Chapter Four
Common Ground
When Eric came for lunch on Sunday, things had progressed a great deal. In fact, it had progressed enough that Severus was willing to walk him through a newly added Doorlift and into a large empty room that had nothing added but a few sconces and a purple and gold lined carpet running down the center towards two large doors. On either side was a tall pair of marble statues symbolic of the Hogwarts Guard, wearing ceremonial robes and having a wand on their belt while holding a pair of slender swords crossing each other in an arch over the doors.
"Ah, I haven't seen these before... sixteenth century by the look of it, considering the style of robes and dress," Eric said with appreciation.
"Yes, it was in the lower level with some basic security functions on it, gathering dust," Severus replied. "Janus kindly helped me update them to current standards; they'll be acting as the door guards for the wing. With the doors as wide and as large as they are, it was a more practical choice for guards without taking out the doors themselves. As many changes we need to make to this wing, I'd rather not make any unnecessary ones if I can help it. Change has a way of stirring things up in this castle in very dramatic ways, and besides, I would like to do this with respect to the wing's original function."
"Yes, I see," Eric said, then with thin, knowing smile. "Is she awake yet?"
"I don't know," Severus admitted with annoyance. "I keep checking, but so far she seems to be sleeping. Still, I've thought she was sleeping before only to find out that she'd been meddling for months. After a thousand years, Dusthorn has gotten quite adept at 'shamming' sleep."
"I wouldn't doubt it," Eric agreed with a chuckle. "And I also find it highly unlikely that such a painting would be able to sleep through this big of a change in the castle."
"I don't suppose you'd like to be headmaster for a year?" Severus suggested.
"No, thank you. I'm the Dean of St. James now, didn't you hear?" Eric reminded him.
"Ah, yes. Not retiring from the board, are you?" Severus frowned.
"No, my friend. I think you need as much support as you can get right now, and a board friendly to all of the changes that are about to come your way," Eric replied. "In confidence, Severus, I'm surprised it took this long for you to add a new house. St. James has eight houses now with much fewer students than what you've been managing here, and it started with four as well. Yet when the population boom hit, you decided to extend the original houses rather than deal with the politics involved. Admit it, Severus. It was the politics of this holding you back."
"And tradition," Severus said defensively, but Eric chuckled again.
"Severus, when have you ever let tradition stop you from doing what is best from the school? Well before you sat in the big chair, you fought for change in spite of tradition, knowing full well that holding on to old values did nothing but cause the school to fester. It allowed students to adopt the prejudices of their parents and extended the Terrors into these hallowed halls," Eric reminded him. "You know better than anyone what comes of that, especially after dancing with darkness and nearly succumbing to it more times than I can count. You can acknowledge the past without glorifying values that no are no longer acceptable in today's world. It is alright to let go of traditions that no longer represent the best interests of this school, provided that you do not bury the reasons why things have changed or neglect to teach the students... in context... how things were back then. As I stand before these doors, I feel a ripple of energy running through me and a feeling of hope and anticipation for how this school is going to evolve," Eric murmured, Severus gazing at him intently. "In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the next decade will be a defining time in your career as headmaster of this school. You've spent that last fifteen years getting comfortable with this role, and you've come a very long way from those first few years when you despised this job," he added with amusement. "Hermione, I grant you, has mentioned just how overdue this was, and that the school should have added new houses years ago, especially now that you have a much larger faculty that can support it. But I think things come at the proper time, when we're ready to meet the challenge. Just remember, come what may, that facing the past head on and regarding it with an honest, critical eye will always be the best way to honor it. Glorifying it does it no service."
"Fortunately, my History teachers already firmly believe that, Eric," Severus pointed out.
"A good start," Eric acknowledged with a nod and a smile. "Now you simply need to make sure the rest of the faculty understands it as well. Teaching, after all, is the best way to promote change, as well as provide an opportunity to let students make their feelings known; by allowing them to take things to the next level. Seeing this taking shape serves as confirmation that this school is moving in the right direction," he said. "Shall we go in?"
"'Welcome, to the next house of Hogwarts,'" Severus recited, and the doors opened inwards so they could step into common room.
The first thing that Eric noticed was just how nice it was to walk in side-by-side with room to spare. Under their feet was an enormous purple carpet just a couple of hues lighter than royal purple, but rich in tone with golden flecks that swirled in a complex, almost floral pattern. The right side of the room had a row of perpendicular windows with fine tracery at the top, with the lower section comprised of plain diamond panes of glass broken up with the occasional frosted pane as a form of simple decoration. It was a style that betrayed that the wing was a later add-on, thirteenth or fourteenth century, Eric mused, glancing at the stonework and barrel ceilings as confirmation. Other than the windows that kept the room well lit during the day, large iron chandeliers dangled on long chains, their charmed oil lanterns and polished iron betraying the fact that they were just installed, but of a style that complemented the iron sconces and candelabras recently polished and probably original to the wing.
Near the windows stood a pair of bookshelves as tall as the ones in Ravenclaw (and likely out of their storage), which Boulderdash was busy filling with reference books, some of which were still piled on two carts he had brought up from the library. Next to him were freshly polished oak tables and chairs, as well as a couple of comfortable gold upholstered chairs that looked suspiciously like the ones from Gryffindor with the red runners that had been dyed purple. The rest of the sofas and chairs had off-white coverlets with simple purple embroidery, tightly tucked into place. In fact, Jennifer was currently using her wand to tighten all the coverlets to hide the different colored upholstery underneath after borrowing them from all of the other houses. She was chatting with Zoe Black, who was covering the central pillars with purple banners that matched the drapes that hung on either end, meant to soften the appearance of the stark windows rather than to serve any other purpose. On the far wall was a series of mismatched doors where Anna, Ambrose, and Sirius were hanging up paintings with tapestries in between them. John was busy prepping the doors, apparently getting ready to stain them so that they were a bit closer in color.
"Ah! Well done!" Eric said, the acoustics echoing so that everyone looked up with a smile. "To see such a thing come together in such a short time is amazing, and I'm impressed with your clever use of your resources to get it serviceable," he added with amusement.
"Yes, they have been doing a splendid job of it," Severus agreed. "The carpet itself is particularly clever, since it is merely a sample that Zoe brought; she was able to enlarge it to serve until we could have one made for the room proper."
"I thought the weave looked a bit thin," Eric admitted with amusement. "But I do like the design. It looks to be of a goblin pattern, doesn't it?"
"Yes," Severus acknowledged reluctantly, realizing it hinted to Eric just how much it was going to cost to have it made. Fortunately, Anna walked over, temporarily distracting Eric from the conversation.
"Ah, Anna! I hear you've volunteered to take on the challenge of this new house," Eric said.
"What can I say? I have a soft spot for rebels," Anna admitted. Eric looked back at Sirius, who smirked despite not looking away from his work.
"I believe that goes without saying," Eric confirmed with a chuckle. "But rest assured, you have my full support on this new addition to Hogwarts. If possible, I would love to get a weekly update on how things are progressing, Severus."
"Yes, of course," Severus replied.
"Can I ask how other members of the board feel about this?" Anna asked, wondering what sort of heat Eric was taking.
"I haven't spoken to all of them yet, only Minerva and Norman thus far," Eric admitted. "The rest I'll see Monday at the board meeting just as Severus will. But I can say that Minerva is quite supportive, and Norman more begrudgingly so, knowing the sorts of challenges the school has had in recent years with the four traditional houses and overcrowding. In fact, once everyone has a good look at the school's bylaws and realizes our hands are tied on the matter, I'm certain they'll be more interested in how to budget for it. And since that will involve an abundance of petty squabbling and little else, I would say that you have little to worry about when it comes to the board. It is traditional alumni that you will need to be wary of," he added, his expression suddenly serious.
"Yes, that is to be expected," Severus agreed, Eric nodding at that before smiling once more.
"As for the budget, my advice is to bring strong proposals for fundraisers straight away, Severus, to help buffer against the infighting that will come in those meetings either way," Eric said. He gestured towards Boulderdash who had already been looking in their direction, then over at Sirius, who had gotten down off the ladder and was looking over as well. "Sirius, Boulderdash, if you don't mind a short chat... Severus may be a good headmaster, but as such, he does like to downplay the raw numbers. I know he asks you to fiddle with them on occasion, Boulderdash, since you're acting as the school accountant. Surely now that the two of you have had a weekend to look the wing over, you have some idea what it's going to cost to renovate it." The two of them glanced at each other, and Sirius pulled out a scroll with the early figures. Eric sighed when he saw it.
"As steep as this is, I'm sure this is just for the common room. What about the rest of the wing? It should be brought up to be an equal standard as the other four houses," Eric said firmly.
"That would be difficult to do, Eric," Boulderdash warned. "A great deal of masonry needs to be repaired and even refacing done to add windows to make it livable, not to mention that this wing is a great deal larger than the Knights tower, as well as the other house quarters."
"We could repurpose part of the lower level for other purposes. All of that doesn't need to be developed," Severus ventured.
"He has a point," Sirius agreed. "If we refurbished this level, then added the lower level just up to the Key Tower, the rest of the space could be rerouted back to the third floor for services, storage, or even extra classrooms."
"Key Tower?" Severus repeated critically.
"Yeah, that's what Harry called it. Hermione escorted him through after breakfast when he got curious about it and they were reminiscing about finding the Stone. He calls the room with the trap door the Fluffy Room," Sirius added with amusement.
"The 'Fluffy Room'," Severus repeated, even less impressed about that nickname than he was with the Key Tower.
"We are planning on incorporating half of that room into this Common Room over the summer, and open the rest of the room to meet up with the main corridor. It'll actually be cheaper to extend the room and add a spiral staircase to replace the trap door than it would be to build a new entry point to the lower level," Sirius explained. "It's included in the estimate I handed you already."
"I see. And what sort of fundraising proposal should I expect at the board meeting tomorrow?" Eric inquired. Anna glanced between them when everyone got quiet.
"I think we ought to do a donation auction like we did for repairing the castle after the potion lab blew," Anna offered. Severus resisted the urge to groan.
"Yes, an auction!" Jennifer said so enthusiastically that Severus gave her a dirty look. "As long as I don't have to be the one to organize it this time."
"Hang on, as school accountant, I'm going to be stuck organizing it," Boulderdash realized.
"Then get some of your seventh year business majors to help assist," Jennifer suggested, Boulderdash pondering that.
"Not a bad idea," Boulderdash admitted with a grunt.
"You know, a good half of the budget for the Potion Room was having to reinforce the castle's foundation, not to mention that we had to restore the missing masonry and rebuild the staircase," Sirius pointed out, glancing at his numbers. "If we raised anywhere close to the same amount as we did then, it would be enough to finish the Common Room and add enough windows to the upper level that even Jennifer would be happy."
"You would have to turn the entire wing into a greenhouse," Severus said evenly, and Jennifer made a face at Severus behind Eric's back. "I will approve an auction on one condition; there will be no anonymous bidders or absentee hands allowed. In person bidders only; and I want advance notice of anything particularly questionable, and nothing at all tied to either of the Terror Wars. If we're going to do this again, let's fix the mistakes of the last one, shall we?"
"Good idea," Anna agreed readily.
"I can't wait to see what marvelous items show up this time," Eric said with amusement. "Thank you for showing me your progress. I hope I you don't mind if I call again to check on your progress on other occasions."
"Of course," Severus replied, escorting them back towards the Doorlift as the two of them began discussing the board meeting and conjecturing some of the members responses.
"What do you think he meant by wanting to check up on us?" Boulderdash wanted to know suspiciously. "I take it that the board doesn't think swe're capable of doing it on our own."
"It's not that, Boulderdash," Jennifer said reassured him with a smile. "It's simply that this is such a momentous change for the school that he wants to be apart of it. He is quite sincere when he says that he wants to help us out in any way that he can."
"I wouldn't mind a bit of help myself," John hinted. "You did say you wanted the students in here after dinner, as I recall."
"Sorry, John. I'll come over and help you speed up the curing process," Sirius offered, going back over to the doors to the dorm rooms while everyone else went back to what they were doing.
Sunday had been almost a repeat for Saturday for the new house, spending the morning doing some of their homework before meeting outside for more football practice. A lot more students were outside practicing, but they were only able to negotiate for half of the pitch, making some last minute changes and decisions to their lineup before finally coming in for dinner. With most of the faculty still gone for the weekend, there was little ceremony at the table, the food appearing the moment the last of them sat down.
"Well, even if I didn't make the team, I certainly had a lot of fun this weekend, both yesterday with the Owls, and today on our own," Pippa said.
"You're not sore about not making the team, are you, Pippa?" Quintin asked with a frown.
"No, not really. It gives me a chance to do other things. There are so many interesting clubs out there, and I don't want the mistake of doing so many that I can't get my homework done," Pippa explained.
"Good point," Oscar said. "I want to join the Bridal Club!" he added enthusiastically.
"Now, there's a surprise for you," Jeremy said after being on the listening end of one of Oscar's one-sided rambles about horses.
"Do you suppose they let first years join?" Oscar asked Quintin.
"I don't think any of the clubs are restricted, Oscar, except you need permission to join the Auror Club and you have to be twelve by the end of the year for Quidditch," Quintin replied.
"I guess I can't do that either, then, since my birthday is in the summer," Oscar decided, and then raised his hand when he noticed Professor Anna Black and Headmaster Snape approaching the table.
"Yes, Oscar? My, that's a lot of sugar on your plate," Anna observed with a frown.
"No, not really, just carrot cake and pumpkin tarts and rhubarb cobbler, it's all vegetables, see? Anyway, can first years join the Bridal Club? And do they have horses? And can I write home and send for my saddle?"
"Apparently I'm going to need to speak to the kitchen staff about what his parents mean by 'letting him have a choice in vegetables,'" Anna relayed to Snape.
"Yes, I can plainly see that. You know, Professor Black, as his advisor, you do have some say on whether you feel any student has the time for partaking in clubs. Might I suggest that you make it a condition that he maintain his diet if he wants to stay in the Bridal Club?" Snape suggested.
"I think that's a good idea too," Anna agreed, and Oscar's face fell, especially when he looked down at his plate to see that his 'vegetables' had been replaced with steamed carrots and mashed pumpkin. Oscar propped his head up with his hand.
"Elbows off the table," Snape told him, and he reluctantly put it down. "Now, if you don't mind giving us your attention for a moment, your advisor has something to announce," he informed them, and the few students who weren't watching the exchange looked up curiously.
"Once all of you are done eating, I want you to gather in front of the Great Hall so that we can escort you up to your house rooms," Anna said.
"I'm done," Oscar said, attempting to get up only to find that he seemed to be attached to the bench.
"Not until you've finished what's on your plate," Snape informed him.
"Does that mean we're going to get to sleep in real beds tonight?" Pete asked hopefully.
"Yes, your trunks have already been moved out of the Gym and I have your room assignments," Anna replied, getting an approving response from all of the students sitting there. "That said, a lot of these rooms are temporary and rushed, including everything in your new Common Room, since we had to put this together over three days. So, if anything comes up as far as maintenance and functionality, or if you have any suggestions or complaints about problems you run into with the rooms, talk to me or Mr. Tinker. If it's an emergency like water pipes or something, go straight to Mr. Carnegie. Anything having to do with security, speak to the Sirius Black painting next to the dorm rooms so that we can take care of it as quickly as possible."
"Isn't that a part of a diptych? Is the painting of Aunt Anna and Samantha still at the Black Mansion?" Quintin asked.
"What are you talking about?" Pete wanted to know. Professor Snape sighed with exasperation.
"Mr. Snape, whether or not particular paintings are added to Hogwarts, even temporarily, they are classified security matters that we don't discuss it with students," Snape said firmly. "And please refer to professors by their formal titles while in this school, regardless of family affiliation."
"Yes, sir. Sorry," Quintin said ruefully.
"Very well, shall we head out?" Snape asked Anna.
"See you outside when you're finished with your dinner," Anna said to the students, and the two of them walked to the front.
Quintin began to hurry in an attempt to get out there first, hoping to get a quick word with his father. But Oscar was out there in three minutes and seventeen seconds, followed my Jeremy at four minutes and forty-nine. Seeing no point now to hurry, Quintin finished his dinner and got up, walking out with Curt Darwin and Filmore Castle , both mates of his from Hogsmeade Primary. Four and a quarter minutes later, the rest of them were out there waiting as well. Anna took a moment to double check by counting heads, then smiled.
"Looks like we're ready," Anna announced.
"Very well. The easiest way will be from the main stairs, up to the first floor," Snape explained, leading the way. "We are going what used to be the Guard Wing and Armory. You may have noticed it jetting from the outside just above the hospital wing, along with its responding bulwark and tower. Other than a time or two where it has been used for security reasons, the area has never been developed due to the expense it would take to do so, ironically enough," he said dryly. "But because of security features already in the area, it was a place we could convert quickly, rather than somewhere it might take several weeks if not months to make certain it met current safety standards for student housing. Please do not explore past the common room or the four doors leading to the witch and wizard dormitories and baths. That includes both the lower level and the doors beyond the common room, since it will be under construction. They will more than likely be closed all year if not all next summer, since funding will need to be acquired for adequate improvements to those areas," he explained, leading them up the stairs.
Students going to Ravenclaw and Gryffindor found themselves on landings, waiting as the new house students were led straight up to the correct floor and down a wide but dim corridor with sconces that lit up brightly as they approached. They looked curiously at the grated trap door, which had construction ropes surrounding it on on all sides making them split and meet on the other side. That was when they found themselves in front a two impressive statues on either side of tall wooden double doors.
"'Welcome, to the next house of Hogwarts,'" the Headmaster said, and the doors opened. The students were immediately awed as they entered to look around. Just inside, Professor Craw was waiting to catch those first glimpses as they came in to inspect the common room. They wandered around in every direction, trying out the chairs and looking at the book corner and the beautiful windows with interest.
"This room is enormous! How is it heated?" Pete wondered.
"Huh, I guess you have a point. There's no obvious fireplace in here," Quintin said.
"Yes, as I explained before, there is still a great deal left to do," Snape replied. "The fireplace in the adjacent room will be extended into this one as soon as it's feasible, but we have temporary heating devices installed for occasions when the room's charms aren't enough to suffice. Your rooms all have individual stoves, so you'll find them comfortable enough."
"Can we see them now?" Jeremy asked.
"I have your room assignments right here," Anna said, pulling a clipboard from where it was hanging on the announcements board and opening a set of doors. "When I call your name, I'll give you a room number, and you can go in and find it. Your trunks are already there. Cander?"
That was when Quintin realized she was going to go in alphabetical order and sighed, estimating that he had another minute to wander around. He spent time looking at the portrait of his two parents sitting side by side in the Craw Library, guarding the large doors bolted in the back. Perhaps they were there to keep the students snooping around the door, he mused, then heard his name called.
"Room five on this side, Quintin," Anna said with a smile.
"Thank you," Quintin said and stepped into the corridor. On either side were doors with different numbers on them, most of them already open as students explored their rooms and negotiated with the dorm mates over who was going to sleep where. Quintin peered into the first one, and could tell from the stonework and the open window that it was in a different part of the castle. Curiously he peered in the next room as well, which seemed to be close in location to the first one. But when he got to the third door, he immediately noticed that it was in another part of the castle entirely. The view out that window was familiar to him, since it seemed to be near the Ravenclaw Tower.
Finally he walked over to door number five, but it hadn't been opened yet. Quintin tried the handle and it opened at his touch, and the moment he looked in, he couldn't help but stare. Then he laughed out of relief.
"What's so funny?" Jeremy asked, peering out of the room across from his curiously.
"This is my room," Quintin explained with a smile, stepping in to let Ebony out of his cage.
"Hey, it is!" Jeremy agreed, stepping in. "You lucky stiff! Getting to stay in your own room and all! "Hey, what's this extra door for?" he pondered, going over to the one near his bookshelf and stared at a small sign. "'Emergency Use Only'," he read.
"That's my father's way of being subtle," Quintin said. "It probably goes to their rooms, but I'll probably get in trouble if I use it for anything other than an emergency."
"So exactly like the Doorlift," Jeremy ventured.
"Right," Quintin agreed. "To be honest, after they made me sleep in a bag with the rest of you, I was convinced they were going to make me stay in one of the regular dorm rooms," he admitted. "Not sore that I'm back in my own room, are you?"
"If you had gotten to stay in your own room when we were stuck in the Gym, I would have been sore," Jeremy told him bluntly. "But now, no. It only makes sense when you're already living here. And as long as you let me come in and study to beg snacks and things at night, I'm perfectly happy with it."
"Thanks, Jeremy," Quintin smiled. "Shall we see what Ebony thinks of the Common Room?"
"You're going to lose him, or he's going to explore somewhere you can't go," Jeremy said.
"As long as he understands where my room is, I don't think it'll be a problem," Quintin decided, putting Ebony down on the threshold so he could get a good smell and look at the place.
Pretty soon they managed to lead him into the common room, and a number of students fussed over him until deciding to get their own familiars out. Anna walked over and used an iron bar to open the transom windows so that the owls could get in, and they spent some time letting their familiars get to know the common room and making themselves at home as well, testing the chairs and sofas and looking through the books. Quintin took the time to look at the announcement board, frowning a moment when he glanced at his classes and then confirming it with the schedule in his pocket.
"What's wrong?" Anna asked when she noticed it.
"Oh, nothing... I just realized we have Potions at First Bell on Mondays and Wednesdays," Quintin said.
"So?" Anna asked.
"It means we probably have Doctor Arcadia. Mum never teaches first or second year classes during First Bell," Quintin concluded.
"Good deduction," Anna replied with a grin. "I guess Professor Weasley was so busy getting all of your schedules worked out that she didn't have time to put the teacher's names by them. She did an amazing job getting it together that quick. In fact, after spending the entire weekend in here, I can say that everyone has been working overtime to make sure all of you get settled so that you can finally get a good night's sleep."
"Yes, I know. Thanks, Aunt Anna. Professor Black, I mean..."
"Hang on, let's take a poll," Anna said, standing up. "Hey, a show of hands, who in here knows who Quintin is related to?" she asked, and everyone's hands went up. "Okay, who in here cares if he slips up and calls me Aunt Anna or if Oscar calls me grandmother?" Nobody's hands went up. "Motion passed! While we're in the houserooms, we'll skip the formalities. In here, everyone can call me Anna, or by relative name if it applies. But when we go out those doors, we're back to the headmaster's rules on decorum, so do your best to try to remember it," she told them.
"Can I say something?" Pete asked.
"I did say we could skip the formalities," Anna agreed.
"You don't look old enough to be Oscar's grandmother," Pete said bluntly.
"Pete, you and I are going to get along just fine," Anna informed him, and Quintin chuckled softly at that.
"One other question," Libby Martin said. "What's with all of the gold in the décor? Is that our second color, then?"
"Jennifer Craw and Zoe Black picked it just because the two colors complement each other. There aren't many colors that play nice with purple, so it was simply a matter of making the fabrics in the room work. You can still change it to whatever you want."
"I don't mind gold, but isn't Gryffindor always using it?" Quintin asked.
"Quintin, a lot of schools that use a housing system end up using some of the same colors, they just use them in different combinations," Anna pointed out, gazing at the carpet thoughtfully. "Black might work if you don't like gold," she suggested. Quintin immediately made a look of distaste.
"I think that color combination would be too dark for this house," Quintin protested, Anna smiling thinly at that. "We are... we are... what are we?" he said, everyone currently in the Common Room was looking at him intently now, and Quintin remembered something Anna said earlier. "Rebels?"
"How about, not afraid to question the status quo?" Anna suggested.
"Not afraid to think outside of the box?" Jeremy rephrased.
"And good luck keeping us in it," Oscar added as he attempted to hold a squirming Ebony who was attempting to get away to explore.
"Creative," Pippa offered, intentionally pulling up some of the chair covers to show off the rainbow of chairs underneath. "But in an adaptive, ingenuous sort of way."
"And first and foremost, accepting," Quintin said firmly. "Everyone from every house deserves we respect and anyone can be a hidden friend. We don't judge and we don't hold grudges."
"I don't like that part! It makes us sound all wishy washy!" Pete complained.
"On the contrary, it's a challenge," Quintin said. "A few weeks living in this castle will prove to you just how much of a challenge it is."
"It definitely sounds like you have some solid ideas already on what you stand for," Anna agreed. "But it's early days yet with plenty of room to grow. Let's wait to the end of the term to finalize those ideas and put them in a more cohesive form. After all, once it's decided, everyone who comes after you has to live with it."
"I'm totally in favor of waiting," Pete said, thinking how much about how he wanted Quintin to change his mind about the last part. "But I don't mind the purple and gold thing."
"Yeah, I'm good with that too," Libby agreed.
"Anything's better than the purple and black idea," Virginia Clark said.
"Alright. We'll go ahead and finalize that," Anna agreed, then suggested they go study before bed.
