For copyright and disclaimers, please see chapter 1
24 – Classes, Week 41, First year
Monday, May 31, 1999:
Hogwarts, Infirmary: 08:57
"That works better with a wand, mate," Amanda said as she helped an exhausted Sprink to a bed. Mattie looked, and started to get up, but was waved down.
"The Ministry stole my wand, and I wanted to get my movements right, so…" Mattie shrugged, and stuck her pencil in the notes. "I've got a month of stuff to catch up on you guys, and Transfig never was my best subject. I'm doomed!" she declared dramatically, while the two snorted. "What can I say, Gotham, my hometown, city of nightmares, makes you such a cheerful person. How is she?"
"This she is doing as well as could be expected," Sprink said, clutching the scrubs to herself. "That she, on the other hand," pointing to Amanda, "should have her bloody head examined! Don't you know better than to stick your hand in a cell with bloody werewolves on a full moon? Do you want to be bitten, you idiotic twit?"
"But I saw you take the potion!" Amanda said, confused. She sat down on Sprink's bed, who gave a low growl.
"The potion, which tastes terrible by the way, lets me retain my mind. It. Is. Not. A. Cure," Sprink said, slowly and distinctly. "You have no idea how difficult it is NOT to bite some twit that thinks I'm a big, friendly dog. Why do you think I snarled at you, and bared my fangs? So you'd get your bloody hand away from my mouth!"
"Were you bitten, Miss Leeds?" Madame Pomfrey asked sharply.
"No, I didn't bite her, and the rest were sleepin'," Sprink said. Amanda sniffled, and Sprink sighed. "Look, 'manda, I really do appreciate your keeping watch with me. The way the law is, if I had bitten you, even though you were at fault, I'd be blamed for it, and the Ministry could execute me, depending on Fudge's mood a' the day. I'm no longer a 'human', I'm a 'half-human', and I'd be guilty of biting. Once you're bitten, you lose lots a' of your rights, such as they are. D'y'see why I snarled at you?"
Amanda nodded, saying, "I'm sorry, I…"
"Y'weren't thinkin', I know. Y'goin' to do it again?" Amanda shook her head, and Sprink held out her hand, asking, "We're good, then?"
Amanda nodded, and Madame Pomfrey said, "You can just make your examination if you hurry, Miss Leeds. I'll write Professor Sprout a note for you, and I will discuss your foolish behavior with Professor McGonagall."
"I didn't mean to get her in trouble," Sprink said, rising partway out of the bed.
"You did not, Miss Tonks, you showed commendable restraint," Pomfrey said as she handed the note to Amanda, shooing her out. She sat down on Sprink's bed, and patted her hand. "I think between the two of us, and Minerva's lecture, she won't do anything so foolish again, but she'll still be willing to help out her friends."
"Devious, aren't you?" Mattie said with a chuckle.
"After a few years, one learns which strings to pull with students," Pomfrey admitted. "I didn't even have to threaten house points. Now, Miss Tonks, you will go to sleep, and you, Miss Wayne, will put your books aside and take a nap. Your wish to revise is commendable, but you've been through an ordeal, and I did promise your uncle that you would rest. If you are asleep when the elves come with lunch, you may have your presents."
"Presents?"
"Yes, presents. Today is Miss Wayne's eleventh birthday, is it not?" Pomfrey asked. "Now off to sleep, both of you!"
"Is she asleep? Can I wake her?"
"I'm awake, just thinking," Mattie said as she sat up. "Mr. Griplick! What a pleasant surprise! Please, sit down! What can I do for you?" she asked as she shook his hand.
"Well, Miss Wayne, after your alleged death, we need to verify your identity in order to set your accounts in order."
"My word isn't good enough?" Sprink growled as she rolled over and sat up.
"Unfortunately not, Miss Tonks," Griplick said. "It is not a complex procedure, simply sign under your previous signature, and tap it with your wand."
"I was starved and tortured in Azkaban, Mr. Griplick. My signature probably won't be the same, and the Ministry stole my registered wand." Mattie cracked her knuckles, adding "I've been doing some wandless magic, will that count?"
"I mis-spoke, I apologize. I meant your magical signature, and we can certainly try it with wandless magic."
"Is there a wand in your box, Mattie?" Sprink asked.
"What box?"
Griplick looked under the bed, and dragged it out. With a nod for permission, he opened it, and Sprink squealed, "Ooh, pretty wand!"
"Oh, cool, my spare… er…"
"An unregistered wand, Miss Wayne?" Griplick asked with a smile. "As long as it does not violate Gringott's policies, I have no objection." He looked it over, then handed it to her, asking, "Shall we?"
"What is it, Mattie?" Sprink asked as she waved her wand again.
"Hawthorn grip with an onyx shaft, and a nightmare core," Mattie replied. "This was a good investment, it feels right." She sighed happily, adding, "Mr. Griplick, I've always loved the way I've been treated at Gringott's. As far as I'm concerned, you and Sprink here are both family."
Griplick looked at her, thunderstruck. "What do you mean, Miss Wayne?"
"I like you, and I trust you, Mr. Griplick. You have always been honest and fair with me, and you look out for my best interests. Don't family members do that for each other?"
"They do, Miss Wayne, they do indeed," he said as he eyed her. "How do you feel about Miss Tonks?"
"The same, she's family, she's my sister."
"Hmm. Most interesting, however, on to business," Griplick said. He produced a sheet with Mattie's signature and a quill. She took a breath, signing and tapping it with her finger. The sheet turned gold, and Griplick smiled happily. "The signature is confirmed, Miss Wayne. Now then, when did you lose control of your moneybag and wand?"
"My wand, when we went through security at the Ministry on April 23rd, my moneybag presumably after my arrest. I was unconscious then."
"She was overdosed with veritaserum about eleven that morning," Sprink contributed.
"Since then I've been either in Azkaban, or on an oil platform in the North Sea or here," Mattie added. "I couldn't use the moneybag in either place, and I didn't know until just now my backup wand survived."
"So any withdrawals during that period were unauthorized?" Griplick said, practically salivating.
"Yes, unless a family member authorized them."
"They did not. Will you sign a statement authorizing us to investigate and take action against those persons who have stolen from you?"
"As long as it doesn't conflict with other legal actions, I certainly will."
Clark overheard the last as he entered, adding, "Go ahead, Mattie, and happy birthday." He sat on her bed, and received a hug. He noticed Griplick's expression, and asked gently, "Remind you of your own children?"
There was a softer look on his face, "Yes, she does, Mr. Kent, as I'm sure your own children do."
"I am unfortunately childless, so I have to take my joy by proxy with Mattie," he grinned at Sprink, adding, "and her friends, too."
"Shoemaker-Levy was not your fault, Uncle Clark!"
"How did you know about that, Mattie?" She raised an eyebrow, and patted his back. Turning, she asked, "What about your kids, Mr. Griplick?"
"My wife and I have been blessed with two handsome sons, and two wonderful daughters!" he said with the air of a proud parent.
Clark sighed, and said, "I am jealous, sir. I wish I could provide that to my wife, but I cannot, not without injuring her."
"Ah. Bankers keep many secrets, Mr. Kent. May we speak privately?"
As the two men moved off, Mattie turned to Sprink and said, "Promise me you won't listen in? This is very private, all right?"
"All right, but you need to tell me what's going on," Sprink said. "Griplink's cast a privacy spell anyway. Who's this Levy person?"
"Shoemaker-Levy was a comet that struck Jupiter a few years ago. Uncle Clark was… in the vicinity," Sprink raised an eyebrow, and Mattie continued, "Well, Uncle Clark can't have normal relations with his wife, because in the act, um, because he's so much stronger than she is, there's the strong possibility that he would injure her. Fatally. When my sister-in-law Barbara had her spine fixed, they were hoping that there was some magical spell or something to help." She sighed, and said, "I guess there isn't one, so they remain very, um, frustrated."
"Oh, I see. No, I don't. What do you mean, injure?"
"If a, um, werewolf guy were to, um, spend the night with a human girl, she might be injured because he's much stronger, right?" Sprink nodded, and Mattie added, "Scale that guy up, with the same girl. So both Uncle Clark and Aunt Lois get really frustrated, understand?"
"Yeah, I understand, and I'll keep it quiet. They've finished talking!"
Mattie put an expression of polite interest on, and asked, "Mr. Griplick, am I to understand that someone's been accessing my account?"
"Oh, my yes! As of the close of business yesterday, the account was down 105,000 galleons. However, since you assure me that it was not authorized, Gringott's bank will pursue fraud charges against those individuals. All I need is your signature."
"With pleasure, sir," she said as she signed. She returned his quill, and asked, "What about a replacement moneybag?"
He fished one out of a pocket, and said, "This is already linked to your account. Please wait twenty-four hours before using it. Our fraud division will credit your account against the recovery from the criminal's accounts. Your old moneybag will be linked to the fraud division's accounts," he said, grinning nastily. "I do SO enjoy catching criminals who think they can defraud my clients, and we will recover every knut in your account, Miss Wayne."
"It's always a pleasure to deal with Gringott's, Mr. Griplick."
"Oy, Mattie, it's good to see you again," Charlie said. "Who d'you know at the Palace?"
"Hey, good to see you, mate," Mattie nodded at the get-well card, "Who signed it?"
"Elizabeth and Harry." He passed it over to her, adding "There's one from the American Embassy, too."
"More thank-you cards to write," she smiled. "How was your first exam as a wizard, mate?"
"Herbology? It wasn't bad, although I'm not looking forward to the History exam tomorrow. At least I can revise a bit for the Astronomy one tonight." The other members of the study group came through the door, taking seats on and around Mattie and Sprink's beds. Amanda had problems meeting Sprink's eyes, until she squeezed her hand.
"This is the last one, Mattie," Arthur said, passing her the small black and green wrapped package.
She tried to pry the wrapping off, but couldn't, "Amanda, there should be a box under my bed; I think I saw my boot knives in there." Amanda reached down and slid the cardboard box out, then wrinkled her nose while Sprink coughed. "Sorry, guys," Mattie said. "Could someone do a cleaning spell, there wasn't a chamber pot in that cell."
"Scourgify!" Amanda said while waving her wand. She passed a boot to Sprink, asking "Better?"
Sprink sniffed; then said, "Much. Thanks mate. I really didn't want to say anything, but my eyes were starting to water, there."
One of the twins said, "When you want to talk about it, Mattie…"
"Actually, my folks want me to go to a wizarding shrink over the summer holidays, a Dr. Patterson in New York," she sighed; then brightened. "Hey, maybe we can go running in Central Park or something! I really need to get back in shape."
"Cool!" the twins chorused.
Mattie smiled, opening the card attached to the package. Her face fell, and she said, "Oh, god. They didn't. They didn't! I told them I didn't want one, and they got me one anyway!"
The others looked in confusion at each other, so Mattie handed Amanda the card, and she read aloud,
Dear Mattie:
I know you said you didn't want one, but you're outvoted. Wear it in good health, and charge it every day.
Kyle and Jennie
The group passed looks of confusion around, until Charlie said, "Open it, mate. I don't understand. What needs to be charged every day?"
"This." Mattie attacked the wrapping around the box, tearing it off violently. With a snap, she sheathed the knife and opened the box. Inside was a small circular device, with a small object nestled above it. She spun the box in her lap, displaying it to the group. Arthur, Charlie and the twins drew in their breath, while the wizards just looked confused.
"Mattie, I don't understand," Charlie said. "How did you get…"
"Family connections," she replied, adding, "Can you explain it to the rest? I've got to plan the murder of my brother." She pulled a pillow over her head, while Charlie explained the significance of the small, softly glowing lamp and ring.
"I don't understand, Mattie," Amanda said. "It sounds like a wonderful thing to have."
Mattie lowered the pillow over her face, "It's the lure of the Dark Side of the Force, Amanda. That can be used for great good, or great evil, and there are currently only two other people in this galaxy that have one. I have no particular desire to become a Dark Lady of the Sith. If I hide from it, it will go away." She put her pillow back over head while Charlie, Arthur and the twins tried to explain that.
"Did you have to bring in Vader, Mattie? You're just confusing them more," Arthur said.
"I thought it was appropriate," she said. Grabbing the box, she slid the ring on her right middle finger, and touched it to the Lamp. The green glow surrounded her for ten seconds; then went away. She turned to her friends, "Okay, here's the deal. This ring isn't magic, it's a bit of alien high tech, but it gives me the power of a god. The question is, for good or evil? If I go Dark, I can make Voldemort look like a muggle, and the only two Potters are the ones that gave it to me!"
"Don't go Dark, then," Andrew said for the first time.
"Very easy to say, but how exactly do you define 'Dark'? The power of this ring is limited only by my creativity and my will. For instance, say I want to tear the moon out of orbit, and dunk it in the Atlantic." She waved her hand, asking, "If my will is strong enough, I can do it with this ring. Would that be Light or Dark? Should I, Andrew? What do I do about Fudge and Malfoy? It would be trivial to convert them into cockroaches and step on them. They've hurt my friends, they've hurt me, why shouldn't I? I wouldn't even need the Killing Curse, and what jail would hold me?" She flopped back, asking, "See why I didn't want this?"
The tall form of Professor Snape said, "Miss Wayne, you asked to see us?"
"Yes, please," comfortable chairs materialized around her bed, and Professor McGonagall blinked. "Have a seat, please. I need some advice. My brother, with the best of intentions, and thinking of my safety, got two of his mates to give me this," and she displayed the ring.
"I do not understand, Miss Wayne," Professor Dumbledore asked. "Why should a bit of jewelry give such distress?"
"The problem, Professor, is that it gives me the power of a god." She smiled gently, adding, "I could make Voldemort look like a muggle with a wave of my hand. I don't have any experience in this, there's no training in using these rings, and the only limitation is my will."
"The fact that you are asking these questions would be its own answer," Professor Sprout said gently.
"My life was so much simpler when I was just subject to kidnapping," Mattie sighed. She looked at Professor Flitwick, "What about Malfoy and Fudge? I snap my fingers, they're changed into cockroaches. They've hurt me, they've hurt my friends. Why shouldn't I?"
Professor Dumbledore leaned back and steepled his fingers. "I think, Miss Wayne, that you now understand the reasoning behind the restrictions on underage magic. It is not simply adults not wanting children to have fun, but learning how to control yourself, and your powers. Consider when you live in a muggle neighborhood, it is difficult to keep from turning your annoying neighbor with his loud music into a frog. For you, it will be especially difficult, both for your power and your more lethal skills." He glanced at Minerva, and said, "Harry had similar problems, especially when he began to mature."
"I would suggest you talk to Mr. Kent," Severus said. "I am sure he faced these same problems growing up, as have the two people that gave you this gift."
Mattie grinned, "Kyle told me how he got his ring, Professor. He was in a bar and needed to pee, but the men's room was closed for repair, and there was a long line for the ladies', so he went out the back door. He was going to pee in the alley, and this little blue guy in a red robe gave it to him. He took it just so he could get past him and pee. Whammo, he wakes up the next morning; he's got the ability to destroy planets."
"Then I am sure that he made mistakes," Filius Flitwick said gently. "As we all have, including your parents and your relatives, Miss Wayne. Mistakes are a part of growing and learning that never ceases. Do not let it paralyze you with indecision, but carefully weigh each decision, and be prepared to accept the consequences."
"But I'm so much more powerful now," Mattie said. "I mean, I created those chairs, and I didn't really think about it. Professor McGonagall, you know how my Transfig scores were before and now…"
"Before, you had barely acceptable Transfiguration scores, now you think you've achieved NEWT levels?" Minerva smiled, "Child, there is a difference between book learning and experience. You may have the knowledge available, but not the experience."
"You are aware, Miss Wayne, that Madame Marchbanks will be staying over next week to give your examinations?" Mattie nodded, and the Headmaster continued, "I will ask her to give you an extra-credit question in each subject at the NEWT level. These questions require both learning and experience in the subject. This is something you will acquire should you choose to return to us next year, and in subsequent years." He looked at the girl fondly, saying, "I do hope you return to us in September, Miss Wayne. This stodgy old castle could use a bit of excitement." He looked over at the Potions Master, adding, "Don't be grumpy, Severus. Guiding Harry was Minerva's challenge, Miss Wayne is yours."
