Episode 5.
"Plus 8"
By OldScout
Headmaster Dumbledore's office was way cool Dawn thought as she wandered in. The magical gargoyle alone was email worthy but this place would even float Giles's boat. Every inch of wall space was covered with shelves overflowing with wizard geekness. Old leather bound volumes of magical tomes where squeezed between crystals, statues and odd contraptions. As she waited for the rest to come up the stairs as Draco continued to complain about the attack, Dawn studied some of the books. She picked one with a title that appeared to be an odd derivative of Hindi. If she had the translation right, the title was "Prophesies Of Sigmesh".
"Miss Summers, this is not a reading library." A stern male voice stated behind her.
"Obvious much?" Dawn replied and watched the man cringe at her retort and held up the book she was holding. "Sigmesh, non-Harlequin." Dawn returned the book to the shelf. She'd never heard of Sigmesh before, but he didn't know that.
"You've read Sigmesh?" Professor Dumbledore asked as he and Professor McGonagall walked up behind Professor Snape.
"That's me." Dawn grinned shyly. "Research and translation girl."
"Well Miss Research and Translation girl." Snape said coldly. "Would you mind telling us why you and Miss Granger attacked Mister Malfoy?"
"I didn't do anything." Hermione defended. "I was just there. She's the one...." Hermione bit her lip. She did it; she couldn't let Dawn tell herself. She had to jump in and protect herself. The new girl would not be very forthcoming with her secrets now.
Dawn glared at the girl. "Mister Malfoy came looking for someone to insult." Dawn finally said. "But he wasn't ready for somebody who grew up with my sister."
"No such thing happened." Draco said. "I just wanted to meet the new student and those two jumped me when I opened the door." He knew it would be three against one, but since that Burkle woman was involved and they were all muggles or mud bloods people would tend to believe him.
"Why would they do such a thing?" Minerva asked.
"I don't know what goes through the minds of muggles and mud bloods."
"Mister Malfoy." Snape hissed. "You are not helping your case using that kind of language."
"Did you attack Mister Malfoy?" Dumbledore asked Dawn.
"It was self defense." Dawn replied. She now had her arms folded in front of her and was staring at the Spike-a-be.
"Mister Malfoy, did you attack or threaten Miss Summers?" Snape asked almost laughing.
"I never touched her or raised a hand to her." Draco replied confidently.
"Is that true?" Dumbledore asked.
"He never raised his hand to her." Hermione confirmed.
"See."
"So who attacked you?" Dumbledore asked softly. "Was it both of these ladies or just Miss Summers?"
Draco glanced at the floor. "I guess it was just her." He said pointing at Dawn.
"So you admit you attacked Mister Malfoy without provocation." Snape said triumphantly. "This is why we don't associate with muggles. They become unstable around magic."
"Take a pill." Dawn looked at Snape who was about to retort but she cut him off. "Of course I had provocation. What do you think I am, a Wizard? Your Mister Malfoy was pointing his little wand..." Dawn paused for just a breath and bit her lip trying not to grin. "..at me without provocation. I was only protecting myself before he could fire one of those nasty little curses."
"Is this true?" Dumbledore asked.
"I wasn't going to do anything, I was just making a point that she needed to watch herself in OUR world."
"Miss Summers obviously overreacted." Snape said. "We can't have a student around here that's going to resort to violence every time she thinks somebody may put a harmless curse on her. If every student did that there would be brawls day and night."
"Those wands are dangerous weapons, not toys." Dawn defended. "Perhaps if you bothered to teach your students some respect for them you wouldn't have the problems you have."
Snape had turned beet red. "How dare you, a muggle and a student, lecture me on the use of magic?"
"Professor Snape please this is not the time or place." Professor Dumbledore said. He looked around the room to see Fred standing in a corner examining some of his artifacts. "Miss Burkle, would you mind joining us?"
Fred glanced over her shoulder and glared for a second then straitened up, smiled widely. "Why sure." She rushed over. "I'm so sorry I was distracted by all these wonderful treasures you have here."
"Miss Burkle," Professor McGonagall said trying to take over from the agitated Professor Snape and amused Professor Dumbledore. "Did you throw Mister Malfoy's wand out the window of the train."
"Sure did." Fred smiled enthusiastically.
"Why?" McGonagall continued for Professor Snape knowing he was still seething from this little element of the incident.
Dawn watched Fred closely. Illyria did okay playing Fred under normal circumstances but tended to slip personalities when either stressed or bored which was a real problem with the former god-king.
"He threatened Dawn." Fred replied cheerily. "What would you have me do, give it back?"
"As an adult on the train, you could have confiscated it for the duration of the trip." Snape growled.
"You're right." Fred said after thinking for a couple of seconds. "Hm, you know it never even occurred to me." Fred's attention drifted away from Snape and she wandered back to the book cases.
Hermione watched the exchange and studied Fred as she continued to carefully examine everything on the book cases. She had never seen anybody with such a low attention span and she really didn't seem to care about anybody around her, except maybe Dawn. And even then, she didn't seem to have any concern about protecting or defending Dawn against these outrageous charges. Of course Dawn was doing a pretty good job on her own.
"Very well." Dumbledore said. He looked at the students, professors and Fred. He still couldn't believe that this disarming sweet girl was the frightening creature he'd met in the Ministry. He knew why Dawn had overreacted. The creature Illyria would be anything but subtle in protecting Dawn, he sensed that during the fight and the students had to know not to be threatening her. "Mister Malfoy, 50 points from Slythering for threatening a muggle with magic; plus another 20 points for using the term 'Mud Blood' plus 100 points for lying to a professor about the incident and falsely accusing another student."
"What! How dare..." Draco started but stopped when he felt a strong grip on his shoulder.
"Know when to quit, Mister Malfoy" Snape hissed in his ear.
"As for Miss Summers." Dumbledore continued. "Since she was not part of a house at the time of the incident, I can not penalize her house for not giving sufficient warning of her intent and ability to defend herself." He looked at Draco. "However, with this incident, I believe those who may have needed such a warning will get the word and we will avoid any further altercations."
"And what about my wand?" Draco asked.
"You may, of course, visit Ollivander's on you next trip to Diagon Alley." Dumbledore replied. "Now, I believe dinner is waiting for you."
What just happened? Hermione thought as she headed out of the Headmaster's office. Did she hear that right? Dawn Summers was allowed to hit anybody who threatened her with a wand. How and why would Dumbledore give such latitude to a muggle? And why wasn't Snape still up there yelling about it? Professor McGonagall didn't even question the ruling. It was almost like they were expecting it. She watched Dawn and Fred walking a few steps ahead of her and thought "How do you research muggles from Hogwarts?"
--
Dawn and Fred followed the rest of the Gryffindor students back to their tower. Some of the younger kids were friendly to Dawn but most of the ones her age were cool to say the least. Hermione was trying to be friendly but Dawn wasn't sure. The girl was too quick to deflect the blame for the incident with Malfoy. Sure, they really didn't know each other and there was no reason to expect her to get into trouble but there was always an unwritten rule between students to not tell on each other. Hermione didn't even give her a chance to set the record straight before trying to shift the blame. That's what Dawn didn't like. She just didn't know if she could trust her yet.
"First years listen up." One of the older students said. They had stopped on a landing of the irritating moving stairs and were standing in front of a painting of a large opera singer. "This is 'The Fat Lady' and she is the guardian to Gryffindor." He turned to the painting. "Hello Fat Lady." He said pleasantly.
The painting started to move and the woman scanned across the faces of the group. "Ah, I see we have new crop of youngsters this year." She said looked at Dawn and Fred. "And some new older students too. How wonderful."
"The password this term." The head student said proudly. "Is 'Quindal Ball'."
"Quindal Ball?" One of the older students complained. "Who plays Quindal Ball anymore?"
"That's the word." The Fat Lady said and the painting swung open revealing a stone stairway leading up into the tower.
As the students headed up the stairs, Professor McGonagall called from the back. "Miss Summers and Miss Burkle might I have a word with you?"
Some of the students slowed down hoping to catch some of the conversation but Professor McGonagall waited until everybody had entered the tower before she continued.
"Miss Burkle," She said looking at Fred. Minerva really didn't understand everything Albus had told her about this charming though somewhat odd young woman. She was supposed to not be human and extremely dangerous. She just couldn't see it or feel if for that matter. "Since the tower is meant for the students, we have prepared a suite for you at the bottom of the stairs here." She pointed to a large wooden door just inside the painting at the foot of the stairs. "These used to be the apartments for the Heads of Houses until it was decided for us to live a little further away from the students to give them a little more independence." She pushed the door open. "Your bags have already been moved in."
Dawn and Fred stepped into the room followed by Professor McGonagall.
The room was a good size with a large old stuffed couch covered in red velvet with dark wood arms sat majestically in the middle of room flanked by two matching chairs. A fire burned in the large stone fireplace in front of the couch and scattered throughout the room were small tables and shelves scattered with Wizarding knick knacks, books and decorations, including freshly cut flowers.
"It's beautiful." Dawn said.
"Yes, the House Elves have out done themselves." Minerva replied.
"House Elves?" Fred asked. "What breed of elf are they?"
"I'm not quite sure what breed." Minerva said. "I didn't know there were different kinds."
"Oh yes," Fred replied cheerily. "There are wood elves, interesting little creatures whose sweat smells like rotted leaves. There are Dalieon Phenon elves who carry their young in their mouths and feed on the hardened feces of forest animals. Aw, I know, you've probably got magical Reliance elves. They would be very easy to trick into becoming indentured servants and their magic would fit well in this world." Fred talked as she bounced around the room looking at it. "Ooh, look Dawn, the bedroom is beautiful."
"Dawn's room is similar but students share with three other room mates."
"Oh, I don't require sleep." Fred replied with a smile. "So she can sleep here."
"Students must stay in their dorm in the house tower, and non-students are given guest apartments." Minerva stated. "We've given you this apartment because of you unique situation, however, Dawn must live and study with the students while you conduct whatever research or other work you planned while here."
Fred's demeanor changed, her body stiffened and her head tilted slightly to one side. Did her eyes just glow blue? Minerva took a step back from the young woman.
"It's fine, Fred." Dawn said. "We can keep my books and other supplies here, you'll have someplace to go to escape the students and you'll be close enough to protect me if anything happens."
Minerva watched Fred soften slightly. "Acceptable." She said in a deeper than normal voice.
That was it. Minerva thought. That was the Illyria creature coming to the surface. If this creature was as dangerous as Albus said she was and had such a short fuse, what in Merlin's name was she doing here living with these children? Had the Ministry and Albus finally lost it? Where they that desperate to get help against Voldemort they would risk such a thing?
"Now, Miss Summers, I suggest you go up to the Gryffindor common room and have them show you around. Once you have settled in you can come back down and retrieve anything you need from Miss Burkle's cases."
Dawn looked at Fred. "Will you be okay?"
"Of course, dear." Fred smiled. "Go on you need to get to know the other kids."
After Dawn left, Minerva stared at Fred for a minute. "Headmaster Dumbledore told me who or what you are." She said quietly. "I can only assume he knows what he's doing allowing you to come here. Just remember, no matter what you may think, we are not defenseless against you." Minerva left without waiting for Fred to respond.
Before the door had fully closed, Fred was gone. Illyria stood in her place; ice blue eyes staring at the door. Soon the muck that inhabited this place of foul, cheap magic would be asleep and she would be free to explore the darkened corners of their stone hive.
To be continued...........