyes crinkled as he pulled Blaise in a hug. His resemblance to his daughter was striking. He had a sweeping fur-lined trenchcoat over a knitted blue sweater and wool grey slacks. The only thing that betrayed him of his wizardry was the leather wand holster strapped across his chest, just like Blaise … and maybe his dragon-skin shoes.
"Did you have a good flight, dear?" He said as they waited for the valet. "I was worried the snow would delay you. I came in early just in case."
"It was fine, Dad. I talked to a muggle next to me. Very nice, old woman. She was visiting her son. The flight attendant also gave me a sandwich. It wasn't very filling but the peanuts were tasty. At least, I finished my paper for Potions by the end of the flight."
The train ride was a whole other story. Blaise spent the whole time sulking in the cabin while her friends giggled over gibberish. Every so often, she'd have the impulse to storm Abbot's cabin and scratch the smug grin off her face. The Hufflepuff would pass Blaise's seat and tease the Slytherin. If it weren't for Susan and Morag, Blaise would've succeeded in damaging the pestering girl.
Blaise had to bid farewell to her friends before she left the train. She couldn't tell them where she would be going, nor let them see her leave. It was for their safety. She still would spend the New Year with her friends, but this Christmas she'll spend with Dad. And only Dad unfortunately.
Cedric's apologetic behaviour didn't last long. Instead, he pursued Cho, trying to prove to the girl that he liked her not Blaise. It seemed Cho and he had a mild flirtation going on, but the Ravenclaw balked when she saw him chase after Blaise.
Well, if Cho had a measly neuron in that pathetically vacant brain of hers, she'd realise Cedric and Blaise were just friends and have been friends since they were in diapers. There's a history there that the stupid twat should respect. But since she's a vain, shallow, flat-chested mongrel, Cho let Insecurity rear its ugly head up her flabby arse. And Cedric, being the hormonally unstable idiot he was, bent for it.
Blaise's stomach lurched. If that was love, then she refused to have anything to do with it. Why would anyone leave their friends from some shabby tail?! She would tell this to Cedric's face, but at this point, she couldn't predict his reaction. They had always gotten into spats, but nothing like this. He had actually hurt her feelings. What if he just told her to sod off? Or worse, what if he stopped talking to her? Well, he was doing so now, but Blaise didn't want to lose her best friend.
Yeah, Cedric was her best friend. She knew that now. But she couldn't tell if HE was aware of that. She didn't really know if he even saw her as his best friend.
"I had the elves fix a room for you right beside mine," Dad said once they were inside their car. It was actually a rickety jalopy, magically refined for their comfort. He poured a cup of hot chocolate for the two of them as Blaise nibbled on an éclair that apparated right in front of her.
"Dad, where is Durmstang?" She asked after she took a sip of her cocoa. He smiled at her and patted her hand.
"You'll see, dear. As soon as we get there."
After a long ride ending around sunset, the jalopy pulled in front of a dimly lit pier. Blaise stepped out with her dad. She stood close to him as she checked their surroundings. A few lampposts lined the boardwalk of the harbor. The light barely pierced through the fog. Blaise could only see ten feet in front of her. Dad kept her close, draping his arm over her shoulders as they walked briskly yet carefully to the pier.
"We're looking for a dock bit ein Schiff. Muggles don't see it, ya? But in this fog, we might pass it too, so keep your eyes open."
Blaise was about to ask him what the boat looked like when she saw something loom ahead of them in the fog. "Pa, is that it?"
The tip-off had to be that the ship hovered three feet above the water. It reminded her of the pirate ships she read about, contrasting starkly with the muggle-made ships made of various steel and engines. This ship had masts reaching so far into the sky that she lost the tips in the fog. The sails were black and red while the whole body was made of a rich burgundy wood.
Blaise noticed a muggle sailor sitting along the edge of the dock. He flung his cigar into the water and adjusted his cap. He didn't seem to notice the hulking black ship looming in front of him. The sailor turned to them and grinned, baring tobacco-stained teeth.
"Guten Abend," her father greeted.
"Wie geht's?" The sailor nodded with narrowed eyes.
"Wir haben Fahrrkarten für de Fähre."
The muggle arched his brow. "Er fährt um zehn Ohr morgens," he pulled put his pocket watch, "Es ist schon spat." He glanced at Blaise who stared unflinchingly back at him. "Are you American?" He proposed with a thick accent.
"Nein," Zon replied. "Wir sind Engländer." Blaise saw him discreetly reach for the wand under his coat. She responded by hitching her thumb over her belt, close to her beads.
The muggle spat near her dad's feet. "Der Schwindel! Mach 'ne Fliege! Ich weiβ wo der Hase lang läuft!" He reached in his coat just as Zon flicked out his wand.
"Muggle, you leave me no choice. Obliviate!" The knife vanished as the man stumbled over his feet and fell into the water. Zon grabbed Blaise's hand and pulled her up a slanted plank that led to the hovering ship.
"It's okay, dear," he said after Blaise snuck a guilty look at the muggle floating in the water below. "He always gives us a hard time. He'll wake up ten minutes from now and just think he had too much drink again."
"I don't know, Dad," she mumbled as she followed him across the deck. "He didn't seem to believe you from the start."
"Yes, well," he cleared his throat. "Many muggles here also look for Sirius Black. There's a big reward out for him. It draws the nastiest folk. Unfortunately, we look like him." Blaise raised her brow eying her father's shimmery blonde hair. "Well, some," he shrugged with a smile.
"Are we taking this ship to Durmstang?"
"Nein. This's just where we start."
"Start? You mean we're not there yet?"
"Soon," he chuckled. "We have to saddle first." He pulled up a trapdoor and pointed inside. Blaise clasped her hands together in surprise.
"We fly on that?!"
"We must. There's no time to set up a carriage."
He jumped through the opening. Moments later, her father emerged with a fully saddled 15-foot long dragon. It had beautifully smooth scales of a rich copper tone with distinct blackish marking along its back, wingspan, and neck. A pair of stubby black horns crowned its slender swan-like head.
"He is trained, you see," he said proudly as he shrunk Blaise's bag to fit in his pocket." After closer examination of the beast, Blaise took a step back.
"Dad … this's a Peruvian Vipertooth!"
"Yes, it is! Ten points to Slytherin!" He grinned. He patted on the saddle as the dragon swished its tail and cocked its snout at Blaise. "And I know they're the smallest of all dragons and swiftest in flight. Very advantageous for us, yes. Can we go now?"
"Dad …" she hissed patronizingly. "Dad, they eat humans!"
"But these one is trained," he said bemused. And to prove his point, he swung his leg over the saddle. Blaise held her breath. The dragon seemed pleased to have people straddling him/her/it. Sighing at the look of boyish joy in her father's face, Blaise climbed behind him.
"Up now, Savier," he commanded. Once they were up in the air, Savier seemed to know the destination, despite the thick fog. Blaise tried to find any semblance of land below but saw nothing.
"I'm sorry for this inconvenience, dear. But this's the only way I can ensure we have private conversation," Zon said over his shoulder. She heard him perfectly despite the speed they went at surely broke the sound barrier in some respect. "Savier is my familiar. He bind himself to me after I saved him in the mountains. Some exterminators killed his family when he just hatch from egg. We can trust his power will deflect any surveillance following us." She nodded.
"So ... what did you want to talk about?"
Zon nodded approvingly. "It will be difficult in the school. Stay with me or with some of my students. I have selected a trustworthy handful to guide you when I am busy. And I will be. Your mother will come home soon. I will prove her innocence much better now that Black was sighted in Hogwarts." He suddenly cursed under his breath. Blaise bit her lip.
"Is that why you decided I come here instead? Because I thought, I had to stay in the school. Oma said it would be safer--"
"Yes, but your grandma has too much confidence in your Headmaster," he said the last word scathingly. "Obviously, he'll do anything to protect Harry Potter, but that leaves everyone else vulnerable. I don't like the risk he takes with that boy. He forgets that there are other people to protect as vell."
Blaise flicked her eyes over to Savier's wings. She knew what her father meant. When Sirius Black escaped Azkaban, Fudge went straight for Oma. Despite the Wizengamot cleared Oma of all charges after her exile, Fudge still held her accountable. But Oma had avoided sequestration by fleeing the island. Fudge attempted to sequester her father next, but he escaped to Durmstang where Fudge had no jurisdiction.
That left Vanessa. And to appease Fudge, to ensure he backed off Zon, Oma, and even Blaise, she willingly let the Minister shackle her in Azkaban. As an unproven accomplice to Sirius Black. Anything to get the press off his back while he tried to clean up the mess.
It was ridiculous. Of all the former Death-Eaters running free, Fudge went after the one who actually worked on the good side. The escape itself had so much mystery shrouding it. The only possible explanation was that it could've been an inside job. He very well couldn't say Black had powers unbeknownst to the Ministry. That would have the whole wizarding community in an uproar. People might question his authority or his capability as a Minister. Something Blaise thought they should've done years ago.
So Fudge needed someone to cover his stupid, fat arse. And any Zabini, even one as young as Blaise would've been the best scapegoat. The whole community already saw them as two-faced wizards. So the media greedily pounced on the chance to crucify a high-profile witch like Vanessa Zabini. It drew the media's attention away from Fudge's pathetic leadership skills. It diverted the attention from Hogwarts. Never mind Dementors stormed onto a Quidditch field and tried to feed on the entire student population there.
Blaise bit her lip as she tightened her fists. Where was Padre in all of this? She pressed her face against her father's coat. No matter. Padre wasn't the best wizard out there. Her dad, Zonarius Zabini could do anything. He could train man-eating dragons, create magical weapons, produce new charms. And she knew he'd save Mama. Even if it meant exiling himself in Durmstang country forever. That'd be fine. Then they'd all live in Bulgaria or Timbuktu together. She'd go to some wizard school in Beijing if she must. Anything to get Mama away from the Dementors.
"We're here, Blaise."
She stirred from her sleep as her dad helped her off Savier's back. The dragon flapped its wings excitedly and crowed up at the gates. Blaise stepped back to take in the castle. It wasn't as huge as Hogwarts, but the mountains that surrounded it were ten times bigger than the latter, even more.
It looked like a cul-de-sac of snow-covered mountains protected the school in all four directions. A giant moat flanked the sides of the castle, while a long, tall bridge crossed over the steep canyon. Zon grabbed her hand and pulled her across the bridge as Savier took off for one of the mountains calling back to them in a friendly good-bye.
They walked for almost a kilometer before they stopped at the front gate. Blaise gazed up at the scarlet flag flapping against the chilling wind. A wolf's head engraved onto a silver shield, surrounding by a ring of fire. The Durmstang coat-of-arms.
"Recorded. Professor Zabini and Fräulein." The guard tipped his hat to Blaise revealing long, black locks of hair and furry eyebrows. He winked at Blaise once her father turned his back to them. He looked ten years her senior. She felt herself blush. She looked away, not before sending a sneer back at him.
She peered up at the castle. Upon a closer look, she could see the bricks of rock, steel, and ice. The stained-glass windows of red and black were lit with lacquered torches of blue flames. Columns made of slate towered over her, covered in ice that glazed over animated carvings on the rock. A boy about Cedric's age approached them. He had hawkish features and an odd walk. He held a lamp of blue fire to their faces. Dad knew this boy.
"I'm Viktor," he said in a soft voice to Blaise. He swept his hand over the castle's mahogany doors where a handful of students stood waiting, all clad in long maroon cloaks with fur collars. "Velcome to Durmstang."
The Golden Eagle
Blaise's parents had been very proud of their schools. Though, it pained Mama sometimes to talk about her friends. Pa altogether refused to name names. So Blaise had to get her information about the schools from her parents' textbooks and yearbooks.
Beauxbatons and Durmstang were both prestigious schools and perhaps more selective than Hogwarts. They did accept students of any lineage but the students had to meet many requirements upon enrollment. They also had to maintain certain standards to stay in school. Neither school divided their students into houses. But they did sort children from top to mediocre comprehension. No surprise, both her folks were in the higher sections.
She had been here for three days now. Durmstang felt like an entirely different Era to Blaise. The corner of the world the school stood on had two seasons, Day and Night. She visited now in the Night season. Few fires lit the halls. Most students were required to bring their own lamps or rely on their wands for light. Wood didn't come easy as the whole castle was located in a sunken icy chasm. People kept warm with fur-lined cloaks charmed to ward off moisture from snow and lock in body heat.
Thick slabs of Narra wood paneled the walls. Red mud sealed the panels in place. Tapestries and medieval weapons adorned the halls as well as mounted heads of slain beasts. These often bellowed whenever people passed. Nothing grossed her out more than an animated moose head bleating for her quill.
Rough woven afghans sprawled everywhere on the frozen mud floor. During the Day season, the floor remained cool. Sometimes grass would sprout from the mud along with wildflowers. Viktor told her that the elves would line the halls with fresh vines of grape and jasmine in the Day season. The elves pretty much cared for the castle and its inhabitants. There was no grumpy Filch here picking the lint off a gargoyle's arse.
Hogwarts had the charmed ceiling in the Great Hall, which was all wicked and dandy. But Blaise thought what Durmstang had knocked the socks off that.
Viktor along with another trusted student named Gertrude took Blaise to the fourth level of the castle. It resembled her favourite courtyard in Hogwarts, but wider. It overlooked the whole castle, including the bridge, the canyon, and the frozen lake at the end of the canyon. As Viktor raised his lamp for Blaise and Gertrude to pass through a narrow passage of stone, she heard the soothing ripples of a waterfall.
"This is our scrying pool," Gertrude said beaming. Blaise understood why.
The scrying pool was ten feet wide in diameter. The waters swirled clockwise, but changed direction often. Viktor demonstrated its use by stepping to the edge of the pool. The blue waters turned black and stilled to reveal students mingling in the Dining Hall.
"You can seek other places," he said in his choppy English. He insisted to speak Blaise's language, because he wanted to learn it if ever he traveled out of his homeland. "This pool flows in castle. Ve have smaller pool in front foyer. Vater falls on banisters." Blaise nodded.
She had noticed the spiral stairs to this level had unusually large balusters. Big enough for her to slide down from. Water coursed down them all the way to the first floor where it branched off in two directions. One to a small fountain at the entrance. The other to a vent that converged into another waterfall that poured into the lake.
"It's beautiful," Blaise said sincerely. She could only imagine how much more the falls would look in the Day season. The sparkling blue water already provided a stunning contrast to the ice.
Gertrude added, "They say a Seer once came here. This vas her pool. Our Divination Professor says true Sight vood happen in pool's vaters."
"You must look," Viktor beckoned. "Ask to see."
Blaise blushed. "I-I don't know what I want to see."
"The pool can show for you," Gertrude shrugged. "It can decide."
She really wanted more than anything to see her mum. Or Oma even. She knew the revelation could do more harm than good though. Still, she didn't want to offend her hosts.
"Can I think about it? I want to decide for myself, and then come back later."
"Good. Ve can do that." Viktor smiled.
"Viktor, wir müssen gehen. Let's have food, ya?" Gertrude suggested looking over her shoulder. Blaise had a feeling they weren't supposed to bring her here.
"Yes, let's have some dinner. Ich habe einen Mordshunger."
"That's very good, Blaise!"
"Yeah. My dad says that all the time."
The Dining Hall didn't look like Hogwarts. Torch-lit chandeliers floated above the room. Dozens of small round tables fitting up to seven people scattered around the Hall. It seemed more like a tavern than a mess hall for students. The faculty's table was on a platform a few feet higher than the rest. It was U-shaped. Headmaster Karkaroff sat in the middle. Her father was on his right-hand side.
She didn't recognize any of the other staff. But one man looked familiar. Too familiar. But the possibilities of having him here seemed ludicrous. Blaise couldn't think too much on it just then.
They hurriedly made their way to a table. Pa raised his goblet to her as she sat down with Viktor, Gertrude, and the rest of Pa's trusted students, Erick and Melanie.
"You showed her the scrying pool?" Erick asked amazed. "Karkaroff might crucify you, Krum." Viktor scowled into his soup as Gertrude shook her head.
"Karkaroff knows Viktor is trying for the Vratsa Vultures next year. If someone could avoid punishment, it is Viktor."
"Ah, Gerdie, must you talk this vay?" Viktor grumbled spearing his fork into a pork chop. "I just thought Blaise vood like it. You did, right?"
"Yes," she grinned. "It was breath-taking. But I don't want anyone to get into trouble for showing it to me. If it's against the rules."
"Nein! Ve can show it," Viktor said waving his hand. "Karkaroff is just a beschissen Schweinehund."
"Viktor!" The girls hissed. Erick and Blaise snickered into their goblets.
"Forgive me," he bowed his head. "I meant to say der hirnlose Ochse." Blaise whooped loudly.
"Having fun here? May I join?" Someone said from behind her. She stiffened. Suddenly, things clicked. No matter how bizarre, they clicked.
"Malfoy! What the hell are you doing here?"
Smirking, he pulled a chair beside Gertrude. She had a goofy smile on her face as she scooted to give him more room. Blaise rolled her eyes. First, Cedric, now Malfoy?!
"My father and the Headmaster are colleagues," he drawled winking at Melanie who blushed and sloshed soup on her lap. Blaise exchanged bewildered looks with Viktor. She narrowed her eyes.
'Colleagues' translated in Malfoy meant 'Death-Eaters', of course. He continued on his nasally drawl.
"I was supposed to study in Durmstang, you know. But mum didn't want me to go too far …"
"Perhaps she wasn't aware of the long drop off the bridge. Had she, I'm sure she would oblige," Blaise said sweetly. The bite in her words flew right over their German-speaking friends. Draco sneered at her.
"You know, we're only supposed to stay for dinner. But I like it here so much, I'm sure I can bully father into staying the night." He grinned at Blaise's scowl.
"You can share a room with us," Erick shrugged, not aware of the daggers the two were shooting at each other. "A lot of our friends left for the holidays."
"It's settled then," Draco smiled toothily at Blaise. "How fun, Zabini. We get to spend Christmas morning together."
"Not to mention with us," Melanie giggled. Blaise seethed. Draco sauntered over to the faculty table and talked to the man who Blaise now recognised was Lucius Malfoy. She pushed away her plate.
"I thought you verr so hungry you could eat a horse," Viktor mused.
"Yeah," she sighed. "Horse. Not snake."
"Don't be mad, Blaise."
"Define mad, Pa." She crossed her arms as she watched her dad attach another holster at his hip. They had returned to his chambers after the Christmas Eve Feast. But Zon had to meet with Karkaroff and Malfoy soon after. He prepared by adorning himself with more magical arsenal. Blaise shook her head.
"If I'm not mistaken, you're the one stocking up before you talk with those two loons," she sighed. He pulled out an unmistakably gold handgun. The barrel was about six inches long. Her eyes widened as he slipped in the magazine and cocked the gun.
"Quite a vision, isn't it?" Pa said proudly. "Made it myself. I fashioned it from a model of mugglemade Desert Eagle .50 AE pistol. I melted several hundred galleons for the mold. But the magazine automatically refills, so I only load once. Yes, very handy invention. You have the silencer option on or off. And check this out -- What's wrong, dear?"
Blaise bit her lip. "This may sound weird coming from me, Pa. But isn't this illegal? You're manipulating muggle artifacts here." He chuckled.
"Of course, the misuse of it is. But, you see, this isn't a muggle artifact. I made it. The barrel, the magazine, the non-slip handle. It passes for any muggle gun, but muggles can't see it. And I don't bother with ammunition muggles use. I prefer those beads I passed to you. The beauty of this gun is you cast spells with it. You needn't bother saying the word. Just think and pull trigger. It's there. The possibilities are endless. It's very much a second wand. And sturdy. Can't snap in half. But the best feature is that unlike a wand, the gun recognises its welder. So only I can use it. Anyone else touches, and trigger slice perpetrator's hand. You must try it."
Blaise rolled her eyes. "And get my hand sliced off? No thanks, Pa."
"Oh, I mean to say; only you and I can use this. I had your blood encoded too. In case of emergencies." Blaise arched her brow.
"How many did you make?"
"That is not of importance," he said airily. Blaise snorted. He latched the wandgun in his other holster. With a surrendering sigh, she draped a cloak over his shoulders. The holsters were concealed. He grinned and planted a kiss on her forehead.
"Then how important is this meeting, Pa? Do you really have to talk to the likes of Malfoy?" He sighed.
"Yes. It's for your Mama. It's for the family. For the best."
"The way you talk, you sound ready to sell your soul."
"It wouldn't be my first time," he said as his features darkened. Blaise gripped his cloak.
"Don't say that!" She hissed. "Pa, you're all I have left. I'm a part of this family too. Don't tell me this's our last resort. I don't want to hear anything about you buddying up with the likes of those Death-Eaters. You're too smart and too good for them."
He closed his eyes. "Blaise, you're still young. You don't understand how far a person can go for love. You will learn in time." Blaise tried to object but he silenced her with a pained gaze. "Time for bed, sweetie. Tomorrow come Christmas."
He steadily made for the door and closed it quietly behind him. Blaise sunk to the floor on her knees. Pa was right. She didn't understand. Why ask for the Malfoy's help? What can they offer that they can't accomplish on their own? Blaise had a right mind to storm Azkaban herself. She shook her head. In Malfoy dialect, a favor's not a favor … it's a life sentence.
She woke Christmas morning to find Papa never returned to his room.
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Follow up to this chapter coming soon. But I really shouldn't say that, because I might jinx myself … again. Hope everyone had a wicked Halloween! ^_^ Nengski