With most of the first year Hufflepuffs now having the Scruberoo spell under their belts, Ron was finally starting to realise that Harry wasn't being friendly when he cast the spell on him. He was actually starting to get quite morose as Dean and Semus had started to hang out with the Hufflepuffs rather than play chess with him, and in the evenings they hung around with the girls instead of him too. It didn't help that the only brother he could get any attention from, was the one he didn't want it from, Percy. The Twins were constantly busy with their newly more attentive girlfriends, or planning their next prank. The only one that hadn't deserted him was Scabbers, and you couldn't exactly play chess with a rat. Morosely he turns back to his chessboard and practices some different positions.
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Simeon and L are sat around in their private quarters in the Library chatting.
"Ugh, I don't think we've ever been as busy as we are now."
L shakes her head, "Tell me about it, I've had people bugging me to learn spells more and more recently. Just because I've been teaching a group of the older Hufflepuffs in the evenings for the last couple of weeks."
"I think people are starting to realise that they can approach us as a group, rather than the occasional person being brave enough to question us."
L laughs, "It's worse than that, Jamie stuck a corkboard to the side of the entrance. They've put two bloody schedules on it. I don't do schedules, except apparently now I am."
"Figures, maybe we should add Morgyn's name to the schedules."
"Could do, at least Dudley is proving to be an apt study in the art of mischief making."
"True that, he could have gone down a dark path if you hadn't got there first."
"Na, Harry fixed that problem when he was six. Dudley told me the story the other week. Apparently, that's when his gender settings got messed with."
"Maybe we should see if one of the shopkeepers knows someone that could manage our teaching schedules for us. As I can't do personal tutoring as well as group tutoring."
L grins manically, "I think that we go group sessions for our apprentice spells, we can also do group sessions for each of the basic potions. If we schedule it right we'd be working maybe 6 hours a day, with one two hour session dedicated to personal or group tutoring on advanced spells. That means that I still get my pranking time, and you get your date time. You know when Petunia is working, so they can schedule your classes for the same time."
"You know this is going to come back and bite us in the arse."
"Maybe, but that's for future us'es to worry about, not for now. And you never know, we might be able to persuade a few virtuoso's to take over tutoring in exchange for research time with us. Especially if it start paying. You know how hard it is for us to get spending money, and we're the sages of magic."
"What do you think of the discovery of the Illusion and Transformation schools of magic?"
"I think that we need to contact a few of the virtuosos that actually do spell research, and see if a couple of them are willing to work together on each school. As there's that practice option in the interface, which we both know is utter crap compared to actually researching the spell properly. However, it might be good enough for discovering the different spells in the school so that they can work with someone that didn't get the interface assistance to write down the basic spell formula. From there they might actually be able to put together actual spell tomes."
"I still have no idea how our ancestors unified the schools we currently know."
L laughs, "Looking at Earth, I think we're seeing what their magical progress was like before the Realm of Magic was discovered. After all, how many scientists and engineers have we each given the Rite of Ascension to?"
"I think I've done 10 since I became a sage."
"Exactly, each one of those can bring the methods they learnt in their careers to magical research. However, as you know, learning magic is a life long choice even with our compressed schools of magic. Imagine how many scientists and doctors came here before the disaster to learn and research this new thing."
"People just aren't that nice."
They continue to discuss their options into the evening.
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The first year Hufflepuffs come upstairs to the Great Hall excitedly, as today they are beginning their flying lessons at Hogwarts with the rest of the first years. All of them have had plenty of practice on their brooms getting around the Realm of Magic, so they are all looking forward to being able to use them around Hogwarts for getting around the grounds, and general fun of course. As they sit down to breakfast, an owl swoops down from the rafters to land in front of Neville. With some surprise he takes the package and unwraps it.
Megan, who's sitting next to him reaches over and gives him a hug as his face falls while reading the letter.
Susan asks, "Are you OK?"
"It's from my Gran, she's disappointed that I've been sorted into Hufflepuff rather than Gryffindor like my dad was. She also says that my memory must still be bad, as I haven't written enough, so she's sent me a rememberall."
Justin is the muggle raised that asks, "Would anyone mind cluing this muggleborn into what a rememberall is?"
Daphne smiles, "The ball itself is a clear glass sphere that contains white smoke. When you touch it, it will glow red if you've forgotten something. I'm sure that if you pass one up and down the table, it will turn red for nearly everyone. It's generally considered to be a rather insulting and demeaning gift to give someone. Though, it's sometimes given as an amusing trinket."
Neville looks at the ball with tears in his eyes, "I didn't know that."
"Neville," she says kindly, "you've had a very sheltered upbringing. I know you know an awful lot about the structure and expectations of your position in society. However, you've had almost no exposure to the things the rest of us had growing up. I know you were friends with Susan and Hannah, but I don't think I ever saw you at their houses."
What ever Neville was about to say died on his lips as a pale hand reached between him and Justin, who is sitting next to him, and snags the rememberall.
"Oh look, Longbottom needs a rememberall."
Harry sighs dramatically, "Oh dear, looks like we need to add Kleptomania to your list of minor traits. Hey Crabbe, are you actually with him to prevent him from getting sticky fingers every five minutes?"
"How dare you, when my father hears about this,"
"Oh, you're going to tell him? I hope he gets you to a mind healer, as it's not good for any heir, even one from a minor house, to be perceived as a petty thief."
"How dare you? I challenge you to a duel."
Harry says, "Bingo." So softly that only Daphne and Hermione, who are sitting either side of him can hear it. In a normal voice he replies to Malfoy as he pulls out a book and turns to a marked page.
"Which sort of duel would you be talking about?"
"An honour duel of course."
"Ah, but would that be a minor, major, blood, or challenge honour duel?"
"Uh minor."
"Uh huh, and what would be grievance that is to be addressed by this minor duel of honour?"
"You called me a thief."
"I don't believe I did, did anyone else hear me call Malfoy a thief?"
A shake of heads all around is bolstered when Miss Chang from the Ravenclaw table turns around, "You didn't you made an observation based on his act of picking up the Rememberall, you then asked Crabbe if he was there to keep that trait in check." At this point Draco is bright red, and getting more irate as she carries on, "Malfoy then says he's going to tell his father, at which point Potter interrupts and says it would be a good idea so that Malfoy could see a mind-healer. He then points out that being perceived as a petty thief would be bad for any heir. At no point did he ever say that you were a thief."
Professors Sprout and Tonks finally make it over to the table, "What's going on here?"
Daphne sighs, "The precipitating event was Mr Malfoy picking up Longbottom's rememberall without asking. For a fair and less biased view you probably want to ask one of the Ravenclaws behind him, as they all seemed to find the whole thing very entertaining."
Professor Tonks looks grave as she listens to the explanation before nodding at the end, "Indeed, I can see Heir Potter's point. Even the perception of being a thief can tarnish the reputation of a house in a way that takes decades to repair. I'd be surprised he wasn't sorted into Slytherin, however I don't think I want to be threatened by his familiar. Mr Malfoy, we are going to have a word with your Father, and then we are going to have a word about appropriate behaviour. Simmons, could you meet me in my office in half an hour please?"
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That afternoon, all the first years trailed out into the quidditch pitch and, apart from the Hufflepuffs, stopped at the sight of four rows of Supermops. The Ravenclaw and Gryffindor muggleborn and more muggle-wise halfbloods all burst out laughing.
Dean sums up their feelings as he says, "The expect us to ride these? Maybe I should owl me mum and get her to send me one."
Madam Hooch's loud voice causes him to sober instantly, "Mr Thomas, while these may look like their muggle equivalents. These brooms have actually been enchanted to fly. Now, initially we only had 20 brooms due to a generous donation to the school. However, Professor Sprout has been able to trade some of the schools' plants to buy enough for all of you to train together, plus a few spares. Over by the wall, you'll see a collection of more traditional brooms. Once we've gone over the basics and you can all fly around the quidditch pitch, I will be calling each house down to learn how to fly these. As, for the time being, they use the same basic enchantments as the brooms you can find in Diagon Alley, or through direct mail order. For those who want to go into a quidditch career, knowing how to use these brooms is a must as the other brooms do not allow you the freedom to move independently of your broom, making flying with only your knees impossible. The only exception would be for the seekers position. One of the Ravenclaw quidditch team compared them to driving a manual or automatic, whatever that means."
The muggle raised all nod in understanding.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Everyone stand by a broom!"
The first years all scramble to a broom.
"Now, pick up the broom with your wand hand, make sure your hand is at around waist height when the broom is resting on the floor, and your thumb is pointing up the broom. This will ensure that you can comfortably sit in the seating charm. Push a little magic into the broom, you'll see it lift off the ground and take a slight angle beside you. Put your leg over the broom and sit back, you should now feel the seating charm support your weight. Place your other hand behind the first with your thumb facing forward."
As Madam Hooch droned on, Ron was starting to get peckish, it's not as if he needed to learn this. After all he'd been flying with the twins for a couple of summers now. Rather predictably, his thoughts turned to food, specifically what are they going to serve for dessert in the main hall for dinner, he can just picture himself eating a slice of treacle tart. Woah, shit, ow. The sudden acceleration of the broom followed by the sharp change in direction causes him to fall out of the seat and end up dragged along with the broom.
To everyone else, Ron's broom just takes off and drags him along.
"Mr Potter, Miss Granger, talk them through dismounting. Anyone in the air when I get back will be banned from flying."
Madam Hooch then professionally mounts her broom and zooms into the air after Ron.
Quickly dismounting their own brooms, Harry and Hermione take half the class each and talk people through dismounting with the aid of the other Hufflepuffs. Draco, who has found the stirrups, decides to be difficult.
When Harry gets to him, he says, "what? Are you scared of a detention? I challenge you to a race to the whomping willow!"
Harry tries to stop him, he really does, but Draco ignores him when he says, "No! Don't finish that thought!"
As soon as the thought is finished, Draco is launched at motorway speeds towards the whomping willow, which proceeds to do as its name suggests, and whomps him repeatedly. Harry and Hermione are both too busy telling those who haven't dismounted yet to keep concentrating on being on the ground to go and see. But more than half the first years stream out of the stadium to see what happened.
As her office overlooks the field and quidditch pitch, Minerva has been watching over the flying lessons since she was made Deputy nearly 15 years ago. Rolanda taking off after a Student is hardly something new, though the speed they were going is. As a precaution, she carefully wipes off her quill and places it down beside the homework she's marking. She nods approvingly as she sees a couple of students helping the others dismount from the new brooms. The sleek waves of hair that billow out of the head of one of them makes it likely that she's Hermione, which means the other one is probably Harry. Given that she knows he's been trained on these brooms, it makes sense that they'd be the ones instructing the others on dismounting. She frowns as she watches Harry gesture urgently to a first year with blond hair, and she's already out of her seat when the child goes shooting off out of the stadium. She only waits long enough to see where he's going before she heads out of her office at a run.
She clatters down the stairs near her office and charges through Rolanda's office. Once outside she pauses to get her bearings and send a Patronus to Madam Pomphrey about an emergency at the Whomping Willow. Once she gets close enough, she sends a bolt at the knot at the base of the tree to stop the willow from moving for a moment. The bent and buckled broom clatters to the floor bouncing off the branches, while Mr Malfoy is less lucky as he's caught between two branches with a third frozen in mid motion towards his head.
Hoping that the willow will be frozen for long enough for her to free him, she gets dangerously close and fires a cutting curse at the branch Malfoy is resting on. The branch gives way and the boy falls to the ground. Seeing the tree starting to move again, she banishes him away from the tree even as she runs away from the tree in a different direction.
As Poppy runs up less than a minute behind her, someone hands her a potion which she downs without looking at it. A burst of energy goes through her, and her exhaustion melts away. Though she's still out of breath, and she knows she'll feel it in the morning. Looking around she sees Harry standing next to her with concern written on his face.
She looks over to where Poppy is casting diagnostics on Mr Malfoy as she stands up, "He's a lucky young man. He's got a couple of days stay in the hospital wing with a dose of skelegrow, apart from that it's just bruising."
Minerva sags in relief, "Thank Merlin for small favours, he was about to be hit in the head like a beaters bat when I froze the tree."
Poppy nods gravely, "At best he'd have been laid up in St Mungos while they rebuilt his skull."
She didn't finish the rest of that statement as both of them knew what the other option was, and he'd make the third death by Whomping Willow since it was planted in the 70's. "I'm going to take the children back to the stadium and find out what happened. Can you ask the house elves to send out some hot chocolate.
The first of the hot chocolate had just been delivered when Rolanda flies into the stadium. Minerva goes over to talk to her, at which point Rolanda starts, "What happened? I had to chase after Mr Weasley, and when I caught up to him, he plowed into the end of the table as the broom came to a perfect stop by his normal seating spot. Stupid git gave himself a concussion, so by the time I got him to the hospital wing Poppy was gone. She just got back in with Malfoy."
"I haven't got the story yet, but from what I saw in my office Mr Potter was getting all the first years off their brooms. When he got to Mr Malfoy there was some sort of argument, and then Malfoy launched himself over to the whomping willow. Once I saw where he was going I got down here as fast as I could and managed to save him a trip to St Mungo's or the morgue. I asked Poppy to send out hot chocolate for the children."
"Fair enough, let's see what they have to say. Do you want to take the claws and snakes and I'll take the puffs and lions?"
"Sounds good."
It doesn't take them long to get a fairly coherent story of what happened. Once they do, they know they're going to have to involve Andromeda.
Once the children have finished their hot chocolate, Minerva helps Rolanda talk them through mounting and dismounting again. Then how to direct the broom, and the fact that it is driven by focus and intent not physical movements. They also reiterate that it is impossible to fall off the broom as you can't let go with your wand hand until both feet are on the floor. Apart from needing to help a few children who can't get their brooms to lift off the floor, most of the children take to the skies very easily. Even for those whose fears wouldn't let their broom take off, it doesn't take long to overcome their nervousness from both Ron and Draco coming a cropper. By the end of the lesson they are all happily flying from one goal to the other. Even with a Ravenclaw testing the claim that it's impossible to fall off, followed by both male Gryffindors. The lesson is very much a success.
In the last 5 minutes of the lesson, Rolanda asks Harry to demonstrate the difference between his higher end broom compared to the brooms they've been training on. As harry becomes a tiny dot in the sky on his rocket broom in the time that it's taken Rolanda to reach the top of the stadium, it becomes clear to everyone that these brooms really are ideal for training. Rolanda promises that in the next lesson they will cover the more traditional brooms.
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Lucius Malfoy walks into the Hospital wing, his cane tapping a counter rhythm to the wooden heels on his shoes. He hides a sneer as he sees the spawn of his loins lying on a hospital bed in a dreamless sleep. Madam Pomphrey looks up from her desk when he comes to a halt at the end of the bed. He watches out of the corner of his eye as she summons a House Elf and speaks quietly to it. He contemplates the conversation he had with his wife before he left and shakes his head. It's clear that they have spoilt Draco, he has the manner and bearing of a pureblood noble, but none of the attitude. It's clear that if he ended up here, it's because he tried to do something that would get him noticed and failed.
He looks up at the sound of people entering, and Madam Pomphrey leaves her desk as well.
"What happened?" he says softly.
Madam Hooch and Deputy Headmistress McGonagall both outline the events of the afternoon, both what they saw and what they were told after the event. He shakes his head wondering what got into his son. When Andromeda tells him what happened at breakfast that morning, he understands why his son did what he did. Everything that he's been able to ferret out about Potter says that he shouldn't be as politically savvy as he appears to be. It's likely to be the Greengrass bint, as Duncan's been grooming her to be his heir since she was 4. Only not only did she disgrace her family by getting sorted into Slytherin, she's also made herself politically untouchable by getting a phoenix familiar. Potter must have discovered a hidden colony somewhere, and is introducing trusted people to them.
"Where did the brooms come from?"
Andromeda shakes her head, "They were a donation to the school."
"Who donated them."
"Why does it matter?"
"I wish to know who I need to ruin."
She has the chutzpah to laugh when he says that, "There's the little firstie I remember from school. I'll warn you now, they're playing in a much bigger pool than you."
"I still want to know who it is."
Minerva intercedes, "As a board member, that is your right. Once I get a letter with your signature and seal I will release the information to you."
"You'll have it by morning." He walks out the room smartly, his cane tapping a staccato rhythm that belays the irritation hidden by his calm exterior. Maybe it's time to have that contraceptive implant removed.
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The four staff members watch his receding back as the door closes.
"What was all that about?" Minerva asks of Andromeda.
"Harry Potter, though he doesn't know that yet. What? It's not hard to figure out that something's going on with Hufflepuff when the most social house is suddenly no longer present during most evenings. Add in how many of them are suddenly having trouble with the power of their spells and it's clear something's going on. The fact that only 2 or 3 members of my house have worked it out says a lot about how much damage the pureblood recruitment and then Severus did to the house. Then there's the new brooms that are enchanted using techniques I've never come across before."
She looks surprised by their surprise, "What, you didn't expect me to not look at the brooms once my quidditch team complained that they didn't have bristles. I also know what they're modelled on, as I did marry a muggleborn. So I did a bit of diagnostics, and the runes on the inside are written in no alphabet I've ever come across. That tells me that they're not from any known magical nation. Given that I'm fairly sure that Atlantis hasn't been rediscovered, that leaves only one outlandish explanation that even survives Occam's razor. Given that I can't see Pomona having anything to do with Demons or Spirits, there is only one explanation that fits. There is another world or realm that the Hufflepuffs can get to. I would imagine that Harry was the first one to go there. Given how close they are, he either took Hermione before school, or met her there. The rest of them only start showing deviances after the school has started. Well, how am I doing?" – As Minerva stands there with her mouth open, Andromeda continues – "Then there is the mysterious L that you keep talking about in a way that suggests that's her name rather than you trying to preserve her privacy."
She then laughs, "There's a reason why I was considered the most scary of my sisters, and why I married Ted when I did, don't worry I'm not going to share it around. But I'll probably be approaching Pomona once the Hufflepuffs are back to normal. Oh, yes, they will go back to normal. They are almost as good at subtle as Slytherin are. Just you watch, by Christmas most of the house will be back in the school and doing their thing as normal, you'll just see a few absent at a time."