Zeph settled in nicely with the crowd of young wizards, and his days soon took on a comfortable routine. Lessons in the morning in a small group with Rocky and Storm. These were taken either by one of the oldest students, or by Wolf himself. After lunch, they often went to play Quidditch in a safe area that they reached using a Portkey. Zeph loved Quidditch - it felt right in a way to be on a broom, and soon he was zooming around with the best of them. Zeph's best friend was Rocky. This wasn't really surprising - they were the two youngest, the newest arrivals and two of the most powerful wizards there in terms of mere magic, not skill

The next major event in Zeph's life occurred when the school had its first visitor a few months after his arrival. They returned one evening to find him seated comfortably in the common room, talking to Wolf as if they were old friends, which in fact they were.

As they came in, the older students greeted him respectfully. Cub, who was now a very grown up young man in Zeph's opinion, let out a whoop of joy and hugged the man exuberantly.
"Uncle Albus!" he exclaimed with a grin, much to Zeph and Rocky's surprise, since he was always very much on his dignity with them now, since his thirteenth birthday.

Zeph and Rocky stood uncertainly by the door. They appeared to be the only ones not to know him, and both were totally puzzled. This was probably because they were the two newest arrivals, not because their memories were slipping. The visitor was quite tall, with half moon glasses on a face mostly swamped by a long white beard and moustache. His long, flowing silver hair seemed almost to glow in the firelight. Then Wolf noticed them.
"Come over boys, nothing to be afraid of here. This is Professor Dumbledore, I'm sure you've heard about him. Albus, these are Zeph and Rocky, you probably know their real names or can guess them. They're both coming along very nicely. Rocky shows remarkable talent for Potions of all subjects, and while Zeph is somewhat deficient in that, his Transfiguration and Defense Against the Dark Arts are excellent. We'll make him an Animagus in now time."
"I'm very glad to meet you, boys. Now that I'm here, I'll be staying for a while, so I'll be teaching you some of the lessons and I can get to know you better. I'll have a little talk with everyone here in the next few days, and assess your abilities properly. I expect you older ones to have improved considerably since my last visit."
"We're pleased to meet you, Professor," Rocky said shyly. Dumbledore had an aura of power about him that would have cowed the most strong-willed of wizards, and they both knew that he was extremely powerful.

Zeph was called up to Professor Dumbledore's room the next evening, since he was the very last on the list.
"Zeph, please take a seat," the old man said. Zeph gingerly sat on a chair facing him across the fireplace. It was a cozy room, but seemed devoid of any personal items or belongings. Maybe he had some magic way of storing them.
"Professor?"
"Zephyrinus Granville-Barker, am I not correct?"

"Zephyr, but yes Professor."
"A diminutive, it is not what is on your birth certificate I am sure. In what circumstances did you come here?"
"I ran away from home."
"Was there any particular reason for that, I know that you didn't have a particularly happy home life?"
"I almost killed my dad."
"How?"
"I wanted wind to test a weathervane, and it almost blew him off the roof."
"Hardly your fault, I would have thought. No, not your fault at all, so rest assured of that. Your parents are particularly anti-wizard, as I already knew from experience with your brother and aunt, both of whom were also down on the Hogwarts list. Do you like it here?"
"Oh yes Professor, its brilliant."
"Even the lessons?" the teacher asked with a smile.
"Yes."
"That's good, what's your favourite lesson?"
"Defense Against the Dark Arts, sir, I like doing all the practical spells."
"Excellent, have you learned the Patronus Charm yet?"
"Yes Professor."
"That's surprising, Wolf doesn't teach most boys that until they are quite a bit older than you. Have you produced a corporeal patronus?"
"Yes Professor, shall I show you?"
"That would be good."

Zeph stood up and moved back from the fire. He pulled his wand out of his pocket and pointed it straight out in front of him.
"Expecto patronum!" A burst of fire shot from his wand and shot down towards the door. Then it turned, and Dumbledore saw it properly for the first time. It was a phoenix.
"Very good, Zephyrinus, very good. Now, what's your least favourite subject."
"Potions sir, but I am trying, really I am. I'm just not nearly so good as Rocky is."
"Your friend has exceptional talent for the subject. Just keep working at it. I assume you've studied a babbling beverage?"
"Yes Professor."
"And did yours work?" Zeph grinned, remembering how Storm had started jabbering on about the goblin rebellion until Wolf had taken pity on him and given the antidote.
"Yes sir."
"Then we have no problems to worry about at all. Are there any questions you'd like to ask me?"
"What did Wolf mean when he said he'd make me an Animagus in no time?"
"You know what an Animagus is, don't you? Well, you appear to have considerable talent for spells related to Defense Against the Dark Arts, and that is one of the more advanced spells, more advanced even than the Patronus Charm."
"Thank you."

"You can go now, I'm sure you don't want to miss your Quidditch."
"No sir, that's one of the best things about being a wizard."
"Really, what position do you play?"
"Seeker, I always have. I've always been able to do it, since my first time on a broom."
"How very interesting," Dumbledore said, sounding remarkably like Mr Ollivander. "Off you go then."

Professor Dumbledore spent time teaching every group during the next few months, but he spent the most time with Zeph's. They assumed this was so that they got to know the basics very well. With two teachers at once, they worked even faster than they had before, and that was quite an achievement considering their dedication to their studies. Every evening, Dumbledore gave them a short talk about what he called 'current affairs'. He told them about Voldemort's time at Hogwarts and his rise to power, and about the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge. But best of all in Zeph's opinion, he told them about the wizard they were all, without exception, longing to meet - Harry Potter. It wasn't just the things they could and had all read in books that he told them, it was also about his escapades at school, his general life, his hobbies and his friends.

It was a good time. Zeph felt brilliant, especially when he was moved up two groups in lessons so he was working with the fourteen and fifteen year olds like Willow. They resented it at first, considering he was such a new arrival, but he was quickly accepted when he proved that he could keep up.

In late June of that year, Dumbledore vanished suddenly with Wolf. They returned about five hours later. The students had gathered together in the common room, generally concerned with the events that might affect them all. Wolf disappeared upstairs as soon as he returned, but not before Zeph had seen tears sparkling on his cheeks. He was shocked, he had never seen an adult cry before (except for his mum, but she was always in tears, so there was nothing unusual about it).

Dumbledore came to talk to them, and specifically requested that all of them listen, even the very youngest who weren't even expecting to be permitted in the room.
"The war is still going on against Voldemort," Dumbledore reminded them grimly. "It is even worse now. Wolf's best friend was killed today. Tow others who were his friends were killed almost sixteen years ago, and the last of their quintet betrayed them and is now a Death Eater and one of Voldemort's closest followers. He feels that he will be next, but fights on. Voldemort killed my brother himself, and a boy in Harry's class at school has lost his parents into madness. They're dead, all dead or as good as with no hope of recovery. I hadn't meant to mention this to you until you were grown up, but I'd like you to form an army, Dumbledore's Army, Harry called it once. I feel you're too young, but Voldemort attacks children, and you may still be needed when it comes to the final battle. You don't have to do this, I want true volunteers only, and no one is going to put pressure on you."

He sounded tired in a way that they'd never heard him before. For a second, no one moved and they could see his intense disappointment. One by one, hands were raised. His eyes widened as the last of them raised his hand.
"You're all mad," he said. "But I thank you. Zeph, you will lead this army - you'll be old enough by the time it comes, but you will still be at school, while many of the older boys and girls will not. Do you mind me implanting instructions on how to reach headquarters into your memory? You won't even be conscious of them, unless they're needed, and it won't hurt at all."

Zeph stepped forwards and Dumbledore pressed a cold, clammy hand to his forehead. He held it there for about five seconds before removing it.
"That was it?" Zeph asked.
"Yes, but now I must return to Hogwarts. Harry will need me there. Please, look after Wolf. Peter is in charge until he feels well enough to take over, and if he looks sick, send him straight back to bed."
"Yes Professor," said the eighteen-year-old responsibly. "We'll watch out for him."
"Thank you," Dumbledore said again, then he raised his wand and with a crack he Disapparated."