Chapter 3: Talking Statues and Walking Armour
"Welcome to Down Under Draco and Hermione. I see we had a little encounter with a jealous student. Let me guess, Mr Davies," an old women with greyish white hair said. Her face had wrinkles but not much. They made her look a lot younger for a strange reason. Like Dumbledore she had a wise ness about her that you could sense and see in her eyes, "I would expect you, Cassie, to have know that I know every thing that goes on with a student weather outside or in side the school. So stop gawping at me and go to the dining hall and tell the remaining students that some of our guests have arrived. They must be washed and suitable by their welcoming feast tonight. Don't worry I'll show them to their dormitories." Cassie left and walked into some huge oak doors.
They had just arrived off of the ship. It was a calm trip. It didn't even feel like they where on a boat, more like the Hogwarts train but calmer. Hermione saw some beautiful Bottlenose dolphins swimming along with the ship. Splashing and playing in the waves that the ship made. Some early Humpback Whales where there to but hard to see as they kept away from the boat.
The small boats sailed along the waves into the shore where they climbed up to the castle doors by some old, easy to climb stairs. She noticed that the waves where very big out further and smaller in towards shore. She was amazed at how the little boats didn't get dumped by the big pipeline waves that were just off shore.
"Now if you will please follow me this way we can be on our way," Prof. Bluetree said, pointing down the corridor. Draco and Hermione walked in silence until they were looking at a wall. A blank, cold and a dark stone grey wall.
"Where's the portrait hole, painting, anything? I mean we can't go through a solid stonewall. That's just nuts," complained Draco.
"It's called a realm wall, you numb skull of a ferret," Hermione answered harshly back at him.
"Now, now you two. Settle down. I see we have to enemies bunking together. Well you two have to get along. We don't want anyone getting killed now do we? And Hermione is right Draco it's a realm wall but with a twist. Instead of transporting you to a different realm it keeps you safe like at Hogwarts, it keeps you in a number of rooms. There's your common room and bedrooms. Plus as I'm told you Miss Granger like reading am I right?" Hermione nodded, "Then you are going to like this then. A big library with self-updating books and non-updating books. You can usually tell which is which. There is also a big screen TV and I trust Miss Granger will teach you how to use it or you may read through this manual," a huge book fell out of no where and landed in front of them making Hermione and Draco to jump about a foot off of the ground, "In there, includes instructions for the DVD/VCR player, X Box, Play Station 2, Surround Sound theatre system with radio and CD player. You can get many muggle and magic radio stations. You will both agree on a password and then the wall will magically shimmer away to reveal a door so that you can get in. Yours is near the two Mica Dragon Statues there and there," pointing to the statues on either side of the gateway. The engravings of a great big dragon looking down at them, was outlined in gold, "I will leave you two to decide on a password in peace now and try not to rip each others throats out while your at it."
Once Bluetree was out of sight Draco started with his snide comments again but saying them under his breath so Hermione couldn't hear him
"What was that?"
"I was just saying that how now the Down Under Headmistress and the Hogwarts Head Girl have just lost it. Walking through a solid stonewall. Who even thought of such a thing?" Draco sniggered.
"And who said it was a solid stonewall?" a creepy voice said out from now where.
"Ok. Malfoy did you just say that?"
"No."
"I thought I told you to keep your mouth shut Lance. Now your just scaring them. They're new here and don't know we can speak and move, well sort of."
Hermione and Draco turned round to see that the statues where arguing.
"Now this is weird. Oh man, talking statues. What next the suits of armour walking around and having sword fighting competitions and having polite conversations over a cup of tea?" just as he said that two suits of armour came walking around the corner fighting. One going backward and one going forward. Draco looked stunned, he had just said something and it happened, "Maybe I spoke to soon."
"Um excuse me?" Hermione said in her sweet voice to the statues. They stopped and listened, "If you would please stop arguing we can decide on a password."
"What did you have in mind? Oh and my name is Velmia, Velma for short. This is Lance my annoying friend," said the dragon on the right. She had a crown sort of headband coming down from the top of her head to the middle of her forehead, in a V shape, and back up to the other side of the top of her head. The V point had a sea green emerald on it. Lance had one to but he had a Blood red ruby instead of an emerald.
"I was sort of thinking of 'Hogwarts' as our first password as that is our school. How about it Malfoy? Do you agree?"
"Yeah, whatever," He mumbled.
"Then 'Hogwarts' it is. You may now enter and enjoy. Oh and we're on the inside of the gateway to so you can talk to us if you have any questions. Ok?" asked Lance.
The wall in between Lance and Velmia shimmered away to reveal a door. Draco opened the door first and walked in. He suddenly stopped blocking the rest of the stairway that lead into the common room.
"Ah. Malfoy? You are required to go all the way down the steps," Hermione said in an annoying voice, "Malfoy what is...."
"Welcome to Down Under Draco and Hermione. I see we had a little encounter with a jealous student. Let me guess, Mr Davies," an old women with greyish white hair said. Her face had wrinkles but not much. They made her look a lot younger for a strange reason. Like Dumbledore she had a wise ness about her that you could sense and see in her eyes, "I would expect you, Cassie, to have know that I know every thing that goes on with a student weather outside or in side the school. So stop gawping at me and go to the dining hall and tell the remaining students that some of our guests have arrived. They must be washed and suitable by their welcoming feast tonight. Don't worry I'll show them to their dormitories." Cassie left and walked into some huge oak doors.
They had just arrived off of the ship. It was a calm trip. It didn't even feel like they where on a boat, more like the Hogwarts train but calmer. Hermione saw some beautiful Bottlenose dolphins swimming along with the ship. Splashing and playing in the waves that the ship made. Some early Humpback Whales where there to but hard to see as they kept away from the boat.
The small boats sailed along the waves into the shore where they climbed up to the castle doors by some old, easy to climb stairs. She noticed that the waves where very big out further and smaller in towards shore. She was amazed at how the little boats didn't get dumped by the big pipeline waves that were just off shore.
"Now if you will please follow me this way we can be on our way," Prof. Bluetree said, pointing down the corridor. Draco and Hermione walked in silence until they were looking at a wall. A blank, cold and a dark stone grey wall.
"Where's the portrait hole, painting, anything? I mean we can't go through a solid stonewall. That's just nuts," complained Draco.
"It's called a realm wall, you numb skull of a ferret," Hermione answered harshly back at him.
"Now, now you two. Settle down. I see we have to enemies bunking together. Well you two have to get along. We don't want anyone getting killed now do we? And Hermione is right Draco it's a realm wall but with a twist. Instead of transporting you to a different realm it keeps you safe like at Hogwarts, it keeps you in a number of rooms. There's your common room and bedrooms. Plus as I'm told you Miss Granger like reading am I right?" Hermione nodded, "Then you are going to like this then. A big library with self-updating books and non-updating books. You can usually tell which is which. There is also a big screen TV and I trust Miss Granger will teach you how to use it or you may read through this manual," a huge book fell out of no where and landed in front of them making Hermione and Draco to jump about a foot off of the ground, "In there, includes instructions for the DVD/VCR player, X Box, Play Station 2, Surround Sound theatre system with radio and CD player. You can get many muggle and magic radio stations. You will both agree on a password and then the wall will magically shimmer away to reveal a door so that you can get in. Yours is near the two Mica Dragon Statues there and there," pointing to the statues on either side of the gateway. The engravings of a great big dragon looking down at them, was outlined in gold, "I will leave you two to decide on a password in peace now and try not to rip each others throats out while your at it."
Once Bluetree was out of sight Draco started with his snide comments again but saying them under his breath so Hermione couldn't hear him
"What was that?"
"I was just saying that how now the Down Under Headmistress and the Hogwarts Head Girl have just lost it. Walking through a solid stonewall. Who even thought of such a thing?" Draco sniggered.
"And who said it was a solid stonewall?" a creepy voice said out from now where.
"Ok. Malfoy did you just say that?"
"No."
"I thought I told you to keep your mouth shut Lance. Now your just scaring them. They're new here and don't know we can speak and move, well sort of."
Hermione and Draco turned round to see that the statues where arguing.
"Now this is weird. Oh man, talking statues. What next the suits of armour walking around and having sword fighting competitions and having polite conversations over a cup of tea?" just as he said that two suits of armour came walking around the corner fighting. One going backward and one going forward. Draco looked stunned, he had just said something and it happened, "Maybe I spoke to soon."
"Um excuse me?" Hermione said in her sweet voice to the statues. They stopped and listened, "If you would please stop arguing we can decide on a password."
"What did you have in mind? Oh and my name is Velmia, Velma for short. This is Lance my annoying friend," said the dragon on the right. She had a crown sort of headband coming down from the top of her head to the middle of her forehead, in a V shape, and back up to the other side of the top of her head. The V point had a sea green emerald on it. Lance had one to but he had a Blood red ruby instead of an emerald.
"I was sort of thinking of 'Hogwarts' as our first password as that is our school. How about it Malfoy? Do you agree?"
"Yeah, whatever," He mumbled.
"Then 'Hogwarts' it is. You may now enter and enjoy. Oh and we're on the inside of the gateway to so you can talk to us if you have any questions. Ok?" asked Lance.
The wall in between Lance and Velmia shimmered away to reveal a door. Draco opened the door first and walked in. He suddenly stopped blocking the rest of the stairway that lead into the common room.
"Ah. Malfoy? You are required to go all the way down the steps," Hermione said in an annoying voice, "Malfoy what is...."