In A Century
Chapter One: How Many?
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry England June, 1847
The sun was still shining as Janas Heirndall, Keeper of the Keys of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, made his way back to the castle from Hogsmeade. He had completed his last official duty of the school year moments ago when he'd secured the last student inside the Hogwarts Express and watched it pull out of the station and head south. It had always been a mostly happy time for all, the end of term; for while there were partings and goodbyes, it was also the beginning of the summer holidays, and everyone was anxious for freedom.
But this year was different, and although the sun shone on it still felt as gloomy as if the sky had been blanketed with clouds.
Janas sighed and tried to push the thought out of his mind for a moment. He passed through the gates and thought of swinging by the kitchens for a quick bite or two when to his surprise he saw the headmaster standing outside the main door, staring in the direction of the village.
Hogwarts Headmaster Marduk Ambrose was quite possibly the tallest man Janas had ever seen, and Janas himself was no dwarf, standing a neat 6' 1". But Professor Ambrose topped him by at least 3 inches, and when he was wearing the formal, pointed wizard's hat over his coppery hair, it seemed like infinitely more.
But Professor Ambrose was not wearing that hat at the moment, although he had during the final breakfast that morning. He held it in both hands now, crushing it a bit and not really noticing as his eyes followed the puff of steam that was moving steadily south.
Janas was almost upon him before the headmaster noticed his presence.
"Ah, Janas, everything go smoothly then?"
"Yes, of course headmaster, smooth as can be."
"Hard to believe the year is over, isn't it?"
"Yes sir, seems this year passed faster than the last one."
"Too fast," the headmaster said, more to himself than to Janas, "And they will be away too long before we see them again."
It disturbed Janas to see the headmaster so powerful gloomy. "But they'll be back soon enough Professor Ambrose, you'll see. They'll be back soon enough."
"I suppose you're right, Mr. Heirndall," Marduk motioned for Janas to precede him into the castle before turning and watching the Hogwarts Express move out of sight.
"But how many won't be?"
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Professor Ambrose sat at his desk, which was clear save for the school sorting hat, and two rolls of parchment, on significantly longer than the other.
Before him sat his senior staff, his heads of house, all of them tense, and a bit nervous. But he was becoming used to it. It wasn't often that the headmaster of Hogwarts found himself younger than most of the teachers.
For Marduk Cadmus Ambrose was the youngest headmaster Hogwarts had seen in 250 years, being granted the position at the age of 38. At 41 he was senior only to Magni Muspell, his enthusiastic Care of Magical Creatures professor, who had originally been posted at Hogwarts as a temporary position following a terrible accident in Romania 3 years ago, but who had liked it so much he had decided to stay on. Magni, who was now 29, also assisted Janas with any business in the forest, and announced all the Quidditch matches, which kept the students happy since before him the spot kept falling to a cheeky Gryffindor who gave slightly biased coverage.
Marduk was tied with his Transfiguration professor and head of Hufflepuff house, Fenris Krake, who was also 41, but who had just completed his 13th year at Hogwarts, his 3rd as head of house. Fenris and Marduk had been fast friends during their student years, and while many suspected favoritism in Fenris's placement, it had actually been none of Marduk's doing at all. While he respected Fenris very much, the head of house appointment to replace retiring Care of Magical Creatures Professor Mimir, whose class would now be taught by Magni Muspell, had been pre-arranged by old headmistress Cronos prior to her retirement. Of course, Marduk had been taught by Professor Cronos himself, and he wondered if she, remembering his friendship with Fenris, had taken that into account when making the appointment.
Fenris was currently lounging in an armchair, the mirth that usually surrounded his features void from his expression today. To his left sat Rosmerta Babalel, head of Ravenclaw House, and professor of Arithmancy and Advanced Astronomy. Basic Astronomy classes at all levels were taught by their Divination professor, Cassandra Sulis, who was currently visiting family and would return to school in August.
Marduk tried to hide his smile, he knew exactly why Fenris was sitting next to her; for although she was 9 years his senior Rosmerta was still a very attractive woman, and though nothing would ever come of it, Fenris flirted with her at every opportunity.
But there was no flirting today, and Fenris was simply trying to ease Rosmerta's fears, and the pain of the last few weeks.
On Rosmerta's left, solid, strong, and a rock in the midst if the crisis was Aegis Odin, Marduk's Potion's professor and head of Gryffindor House. Odin was 57, but built as if he had been carved out of a mountain and in better shape than many men 15 years his junior. His shaggy brown hair showed no signs of gray, and the few lines on his well tanned face only added distinction. How the Potions Master managed to maintain a tan while working in perpetual darkness was a riddle many students had tried and failed to solve over the years. Marduk satisfied himself with the fact that he was ¾ of an inch taller than Odin, they had measured at the end of the year to settle a wager. Fenris had been forced to buy them all a round at the Three Broomsticks.
Aegis was deep in conversation with the woman to his left, and had been since they walked in. Eirene Ashtoroth was head of Slytherin House, his Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, and his Deputy Headmistress. Marduk could recall many times in the past 3 years when he would have been lost without her. The woman was 70 if she was a day, but often had more energy than Marduk himself. That also was the source of much speculation, but when Marduk had asked her about her youthfulness, for she didn't look a day over 60, she had simply shrugged, in typical youthful fashion, and told him that the students kept her young. She and Aegis had been good friends for over 20 years, and it was a good thing, for their students were so often involved in schemes and conflicts that it would have been a very hostile working environment indeed if they did not get on well. But Eirene was universally accepted, even among the Gryffindor students, as being fair and even handed among her pupils. She was the widowed mother of four and grandmother of eight at the moment, which gave her a wonderful capacity for understanding children, something Marduk often felt that he lacked.
"Professor Ambrose?" Rosmerta broke him out of his musings, "The letters don't need to go out for another month."
It was a question in the form of a statement, which was often the case with the Aritmancy professor, for Professor Babalel had excellent powers of deduction, and even without them she would have been able to gather that when the headmaster called the heads of house together in June to look at the Hogwarts Prospective Student List, something important was going on.
"They don't traditionally go out until the end of July, Rosemerta, that doesn't mean they don't need to go out sooner this year."
Fenris nodded, "You want to send them earlier then, may I ask why?"
"I want to add an addendum to the letter, not all of them, but certain letters. I want the addendum to state that these students should be ready to leave by the 7th of July."
"That's in two weeks!" Aegis was normally more composed, and Fenris was as surprised as he. But Fenris knew Marduk, and he knew he did nothing without a reason.
"Headmaster," Eirene added softly, "Where do you want these children to go? Are we to open the castle?"
"How many children?" Rosmerta added.
"I have a preliminary list here," Marduk passed the paper to Eirene, "It won't be finished until we go over the "undecided" list the hat provided this afternoon."
"Undecided?" Fenris queried, this was normally a task for the headmaster and deputy headmistress, he had never seen to the arranging of the Hogwarts letters.
"It's a smaller list produced after the Sorting Hat gives us the master list," Eirene explained without taking her eyes off the paper she had been handed, "It contains students that have magic enough to enter Hogwarts, but have a conflict of sort relating to their enrollment. The hat doesn't know exactly, only that these children need special consideration. Normally it is either that they are already on the rolls for Beauxbatons or Durmstrongs, they may be too young and should be deferred a year, or they may be older than 11, and for some reason are only now eligible to enter. But that last one hasn't happened in 300 years, it occurred only when a child was transferred from another school, and Hogwarts doesn't take many transfers nowadays; if we do we normally submit their names to the hat for verification, the hat doesn't provide them."
Eirene's eyes passed over the list one last time before she passed it to Professor Odin. "Marduk, what do you want to do with them?"
Ambrose leaned back in his chair. "We already have a list of wizarding families who offered their homes at the end of term. You know as well as I that less than ½ of the students who were offered places took them. I intend to send those students, and the names on the list, the amended letter. If there aren't places enough among the current list of volunteers I have plenty of friends at the ministry who have offered their homes. My mother herself wrote me only last week to remind me that no one was staying in my old bedroom."
Rosmerta handed the list to Fenris, "If they didn't take the offer at the end of term, what makes you think the older students will take it now?"
"They won't have a choice. I am considering this a mandatory part of the Hogwarts curriculum. If they won't take it out of charity we can find them some sort of job at the Ministry to earn their board, but accepting is absolutely non-negotiable if they want to attend Hogwarts."
"Marduk-" Professor Ashtoroth began, but Marduk avoided the sympathy in her tone by presenting the smaller list from his desk.
"I wanted you all here today because you are the ones who will be in charge of these students, should they be admitted and I intend to admit almost all of them, so I only thought it right that you were all here. It's not very long. Eirene, you have the lists sent by Beauxbatons and Durmstrongs?"
Eirene nodded, "I promised them a complete master list by this afternoon so they could double check," she warned.
"We'll have it for them."
They went through, checking name after name. Those names that were already on the confirmed lists from the other schools received a sharp tap from Ambrose's wand, the name disappeared, the scroll he was holding rolled up at the end as it shortened, and a check appeared next to the name on the corresponding school's list. If a student was approved to enter, for example, Icarus Argo, who was only 10 but who would be 11 on the 13th of November, Ambrose would again tap the paper sharply with his wand, the name would appear on the Hogwarts master list, which would uncurl a bit as it grew longer, and the name would vanish from the undecided list.
"McCarthy, Fianna, another 10 year old." Eirene read.
"When's the birthday?" Rosmerta responded automatically.
"30th of December."
Aegis whistled, "Cutting it close, might be better to wait a year, she'd be closer in age to her classmates."
"What's the address?" Marduk had asked the question after every name on the list.
Eirene tapped the name with her wand, and in bright green, looping writing, the address appeared below the name.
"Skibbereen, County Cork, Ireland."
"Is it a wizarding family?"
Rosmerta checked her lists, "No, sir, there are no known wizarding families living in Skibbereen."
"She comes."
"Sir-"
"She comes! It's Skibbereen for Merlin's-"
Marduk was silenced by an icy tinkling sound, all eyes turned to the master list, which lay next to the hat before Marduk on his desk. As they watched, the long scroll rolled a little tighter. A name had been erased.
Marduk curled is hand into a fist, counted to 10, and then slammed it down on the arm of his chair. "Damn!"
Fenris swore under his breath, Aegis snapped his quill in two, Rosmerta let out a shaky sigh. But Eirene's eyes were on the headmaster.
"You can't save all of Ireland, Marduk, you know that. The Ministry's tried all they can but with the cholera and the typhus-"
"That list hasn't left my sight all week, Eirene, and that's the 6th one we've lost; in a week, and just among the incoming first years. I will not sit here and wait for two months for the sake of tradition while my students are dying. Every name on this list that isn't already going to Beauxbatons or Durmstrong is coming to Hogwarts, I don't care of they're 6! And every muggle-born Irish student we have is spending the rest of their summer in safety if I have to tie them down and bring them here myself."
No one said anything; there was nothing to say, they all agreed with him. They were all silently praying for their own students, hoping they all returned in September, knowing that they all probably wouldn't.
Marduk sighed and took the list that was passed to him by Professor Ashtoroth. He smiled down at the name of "McCarthy Fianna" before tapping it with his wand, watching it disappear from one list, and hearing the master list unroll as another name was added, replacing the one that had been lost.
"Well my dear, it's your lucky day."
He looked up at his staff and tried to smile. "The letters go out tonight."
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Fianna McCarthy had not had any intention of being in this part of town today. As she had stepped out the door that morning to say farewell to the village of Skibbereen, where she had lived her entire life, her mother had warned her especially to stay clear of the cemetery. Fianna had every intention of following the river, and so had not the least intention of disobeying. It wasn't her fault that her cousin Eamon happened upon her and dragged her into town, and then back to his house to say goodbye to her aunt and cousins. From Eamon's house the fastest way home went by the cemetery, and it was getting dark. Not that Fianna, a strong lass of ten years would ever be afraid of the dark, mind you, but the fastest way back was the fastest way back, and so she set off down the road.
As soon as she crested the hill and looked down she was grateful for the night that was sweeping in, and it took all her mettle not to turn tail and run back toward her aunt's. Eamon would never let her hear the end of it, and she was being teased enough as it was on account of her going off to school in England. She set her chin and tried to look at the road ahead, or the sky, or the trees, anything but the mass grave pit that was being dug and filled to her left. It wasn't that she had no respect for the dead, but Fianna had seen enough of it. The town of Skibbereen had been one of the hardest hit in all of Ireland by the Great Famine, and Fianna didn't think her spirit could take seeing anymore dead bodies, especially when she knew she would recognize the faces.
This was why she had to leave, her mother had told her. This was why, despite all the talk of wizardry and witchcraft, that letter had been a message from God, calling her away to save her from the darkness that had settled over Eire.
Fianna felt like she was running away. For was she not abandoning her family to starvation to live in comfort, in England of all places, while the rest of Ireland suffered?
Her mother had reminded her that a goodly percentage of the village that had not been taken to God had left already, just in the other direction, and she couldn't deny the thousands who were headed to America. And the McCarthy's were a hearty bunch, her mother had assured her. With the men off to the city to earn money, there would be enough to get by, and it would be easier with one less mouth to feed. They should thank their lucky stars that it seemed this school didn't want them to pay for tuition or anything at all, really.
It still felt like running away, and Fianna was heartsick at not just the thought of leaving, but of who might not be here, for one reason or another, when she returned.
She quickened her steps, which did not constitute running, and hastened home, for the last meager meal she would share with her family for a long time to come.
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Dublin, Ireland 7 July, 1847
Nora Morrigan checked one last time that she had everything. The little bit of paper with the name and address, the directions to and from the portkey, a second wrap in case the weather turned nasty. She pulled on her cloak, she was all set.
No, she thought again, she wasn't, she was missing one thing. Her son.
"Finn!"
She swept out of the kitchen with determination. The boy was not going to slip past her this time.
"Finn!"
She opened the door to the broom closet and smiled. He hadn't gotten to his broom yet, escape was impossible. She picked it up and hid it in the closet behind the mops and pails, a place she wasn't sure Finn even knew existed.
"Finbar Michael Morrigan!"
She swept up the narrow staircase from the kitchen and poked her head into the first bedroom on the right. Her eldest daughter was seated at a vanity, experimenting with ways to put her hair up. She read the charm aloud from a small book, then tapped her head with her wand, watching with satisfaction as her golden blond tresses arranged themselves in a perfect twist.
Nora smiled, and unconsciously patted her own hair, the same color as Cordelia's, although now kept that way with the help of Madam Marzipan's Magically Natural Hair Tonic.
"Cordy, have you seen him?"
"He tore by this way not five minutes ago, headed for the front stairs, did you hide the broom?"
Nora nodded, "Of course."
Cordy grinned, "Then he'll either try to get Caitlin's or hide on the roof."
"Where is your sister? Did she degnome the garden like I asked?"
Cordelia tossed her head in exasperation. "Up a tree probably. I heard some shouting an hour ago, so the garden may be clear. But the post brought another one of her books and my guess is she'll be buried in it all afternoon, in the garden most likely as she complains that these charms leave the room smelling like a house of ill repute."
Nora sighed, her middle child's combination of coltishness and pedagogy was endearing to her, but occasionally exasperating to her stylish older sister. She was also certain that "house of ill repute" had not been Caitlin's choice of words, and she thanked Merlin for the millionth time that Cordelia seemed to be blessed with more than her fair share of serenity and patience.
She noted that her daughter was wearing her good blouse and nice skirt.
"Is Brian calling later?"
Cordelia nodded, "He said he'd come round for tea. We thought we might take a look at his new broom?" There was a pleading look in her eyes. Cordelia may have been the most ladylike of any female in the Morrigan clan, including her mother, but it was impossible to have grown up in the household without a strong love of Quidditch,
Nora tried to keep her face stern, knowing full well her husband would murder her if she backed down on his rule. "You may look at it all you like my dear, but you know very well about how your father feels. You'll not be getting on a broomstick with any young man until you're 18."
Cordelia recognized the look in her mother's eyes, and cursed that school was so far away, when it was always easy to slip out for a ride. "Aye, I understand. You best be after Finn if you don't want to be late."
Nora smiled and headed down the hall to her bedroom, where she could see the back garden from her window. A booted leg dangled from the branches of the large tree in the center. Caitlin, reading no doubt, and no doubt comfortable up there, though Nora knew not how. The stockings indicated that Caitlin was at least wearing a skirt, though her mother winced at the stains and tears that would result from climbing about in trees. She then thought the better of shouting down to her daughter, she was lucky Caitlin wasn't wearing trousers, as she was want to do; the garden walls were not so high that the neighbors wouldn't see, and they found the Morrigans queer enough as it were.
As she was watching an apple fell from above passed her window. A partially eaten apple.
Finn, she thought with triumph. She stuck her head and shoulders out of the window and peered up.
"Finbar Morrigan you come inside this instant and get your cloak! We have an errand to run!"
Silence.
"I know you are up there Finn I saw the apple, come down."
Silence again.
"Finbar, so help me, I WILL destroy your precious broomstick if you do not come down this instant. You k now your da thinks you don't spend enough time on your studies to have earned it anyway!"
"Ma don't!"
With a scurry and scramble that had her heart in her throat, though she'd seen him do it a thousand times, her 12 year old son came scrambling down the drain pipe, dropping the last heart stopping 5 feet to the ground and springing up to his feet.
"Ma, come on!"
"Inside you miscreant, now!"
Sullen and indignant, she watched him stomp into the kitchen before pulling her head in, but not before giving the McAllisters maid, who was next door hanging out the second story window staring at them, a hearty wave before pulling it shut.
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"I still don't see why I have to come," Finn grumbled as he trudged along the country road behind his mother.
"Because you're the only one of my children near her own age, it'll do the little lamb good, put her mind at ease."
"But I'm older than her," Finn stood up straight, "She's just a firstie."
"You're only 12 boy-o, Caitlin's 15 and Cordelia's 17, so that makes you the closest in age."
"How old is she?"
"Let's see here. ah, she's 10."
"10! She's a baby."
"Poor little baby," Mrs. Morrigan said to herself as she looked around at the outskirts of Skibbereen before turning her attention back to her son.
"You will be a polite and courteous young man or I will tan your hide. Her family's Muggles after all, so this will be quite bewildering for her."
"She'll probably cry," Finn scoffed.
"Look around you boy-o, if she's managed to survive all of this, I'm betting she's a lot stronger than you think."
Finn looked at the dingy dwellings, many looked abandoned, until you passed close enough to see that there were people living in them. Finn thought it had been pleasanter when he thought no one was still living in such a place.
Nora watched her son's dark head take in his surroundings. The wizards of Ireland had not been terribly affected by the Great Famine that had plagued the nation. Her husband Douglas and eldest son Fergus both had jobs with the Ministry, the Morrigan family had not been farmers in more than a century. They lived in a good part of Dublin, and at the moment were kept safe from the diseases that were sweeping the country. All the same, when the children went back to school she and Douglas planned on closing up the Dublin house, and moving to live with his brother and family in England for the winter. Nora just couldn't imagine being alone with the bleakness every day. She was glad that Finn had this chance to see what was really happening to his country, for many Hogwarts students were affected, and he should understand how.
He seemed to understand that, for when the blue eyes returned to hers, they no longer contained the insolence and trademark Morrigan stubbornness that they had held before.
"How much further?"
"She's not far outside the village, should be just over this hill. They wanted the portkey well out of town, so no one would see. I told them we didn't mind a little walk, the weather's lovely."
The weather was overcast and looked like it was going to rain any second, but Finn said nothing.
They crested the hill, and Finn could see the town and the river below him, a ways off yet. But closer by, standing near the road in front of a small cottage was a tiny red headed girl, and she had a bag in her hands.
"That her?"
Nora squinted and nodded, "I believe Headmaster Ambrose instructed them to wait by the road, he seemed to think the faster this was done the better."
Finn thought Professor Ambrose was right. They approached the cottage and Nora smiled broadly.
"Why, you must be Fianna, I'm thinking?"
The girl nodded, "Fianna McCarthy, m'am, pleased to meet you."
Nora beamed. "I'm Mrs. Morrigan, and this is my son, Finbar."
"Finn," he corrected.
The little girl nodded and smiled. "Thank you for helping to come get me, I could have managed, but the letter said-"
"Oh don't you worry your little head about it, this is how the headmaster wants it. Now, if you'd like to go and say your farewells to your family, we can wait here."
Fianna turned back to look at the cottage, then shook her head, "I can't now, they've gone."
Mrs. Morrigan sucked in her breath, "Oh my dear I'm -"
Fianna understood and laughed, clear and bright, "Oh no! No no no, they've just gone to church, I said my farewells a few minutes ago. There was a funeral today they needed to attend."
Finn decided he liked her laugh. "I'm sorry, was it a member of the family?"
Fianna turned to him and nodded. "Second cousin on my mother's side. Shall we go?"
Nora nodded, "Do you have a trunk dear?"
Fianna looked down at the tatty carpetbag at her feet, and shook her head.
Nora took her hand and led her off, "Well, I daresay they'll get you settled and squared away in London. Bring the bag, Finn. Now my dear, I need to explain to you a few things, first off, I don't suppose you've ever heard of a portkey before?"
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Chapter One: How Many?
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry England June, 1847
The sun was still shining as Janas Heirndall, Keeper of the Keys of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, made his way back to the castle from Hogsmeade. He had completed his last official duty of the school year moments ago when he'd secured the last student inside the Hogwarts Express and watched it pull out of the station and head south. It had always been a mostly happy time for all, the end of term; for while there were partings and goodbyes, it was also the beginning of the summer holidays, and everyone was anxious for freedom.
But this year was different, and although the sun shone on it still felt as gloomy as if the sky had been blanketed with clouds.
Janas sighed and tried to push the thought out of his mind for a moment. He passed through the gates and thought of swinging by the kitchens for a quick bite or two when to his surprise he saw the headmaster standing outside the main door, staring in the direction of the village.
Hogwarts Headmaster Marduk Ambrose was quite possibly the tallest man Janas had ever seen, and Janas himself was no dwarf, standing a neat 6' 1". But Professor Ambrose topped him by at least 3 inches, and when he was wearing the formal, pointed wizard's hat over his coppery hair, it seemed like infinitely more.
But Professor Ambrose was not wearing that hat at the moment, although he had during the final breakfast that morning. He held it in both hands now, crushing it a bit and not really noticing as his eyes followed the puff of steam that was moving steadily south.
Janas was almost upon him before the headmaster noticed his presence.
"Ah, Janas, everything go smoothly then?"
"Yes, of course headmaster, smooth as can be."
"Hard to believe the year is over, isn't it?"
"Yes sir, seems this year passed faster than the last one."
"Too fast," the headmaster said, more to himself than to Janas, "And they will be away too long before we see them again."
It disturbed Janas to see the headmaster so powerful gloomy. "But they'll be back soon enough Professor Ambrose, you'll see. They'll be back soon enough."
"I suppose you're right, Mr. Heirndall," Marduk motioned for Janas to precede him into the castle before turning and watching the Hogwarts Express move out of sight.
"But how many won't be?"
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Professor Ambrose sat at his desk, which was clear save for the school sorting hat, and two rolls of parchment, on significantly longer than the other.
Before him sat his senior staff, his heads of house, all of them tense, and a bit nervous. But he was becoming used to it. It wasn't often that the headmaster of Hogwarts found himself younger than most of the teachers.
For Marduk Cadmus Ambrose was the youngest headmaster Hogwarts had seen in 250 years, being granted the position at the age of 38. At 41 he was senior only to Magni Muspell, his enthusiastic Care of Magical Creatures professor, who had originally been posted at Hogwarts as a temporary position following a terrible accident in Romania 3 years ago, but who had liked it so much he had decided to stay on. Magni, who was now 29, also assisted Janas with any business in the forest, and announced all the Quidditch matches, which kept the students happy since before him the spot kept falling to a cheeky Gryffindor who gave slightly biased coverage.
Marduk was tied with his Transfiguration professor and head of Hufflepuff house, Fenris Krake, who was also 41, but who had just completed his 13th year at Hogwarts, his 3rd as head of house. Fenris and Marduk had been fast friends during their student years, and while many suspected favoritism in Fenris's placement, it had actually been none of Marduk's doing at all. While he respected Fenris very much, the head of house appointment to replace retiring Care of Magical Creatures Professor Mimir, whose class would now be taught by Magni Muspell, had been pre-arranged by old headmistress Cronos prior to her retirement. Of course, Marduk had been taught by Professor Cronos himself, and he wondered if she, remembering his friendship with Fenris, had taken that into account when making the appointment.
Fenris was currently lounging in an armchair, the mirth that usually surrounded his features void from his expression today. To his left sat Rosmerta Babalel, head of Ravenclaw House, and professor of Arithmancy and Advanced Astronomy. Basic Astronomy classes at all levels were taught by their Divination professor, Cassandra Sulis, who was currently visiting family and would return to school in August.
Marduk tried to hide his smile, he knew exactly why Fenris was sitting next to her; for although she was 9 years his senior Rosmerta was still a very attractive woman, and though nothing would ever come of it, Fenris flirted with her at every opportunity.
But there was no flirting today, and Fenris was simply trying to ease Rosmerta's fears, and the pain of the last few weeks.
On Rosmerta's left, solid, strong, and a rock in the midst if the crisis was Aegis Odin, Marduk's Potion's professor and head of Gryffindor House. Odin was 57, but built as if he had been carved out of a mountain and in better shape than many men 15 years his junior. His shaggy brown hair showed no signs of gray, and the few lines on his well tanned face only added distinction. How the Potions Master managed to maintain a tan while working in perpetual darkness was a riddle many students had tried and failed to solve over the years. Marduk satisfied himself with the fact that he was ¾ of an inch taller than Odin, they had measured at the end of the year to settle a wager. Fenris had been forced to buy them all a round at the Three Broomsticks.
Aegis was deep in conversation with the woman to his left, and had been since they walked in. Eirene Ashtoroth was head of Slytherin House, his Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, and his Deputy Headmistress. Marduk could recall many times in the past 3 years when he would have been lost without her. The woman was 70 if she was a day, but often had more energy than Marduk himself. That also was the source of much speculation, but when Marduk had asked her about her youthfulness, for she didn't look a day over 60, she had simply shrugged, in typical youthful fashion, and told him that the students kept her young. She and Aegis had been good friends for over 20 years, and it was a good thing, for their students were so often involved in schemes and conflicts that it would have been a very hostile working environment indeed if they did not get on well. But Eirene was universally accepted, even among the Gryffindor students, as being fair and even handed among her pupils. She was the widowed mother of four and grandmother of eight at the moment, which gave her a wonderful capacity for understanding children, something Marduk often felt that he lacked.
"Professor Ambrose?" Rosmerta broke him out of his musings, "The letters don't need to go out for another month."
It was a question in the form of a statement, which was often the case with the Aritmancy professor, for Professor Babalel had excellent powers of deduction, and even without them she would have been able to gather that when the headmaster called the heads of house together in June to look at the Hogwarts Prospective Student List, something important was going on.
"They don't traditionally go out until the end of July, Rosemerta, that doesn't mean they don't need to go out sooner this year."
Fenris nodded, "You want to send them earlier then, may I ask why?"
"I want to add an addendum to the letter, not all of them, but certain letters. I want the addendum to state that these students should be ready to leave by the 7th of July."
"That's in two weeks!" Aegis was normally more composed, and Fenris was as surprised as he. But Fenris knew Marduk, and he knew he did nothing without a reason.
"Headmaster," Eirene added softly, "Where do you want these children to go? Are we to open the castle?"
"How many children?" Rosmerta added.
"I have a preliminary list here," Marduk passed the paper to Eirene, "It won't be finished until we go over the "undecided" list the hat provided this afternoon."
"Undecided?" Fenris queried, this was normally a task for the headmaster and deputy headmistress, he had never seen to the arranging of the Hogwarts letters.
"It's a smaller list produced after the Sorting Hat gives us the master list," Eirene explained without taking her eyes off the paper she had been handed, "It contains students that have magic enough to enter Hogwarts, but have a conflict of sort relating to their enrollment. The hat doesn't know exactly, only that these children need special consideration. Normally it is either that they are already on the rolls for Beauxbatons or Durmstrongs, they may be too young and should be deferred a year, or they may be older than 11, and for some reason are only now eligible to enter. But that last one hasn't happened in 300 years, it occurred only when a child was transferred from another school, and Hogwarts doesn't take many transfers nowadays; if we do we normally submit their names to the hat for verification, the hat doesn't provide them."
Eirene's eyes passed over the list one last time before she passed it to Professor Odin. "Marduk, what do you want to do with them?"
Ambrose leaned back in his chair. "We already have a list of wizarding families who offered their homes at the end of term. You know as well as I that less than ½ of the students who were offered places took them. I intend to send those students, and the names on the list, the amended letter. If there aren't places enough among the current list of volunteers I have plenty of friends at the ministry who have offered their homes. My mother herself wrote me only last week to remind me that no one was staying in my old bedroom."
Rosmerta handed the list to Fenris, "If they didn't take the offer at the end of term, what makes you think the older students will take it now?"
"They won't have a choice. I am considering this a mandatory part of the Hogwarts curriculum. If they won't take it out of charity we can find them some sort of job at the Ministry to earn their board, but accepting is absolutely non-negotiable if they want to attend Hogwarts."
"Marduk-" Professor Ashtoroth began, but Marduk avoided the sympathy in her tone by presenting the smaller list from his desk.
"I wanted you all here today because you are the ones who will be in charge of these students, should they be admitted and I intend to admit almost all of them, so I only thought it right that you were all here. It's not very long. Eirene, you have the lists sent by Beauxbatons and Durmstrongs?"
Eirene nodded, "I promised them a complete master list by this afternoon so they could double check," she warned.
"We'll have it for them."
They went through, checking name after name. Those names that were already on the confirmed lists from the other schools received a sharp tap from Ambrose's wand, the name disappeared, the scroll he was holding rolled up at the end as it shortened, and a check appeared next to the name on the corresponding school's list. If a student was approved to enter, for example, Icarus Argo, who was only 10 but who would be 11 on the 13th of November, Ambrose would again tap the paper sharply with his wand, the name would appear on the Hogwarts master list, which would uncurl a bit as it grew longer, and the name would vanish from the undecided list.
"McCarthy, Fianna, another 10 year old." Eirene read.
"When's the birthday?" Rosmerta responded automatically.
"30th of December."
Aegis whistled, "Cutting it close, might be better to wait a year, she'd be closer in age to her classmates."
"What's the address?" Marduk had asked the question after every name on the list.
Eirene tapped the name with her wand, and in bright green, looping writing, the address appeared below the name.
"Skibbereen, County Cork, Ireland."
"Is it a wizarding family?"
Rosmerta checked her lists, "No, sir, there are no known wizarding families living in Skibbereen."
"She comes."
"Sir-"
"She comes! It's Skibbereen for Merlin's-"
Marduk was silenced by an icy tinkling sound, all eyes turned to the master list, which lay next to the hat before Marduk on his desk. As they watched, the long scroll rolled a little tighter. A name had been erased.
Marduk curled is hand into a fist, counted to 10, and then slammed it down on the arm of his chair. "Damn!"
Fenris swore under his breath, Aegis snapped his quill in two, Rosmerta let out a shaky sigh. But Eirene's eyes were on the headmaster.
"You can't save all of Ireland, Marduk, you know that. The Ministry's tried all they can but with the cholera and the typhus-"
"That list hasn't left my sight all week, Eirene, and that's the 6th one we've lost; in a week, and just among the incoming first years. I will not sit here and wait for two months for the sake of tradition while my students are dying. Every name on this list that isn't already going to Beauxbatons or Durmstrong is coming to Hogwarts, I don't care of they're 6! And every muggle-born Irish student we have is spending the rest of their summer in safety if I have to tie them down and bring them here myself."
No one said anything; there was nothing to say, they all agreed with him. They were all silently praying for their own students, hoping they all returned in September, knowing that they all probably wouldn't.
Marduk sighed and took the list that was passed to him by Professor Ashtoroth. He smiled down at the name of "McCarthy Fianna" before tapping it with his wand, watching it disappear from one list, and hearing the master list unroll as another name was added, replacing the one that had been lost.
"Well my dear, it's your lucky day."
He looked up at his staff and tried to smile. "The letters go out tonight."
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& &&&&&&&&&&& Skibbereen, County Cork, Ireland 6 July, 1847
Fianna McCarthy had not had any intention of being in this part of town today. As she had stepped out the door that morning to say farewell to the village of Skibbereen, where she had lived her entire life, her mother had warned her especially to stay clear of the cemetery. Fianna had every intention of following the river, and so had not the least intention of disobeying. It wasn't her fault that her cousin Eamon happened upon her and dragged her into town, and then back to his house to say goodbye to her aunt and cousins. From Eamon's house the fastest way home went by the cemetery, and it was getting dark. Not that Fianna, a strong lass of ten years would ever be afraid of the dark, mind you, but the fastest way back was the fastest way back, and so she set off down the road.
As soon as she crested the hill and looked down she was grateful for the night that was sweeping in, and it took all her mettle not to turn tail and run back toward her aunt's. Eamon would never let her hear the end of it, and she was being teased enough as it was on account of her going off to school in England. She set her chin and tried to look at the road ahead, or the sky, or the trees, anything but the mass grave pit that was being dug and filled to her left. It wasn't that she had no respect for the dead, but Fianna had seen enough of it. The town of Skibbereen had been one of the hardest hit in all of Ireland by the Great Famine, and Fianna didn't think her spirit could take seeing anymore dead bodies, especially when she knew she would recognize the faces.
This was why she had to leave, her mother had told her. This was why, despite all the talk of wizardry and witchcraft, that letter had been a message from God, calling her away to save her from the darkness that had settled over Eire.
Fianna felt like she was running away. For was she not abandoning her family to starvation to live in comfort, in England of all places, while the rest of Ireland suffered?
Her mother had reminded her that a goodly percentage of the village that had not been taken to God had left already, just in the other direction, and she couldn't deny the thousands who were headed to America. And the McCarthy's were a hearty bunch, her mother had assured her. With the men off to the city to earn money, there would be enough to get by, and it would be easier with one less mouth to feed. They should thank their lucky stars that it seemed this school didn't want them to pay for tuition or anything at all, really.
It still felt like running away, and Fianna was heartsick at not just the thought of leaving, but of who might not be here, for one reason or another, when she returned.
She quickened her steps, which did not constitute running, and hastened home, for the last meager meal she would share with her family for a long time to come.
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Dublin, Ireland 7 July, 1847
Nora Morrigan checked one last time that she had everything. The little bit of paper with the name and address, the directions to and from the portkey, a second wrap in case the weather turned nasty. She pulled on her cloak, she was all set.
No, she thought again, she wasn't, she was missing one thing. Her son.
"Finn!"
She swept out of the kitchen with determination. The boy was not going to slip past her this time.
"Finn!"
She opened the door to the broom closet and smiled. He hadn't gotten to his broom yet, escape was impossible. She picked it up and hid it in the closet behind the mops and pails, a place she wasn't sure Finn even knew existed.
"Finbar Michael Morrigan!"
She swept up the narrow staircase from the kitchen and poked her head into the first bedroom on the right. Her eldest daughter was seated at a vanity, experimenting with ways to put her hair up. She read the charm aloud from a small book, then tapped her head with her wand, watching with satisfaction as her golden blond tresses arranged themselves in a perfect twist.
Nora smiled, and unconsciously patted her own hair, the same color as Cordelia's, although now kept that way with the help of Madam Marzipan's Magically Natural Hair Tonic.
"Cordy, have you seen him?"
"He tore by this way not five minutes ago, headed for the front stairs, did you hide the broom?"
Nora nodded, "Of course."
Cordy grinned, "Then he'll either try to get Caitlin's or hide on the roof."
"Where is your sister? Did she degnome the garden like I asked?"
Cordelia tossed her head in exasperation. "Up a tree probably. I heard some shouting an hour ago, so the garden may be clear. But the post brought another one of her books and my guess is she'll be buried in it all afternoon, in the garden most likely as she complains that these charms leave the room smelling like a house of ill repute."
Nora sighed, her middle child's combination of coltishness and pedagogy was endearing to her, but occasionally exasperating to her stylish older sister. She was also certain that "house of ill repute" had not been Caitlin's choice of words, and she thanked Merlin for the millionth time that Cordelia seemed to be blessed with more than her fair share of serenity and patience.
She noted that her daughter was wearing her good blouse and nice skirt.
"Is Brian calling later?"
Cordelia nodded, "He said he'd come round for tea. We thought we might take a look at his new broom?" There was a pleading look in her eyes. Cordelia may have been the most ladylike of any female in the Morrigan clan, including her mother, but it was impossible to have grown up in the household without a strong love of Quidditch,
Nora tried to keep her face stern, knowing full well her husband would murder her if she backed down on his rule. "You may look at it all you like my dear, but you know very well about how your father feels. You'll not be getting on a broomstick with any young man until you're 18."
Cordelia recognized the look in her mother's eyes, and cursed that school was so far away, when it was always easy to slip out for a ride. "Aye, I understand. You best be after Finn if you don't want to be late."
Nora smiled and headed down the hall to her bedroom, where she could see the back garden from her window. A booted leg dangled from the branches of the large tree in the center. Caitlin, reading no doubt, and no doubt comfortable up there, though Nora knew not how. The stockings indicated that Caitlin was at least wearing a skirt, though her mother winced at the stains and tears that would result from climbing about in trees. She then thought the better of shouting down to her daughter, she was lucky Caitlin wasn't wearing trousers, as she was want to do; the garden walls were not so high that the neighbors wouldn't see, and they found the Morrigans queer enough as it were.
As she was watching an apple fell from above passed her window. A partially eaten apple.
Finn, she thought with triumph. She stuck her head and shoulders out of the window and peered up.
"Finbar Morrigan you come inside this instant and get your cloak! We have an errand to run!"
Silence.
"I know you are up there Finn I saw the apple, come down."
Silence again.
"Finbar, so help me, I WILL destroy your precious broomstick if you do not come down this instant. You k now your da thinks you don't spend enough time on your studies to have earned it anyway!"
"Ma don't!"
With a scurry and scramble that had her heart in her throat, though she'd seen him do it a thousand times, her 12 year old son came scrambling down the drain pipe, dropping the last heart stopping 5 feet to the ground and springing up to his feet.
"Ma, come on!"
"Inside you miscreant, now!"
Sullen and indignant, she watched him stomp into the kitchen before pulling her head in, but not before giving the McAllisters maid, who was next door hanging out the second story window staring at them, a hearty wave before pulling it shut.
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"I still don't see why I have to come," Finn grumbled as he trudged along the country road behind his mother.
"Because you're the only one of my children near her own age, it'll do the little lamb good, put her mind at ease."
"But I'm older than her," Finn stood up straight, "She's just a firstie."
"You're only 12 boy-o, Caitlin's 15 and Cordelia's 17, so that makes you the closest in age."
"How old is she?"
"Let's see here. ah, she's 10."
"10! She's a baby."
"Poor little baby," Mrs. Morrigan said to herself as she looked around at the outskirts of Skibbereen before turning her attention back to her son.
"You will be a polite and courteous young man or I will tan your hide. Her family's Muggles after all, so this will be quite bewildering for her."
"She'll probably cry," Finn scoffed.
"Look around you boy-o, if she's managed to survive all of this, I'm betting she's a lot stronger than you think."
Finn looked at the dingy dwellings, many looked abandoned, until you passed close enough to see that there were people living in them. Finn thought it had been pleasanter when he thought no one was still living in such a place.
Nora watched her son's dark head take in his surroundings. The wizards of Ireland had not been terribly affected by the Great Famine that had plagued the nation. Her husband Douglas and eldest son Fergus both had jobs with the Ministry, the Morrigan family had not been farmers in more than a century. They lived in a good part of Dublin, and at the moment were kept safe from the diseases that were sweeping the country. All the same, when the children went back to school she and Douglas planned on closing up the Dublin house, and moving to live with his brother and family in England for the winter. Nora just couldn't imagine being alone with the bleakness every day. She was glad that Finn had this chance to see what was really happening to his country, for many Hogwarts students were affected, and he should understand how.
He seemed to understand that, for when the blue eyes returned to hers, they no longer contained the insolence and trademark Morrigan stubbornness that they had held before.
"How much further?"
"She's not far outside the village, should be just over this hill. They wanted the portkey well out of town, so no one would see. I told them we didn't mind a little walk, the weather's lovely."
The weather was overcast and looked like it was going to rain any second, but Finn said nothing.
They crested the hill, and Finn could see the town and the river below him, a ways off yet. But closer by, standing near the road in front of a small cottage was a tiny red headed girl, and she had a bag in her hands.
"That her?"
Nora squinted and nodded, "I believe Headmaster Ambrose instructed them to wait by the road, he seemed to think the faster this was done the better."
Finn thought Professor Ambrose was right. They approached the cottage and Nora smiled broadly.
"Why, you must be Fianna, I'm thinking?"
The girl nodded, "Fianna McCarthy, m'am, pleased to meet you."
Nora beamed. "I'm Mrs. Morrigan, and this is my son, Finbar."
"Finn," he corrected.
The little girl nodded and smiled. "Thank you for helping to come get me, I could have managed, but the letter said-"
"Oh don't you worry your little head about it, this is how the headmaster wants it. Now, if you'd like to go and say your farewells to your family, we can wait here."
Fianna turned back to look at the cottage, then shook her head, "I can't now, they've gone."
Mrs. Morrigan sucked in her breath, "Oh my dear I'm -"
Fianna understood and laughed, clear and bright, "Oh no! No no no, they've just gone to church, I said my farewells a few minutes ago. There was a funeral today they needed to attend."
Finn decided he liked her laugh. "I'm sorry, was it a member of the family?"
Fianna turned to him and nodded. "Second cousin on my mother's side. Shall we go?"
Nora nodded, "Do you have a trunk dear?"
Fianna looked down at the tatty carpetbag at her feet, and shook her head.
Nora took her hand and led her off, "Well, I daresay they'll get you settled and squared away in London. Bring the bag, Finn. Now my dear, I need to explain to you a few things, first off, I don't suppose you've ever heard of a portkey before?"
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