Round 7 Celebrations around the World
House: Hufflepuff
Position: Muggle Studies
Story Type: Drabble
Prompt: (Location) Uagadou School of Magic
Word Count: 989 words
Authors note: Thanks for my team for betaing. Nothing particularly heavy in this fic.
Minerva McGonagall led the two students up the narrowing mountain path. The warm weather seemed to dissipate and a cold wind bit at their faces as they climbed.
"Do keep up, Mason," she reminded the panting fourth-year boy. "They've graciously agreed to host you two for the year; it wouldn't do to be late already."
Mason panted in response, but the girl seemed lightened by the thin air."There must be so many magical creatures here. Mountains are a favorite hiding place of flitterflies," Luna exclaimed.
"No time to look for flitterflies," McGonagall chastised, "Let's keep going."
Luna's fanciful searches for mythical creatures had once grated against Minvera's orderly and precise understanding of the world. She admired Luna's bravery during the war, however, and had gladly accepted her for the new magical exchange program.
The exchange program had been born out of the chaos after Voldemort's fall. After the initial celebrations there were the ugly technicalities to deal with. The government needed to be replaced and Voldemort's supporters rounded up. As the new Headmistress of Hogwarts, Minvera held only a minimal official role in the proceedings, but she still faced unofficial calls to offer her wisdom. The chaos had convinced Minerva there was a great need for an improved mutual understanding between witches and wizards from different backgrounds, which was why she had contacted the headmaster of Uagadou School of Magic and proposed a series of exchange students. For the first year, two Hogwarts students would travel to the Ugandan campus and two Uagadou students would return with Minvera to Hogwarts.
Minvera, Luna, and Mason turned a corner on the path and found themselves facing a large boulder field. Atop the field was a castle carved into a sheer cliff. Thousands of windows were carved into the cliff side and spires circled up into the clouds.
"Look!" Luna exclaimed, pointing at a vulture swooping below the clouds before heading towards a window and transforming into a wizened man with a humpback.
"Uagadou is known for teaching self-transformation," Mason contributed, "Even many of the students are animagi."
"That's correct," Minerva said, "the transfiguration standards are far more rigorous than in the UK. Watch your step now," she said, as Mason tripped on one of the boulders.
The approach required the three to climb over the boulder field to reach the elaborately carved castle entrance. The two teenagers made good progress, but Minerva's age was catching up with her and making the steep scramble a challenge. Quickly she transfigured into her much more agile cat form and led the three up the boulder field.
Upon reaching the top, the two teenagers and the cat stood in front of a richly engraved stone door.
"How do we open it?" asked Mason.
Luna opened her mouth with a suggestion but, before she was able to speak, the doors swung open. A middle-aged wizard dressed in navy robes adorned with embroidered constellations stood with his arms open in welcome in the entryway.
"Uagadou welcomes the members of Hogwarts school," he declared. Then he turned to the cat. "Minerva, it is so wonderful to see you again."
The headmistress transfigured back into a woman. "This is Haider," she explained to the teenagers. "He's headmaster here and aided me in developing my own animagus on a trip to Hogwarts long ago." She turned to Haider, "This is Mason Miterfee and Luna Lovegood. I hope you'll find Mason to be a skilled student in both transfiguration and astronomy. Luna played a key role in defending Hogwarts in our battle. I'm proud to offer them both as representatives of our school."
"Welcome! Welcome! Welcome!" Haider's voice boomed throughout the domed
entryway as he shook Luna and Mason's hands vigorously. "And may I introduce our own representatives. They're skilled magicians in their own right, although perhaps still learning how to channel it. Now, where are they?" Haider turned to look around the entryway, but the chosen students seemed to be missing.
Minerva opened her mouth to assure the headmaster that the delay was of no importance, but before she could speak a hedgehog emerged from Haider's hood. It looked around and promptly transfigured into a boy of about 15, who used his arms to push off the headmaster's shoulders and bow theatrically to Professor McGonagall.
"Talib, at your service," he declared.
"Yes. Yes, as I said Talib is a skilled magician, although he sometimes does use his small Animagus form to get into trouble," chided Haider.
"I'm sure his skills will be of great benefit to Hogwarts," Minerva said graciously, although not before giving the boy a stern stare. "We have our own experience with animagi students with a knack for trouble and I can say they were ultimately great assets to the school."
"Just so. Just so," Haider laughed, "Now where is that brother of yours, Talib?"
Talib had no sooner shrugged than a tiny bird dove from the ceiling.
"A Whirling White Winged Whatsit!" exclaimed Luna pointing, but the bird landed on Haider's shoulder and transformed into another boy, almost identical in appearance to the first, following his brother in leaping over Haider's shoulders.
"Just an oxpecker, I'm afraid," he explained with a winning smile, "I'm Tau, Talib's more attractive twin brother and the other exchange student."
"We look exactly the same," Talib objected.
Minerva felt a jolt in her chest; a mix of grief and anticipation of the trouble these two seemed to promise.
"It's wonderful to meet you," she said, shaking Tau's hand as well. Turning to Haider she explained, "Hogwarts also has experience with troublemaking twins; I'm sure these two will find a welcome home with us."
Haider led the group up to his office to sort out some logistics. Watching the teenagers joke and play as they walked through the hallway, a smile pulled at her cheeks. After years of watching teenagers forced to become soldiers, things were beginning to feel normal again.