As the Village Elder and shop owner's children, Socrates and Lydia had helped their father run the inn ever since they had learned how to walk and talk, each of them bringing their own unique character in the establishment, balancing their father's moody, silent demeanor.
Lydia loved to mingle with the guests and hear their stories from their homelands, serve them and listen to all the incredible things they had to tell her, especially after a few portions of spiced goat's milk and honey wine served with milk pies and the sea's daily offerings caught by Atalian fishermen.
Socrates on the other hand kept wishing for someone to invite him on what he considered a "worthwhile conversation". In sixteen years, it had yet to happen.
This humid and warm early August morning was no different. Felix walked through the busy cobblestone grey and white streets, short and tall white and blue coloured buildings around him, descending towards the village's main square. He stood under a trigonal sail strung with silk ribbons from one terrace across another providing shade, taking in the scents emanating from a perfume shop mixing with the bakery's next door, packed narrowly between the perfumes shop and a magical games shop. "Felix", the bakery's owner, a plump man named Stelios, with a long black and white hair and beard greeted him. "The usual?"
Felix nodded with a smile. The man turned his head without moving to stand from his chair where he sat under the shade. The light play from the sun and sea above them made his face seem rougher than it actually was for a man in his fifties. "Irma!" He shouted to someone inside the store. "Two honey cake slices and two coffees straight no sugar lots of milk!" Felix tossed the man some silver coins and took the step to the open pass next to the windowpane displaying the bakery's many delicacies.
Waiting for his order he leaned his shoulder on the building's supporting column, with his back on the display case, his eyes fell on the mirror on one of the bakery's two inner walls. It was not often he saw himself in a mirror, he seldomly felt the need for it, but as of late he liked what he saw. Reflected on the mirror was a teenager on the cusp of adulthood, his body changing from adolescent baby fat to a leaner yet muscularly toned version, what with all the Quidditch practice and physical training during his private tutoring with Professor Jordan. In the last month and a half he had gone through a growth spurt now reaching just short of one hundred and eighty centimeters tall, with his face narrowing and becoming more oval-shaped with higher-cheekbones, he made eye contact with himself and his cyan-gray eyes under thin brows and between a relatively round nose. It was a new thing for Felix to feel this much carefree, something he had only felt during his Cornish summers with Charles before and something that had come crashing down when Azrail had murdered his cousin at the end of their third Hogwarts' year.
A bored-looking House-Elf wearing a white apron and hat came sluggishly towards him giving him a bag with his order, the smell of freshly baked dough and coffee breaking his reverie.
"Hello Irma, you do look dashing today, and what a glorious morning it is, here beneath the waves." The elf looked at him with the same unchanged face, unimpressed by his swimming trunks, shirtless torso or towel over his shoulder, or by his sunglasses placed on his forehead.
"Piss off boy, I'm in my eighties, I don't look any better today than I looked yesterday", Irma replied unamused.
"Irma doesn't believe in kindness", George the bakery owner laughed.
"Piss off George, the kid's kind, I'm not and you are a good asshole. I bake shit that's what I do, my pleasure is people eating my shit", Irma the quirky House-Elf walked slowly back inside.
Felix couldn't help but laugh at the Elf's sewer of a mouth. He waved goodbye and left for his destination.
Ten minutes later he entered the inn, walking over to Socrates serving a customer.
"Chaíre, Socrates, kaliméra", Felix gave Socrates' shoulders a swat and squeeze.
"Chaíre, Felix my friend, good morning", Socrates shook hands with him before walking over to the employee behind the counter for the next order, setting the tray down on the bench.
"Need help?" Socrates seemed lethargic in his movements.
"Indeed, but not with serving customers. I need some stimulating conversation", Socrates had a unique way of whining without appearing to do so.
"Bored, are you?" Felix cracked a grin, amused at his friend's insatiable need for scholarly discussion.
"Undoubtedly, father's left and I've no one to talk to", Felix still felt awkward of the man, even after four weeks of stay with them. He had a constant never ceasing feeling of being observed, scrutinized and judged by the bulky man. So, part of him was always at peace when Andronikos was not around.
"You do have, you are in a tavern and an inn, cherish the small talk with people you consider "simple", Socrates, for it is honest", Felix told his friend, taking a seat on one of the stools facing the bench.
"And if it is not?", Socrates asked, waiting for the House-Elf employee to place the next order on the tray.
"Learn to differentiate it", Felix shrugged, his hair having grown unkept under the Wareater's braid the last few weeks.
"Indeed, something to turn one's mind to for a fruitful passage of time. Ah! There see? I am already less bored by your presence!" Socrates cried in seeming elation of spirit and picked up the tray.
"Have you seen Lydia?" Felix smiled standing up.
"She's a sleepy head, as you know", Socrates replied, serving a couple witch and witch.
"That she is", Felix replied and picked up a second tray. "Serve it up, Rump", he told the House-Elf who went about placing glasses and plates full of food and beverage on it.
Felix helped with serving customers and chatting with them and Socrates until Andronikos arrived with bags from the fishmonger's.
"Father", Socrates acknowledged him with a nod.
"Good morning, sir", Felix felt the familiar awkwardness.
"Morning", Andronikos replied, scrutinizing the inn, his son and Felix with his piercing, unrelating blue-eyed gaze.
Felix served a bearded, bald, middle-aged wizard his cinnamon fermented coffee and goat cheese pie before setting the tray on the bench. "I've been meaning to thank you for having me here, sir, what with the Fidelius charm and all", he told the bulky, tall man timidly.
"When two friends ask you and you owe your life to one of them, you accept. Besides if I didn't, Lydia would have been absolutely insufferable, well into her adulthood if I hadn't…I guess she could have done worse….much", Andronikos replied cleaning up glasses with his hands.
"She could have done worse, indeed, father. Yet she could not have done better", Socrates told his father walking up to them.
Andronikos scoffed something inaudible. "Felix, the supplier brought liquids, go fill up the kegs in the cellar, please", he told him before turning his back on them.
Felix did as ordered, filling up the kegs in the cellar with beer, wine and other alcoholic beverages before slipping upstairs to Lydia's room where she was waking up under the sheets, the sun peaking in through the tidal teal curtains in the medium-sized room and her double, four-poster bed and an array of plush and stuffed animals lying about the room, desk and bed. Lydia no longer played with them but had not gotten rid of them either yet. The room was also full of scattered books, the ones Lydia loved reading over and over again and again, full of stories of faraway lands and heroines committing to heroic deeds.
"Morning", he smiled wide and warm at her, removing a tuft of hair from her face.
"Hey…morning", she replied placing a hand on his, intertwining their fingers together.
He bent down kissing her, wanting to get lost in her green sparkling pools looking at him. "Your father is…strangely okay with this", he lay next to her.
Lydia giggled turning to her side to face him. "When two different Headmasters and two different Ministers of Magic ask you, you can't really say no…" she snuggled up to him.
"I don't mean me coming over here for the summer under the Fidelius charm. You know what I mean", he told her tickling her ribs.
Springing to life with surprising agility for just having woken up she straddled him, forcing him on his back, his hands behind his head. "I most certainly do. What can I say, I guess I can be persuasive."
"Ain't no fury in hell worse than a woman's fury?" He cracked a mischievous smirk.
She brought her head closer to his. "Worse, Atalian teenage girl's wrath", she felt his breath near her neck and chin.
"Bellerophon was right, you Atalians are a peculiar bunch", he raised his head trying to meet hers.
"We like it that way", their lips now only inches apart, her long curly brown hair falling around their faces, as if isolating them from the outside world.
"You make for a compelling argument", Felix tried to stretch his neck more, needing to feel her lips on his, feeling her body on his and her scent wafting into his nostrils, intoxicating him to her and sending his teenage mind into overdrive.
"You've been spending too much time discussing with Socrates…and father", she pouted, grinding on him knowing full well the effect she had on him.
"I'm here now, and my time is yours as am I, do what you please with me", he replied feeling lightheaded, a feeling as familiar as constantly new and evolving.
Time well spent is time that flies, Felix had always this to be true and this summer was no exception as he stepped through the fireplace to the Headmistress' office with Professor Horsewood there to greet him.
"Welcome back, Felix. I can assume you've heard about Lilith and Bloodfang's escape from the Ministry?"
"Good morning ma'am. Yes, I read it in the Atalian inquirer day before yesterday. Expected unfortunately, even after everything that's happened, even after the destruction of the Ministries, the Ministry keeps underestimating Azrail", he replied dusting his school robes.
"You had a pleasant time, I'm guessing? With your friends rather than alone in Hogwarts?" She asked him with a smile.
Felix had to wonder if she was fishing for information, knew more than she was letting on or was genuinely asking out of interest. "Oh, yes ma'am. It was great!" He answered with perhaps more enthusiasm than he had meant to and a so-very-faint tint of crimson on his cheeks.
"Good, good. Hogwarts Express should be arriving later this afternoon and your trunk is at your dorm. Now, if you'll excuse me I have administering to do ahead of the start of term and kittens to herd, I mean Governors to get off my back. Good day", she walked over to her armchair behind her desk.
"I'll see you later, ma'am", Felix left the Headmistress office and headed over to the Hufflepuff common room and dorms.
A few hours later, the last of the year's carefree, Hogwarts Express came to a stop in Hogwarts' platform, under the setting sun.
The quiet platform echoed with the cacophony of students disembarking, stretching their legs and chatting up a storm, older years happy to be seeing the castle and their friends again, new year students ready and eager to start their Hogwarts experience.
Felix found Emerick and Claudia and Ethel and Uriel shortly after. After all the hugging, fist bumping, and greetings were exchanged they set off for the Thestral-ridden carriages. Once in the castle they made their way to the Great Hall to await the commencement of the start-of-the-year feast.
"You look…changed?" Claudia furrowed her eyebrows. "How was your third summer in Hogwarts?"
"Oh…erh…I didn't spend time in Hogwarts this summer, I was in Atali under the Fidelius charm, which is why I couldn't write to you guys", Felix replied with an attempt at a 'everything-is-normal' shrug.
"That makes sense now! I was mildly concerned when Erol the owl kept coming back without reply and my letters unread and unopened", Emerick exclaimed.
"I wasn't, I figured if you were dead or injured, Professor Horsewood would notify us", Claudia tried to act cool and unworried. "And the Daily Prophet would be running it day and night or something", she shrugged.
"Thanks, I guess?" Felix swallowed as Claudia turned her head making her hair flick away from her eyes.
"Sure, so why'd that make you feel uncomfortable? Telling us about it?" Claudia continued, clueless as to what Uriel, Ethel and Emerick had already ascertained already.
"Uuh…remember me telling you of my friends Socrates and his sister, Lydia? From Elysion?" Felix could feel himself blushing.
"Yeah?" Claudia asked, still unaware of what Felix was trying to be subtle about.
"Uhm well, Lydia and I….well, we had a thingy and uhm…nevermind, we should get inside", Felix rushed to enter the Great Hall, his cheeks blushing a deep crimson.
"What am I missing?" Claudia asked turning to Emerick and Uriel.
Ethel found it hard to reply as she was trying not to laugh as was Uriel choked on his own saliva from the effort.
Emerick on the other hand facepalmed hard enough to be heard across Scotland and all the way to London and back. "Seriously! Whatcha need? For him to spell it out for ya? They screwed like bunnies!" He burst laughing aloud. "Boy meets girl, girl likes boy, boy likes girl, one and one equals two! You know, bees and suc…ouch!" Emerick yelped as Claudia punched his shoulder harder than she had meant to.
"Sorry, let's go", she entered the Great Hall as if hunted by a hungry manticore.
When everyone had taken their seats, Professor Horsewood gave Professor Hudson a nod and he opened the Great Hall's doors again to let in the new first years to be sorted into their houses before the feast could start.
One by one they sat in the stool in front of the Professors' table, placed the Sorting Hat on their heads and were sorted into their Respective Houses, Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw or Slytherin. As with each year some students were excited for their House, others were disappointed or apprehensive and one or two looked downright ready to dissolve into tears or like they could take the world whole, absolutely beaming with excitement and self-confidence over the Hat's choice.
Felix was happy to be in Hogwarts again, this was the only real home he had, with Azrail destroying his home twice, once figuratively with Charles death during their third year and once literally last year when he had used Fiendfyre to burn his home in Hogsmeade down with his mother inside. His reply to Felix's declaration of war earlier that summer before the end of term.
He was happy to see his cousins again, Charles' younger brothers Alfred and William and his friends.
After the Sorting Hat had given its traditional start-of-year song and the Headmistress her speech they ate and drank their fill before the Prefects lead their respective Houses to their dorms.
A week later they went to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom waiting for Professor Jordan's temporary replacement to start the lesson.
The five of them sat at the front and left, as always, near the blackboard. Uriel was telling them something about his vacations in California when Professor Hudson entered the room and closing the door behind him walked to his desk. Silence fell in the classroom.
"Good morning, class", whatever the sixth-year class had expected him to say, this hadn't been it. "Mr. Burton, I can assume you had a pleasant summer?"
"Yes, sir", Felix replied, feeling peculiar with the class' eyes on him, jaws slacking.
"Close your jaws, you'll eat a fly", Felix whispered to Ethel and Claudia, trying not to laugh.
"We shall start our year by covering Inferius, who can tell me what that is? Anyone?" Professor Hudson asked them in an awkward moment, as if trying to decide something for himself, a change of course, for something seemed to had shaken him off his previous years' behaviour.
Some people raised their hands timidly, uncertain. Professor Hudson's eyes travelled across the classroom. "Yes, Mr. Burton", he said, Felix had not raised his hand.
"They are corpses, dead bodies that have been bewitched to do a Dark wizard's bidding, sir", Felix answered.
"Good, ten points to Hufflepuff", Professor Hudson replied eliciting more peculiar looks for Felix.
"Inferi cannot survive light or fire. Magical fires will exterminate them in an instant, while ordinary fires will burn them out slowly. Inferi are mindless, consciousnessless dead creatures who are reanimated by a necromancer dark wizard or witch to fight. They need no sleep, no food or water, they understand no fear nor pain and won't stop until they are either…well, dead or successful in their Master's bidding. Pray you never come head to head with one and if you do, two tips. If you are alone use fiendfyre or hellfire wall. If you are in a crowded area go with igneous and take aim at their heads, blow their heads off", the sounds of quills scratching away at parchment filled the classroom as students took notes from Professor Hudson's lecture and their books.
It was a strange feeling for the students of Hogwarts not to hate Professor Hudson's class, even if as a replacement for someone else, yet when Defense Against the Dark Arts finished and they started to exit the classroom that's what they felt, that it had been a not-so-unpleasant lesson.
Felix exited the classroom discussing other dark creatures they had to revise for this year's exams as well as NEWTs heading over to the Great Hall when Professor Marvey found them clad in her usual green robes and dark green pointed hat.
She stood opposite of Felix, now looking up at him his summer growth spurt having given him a full head of height over her.
Her black hair was let loose behind her, running down her back and trailing her robes made her seem inhuman.
"Mr. Burton, come with me please, the International students exchange, students are about to arrive in the Great Hall", she told him pivoting on her heels.
"Oh, right! Thanks Professor, we were going there, seeing as Socrates is my friend", Professor Marvey seemed to not take notice of the subtle, venomous, sarcasm in his voice, and with an oddly satisfied smirk she begun to walk.
They followed her, Felix, Ethel, Uriel, Emerick and Claudia, down the Grand Staircase to the Great Hall.
Arriving in the Great Hall they stood behind the Headmistress and Professor Marvey, along with other students who were there to either pass the time or who were Mentors to the incoming international students.
"Form three lines, please", Professor Horsewood started telling those students who would be going to one of the three other international schools of magic, Elysion in Hellada, Uagadou in Uganda and Mahoutokoro in Japan. "You will each and one at a time touch one of the three school models in the stools in front of you. The models are portkeys and will transport you to your respective schools while bringing here a student from that school. While abroad always remember that you are not only representing yourselves and your families but Hogwarts as well, represent us with honour and dignity. You may start."
Students started walking up to the three models and touching them, row by row Hogwarts students vanished and students from the other three schools appeared.
"Miremba Namazzi!" Emerick cried full of excitement when a girl their age with skin shining like black alabaster and frizzy short hair caught in interwoven braids, wearing white and cyan robes, standing at Felix's height and width well refined edges and curves came through the Uagadou portkey model. Felix thought she had the most striking hazel eyes he had ever seen, yet he could not decide if her face was oval-shaped or trigonal, but he did think she could easily scare anyone if she desired to.
"Everyone, Miremba Namazzi, Miremba, Ethel, Claudia, Uriel and F…", Emerick started introducing them to her but she had her eyes fixed on Felix, with an austere look about her.
"Felix Burton or Dreogan Gaunt, half-brother to the White Raven", she interrupted Emerick completing his sentence.
"It's Felix and not by any choice of mine", he extended his hand out. "You must be from Uagadou."
"Indeed, and most likely the only person who hates Bloodfang more than us", Emerick said matter-of-factly.
"I desire to bathe in his blood", came Miremba's reply eliciting choked laughter from Ethel and Uriel, as she shook Felix's hand.
"Oh, I like you, welcome to the gang", Felix cracked a wide grin.
"You are as Emerick said, I like you too", she gave a nod with her unsmiling face. Just then Socrates popped in out of thin air in front of the Elysion model.
"So, this is Hogwarts. I like the ceiling, enchanted to display the outside weather?" He mused to himself more than anyone else, as the bright sun's rays came through the enchanted ceiling and windows.
"Socrates! Chaíre friend!" Felix run to him, embracing him, then cross shaking their hands in Elysion custom. "How is everyone?"
"Chaíre file, everyone is fine. Lydia sends her regards, Bellerophon has attained an almost single-minded determination in training with his father to be ready when you, his brother-in-arms, call for his aid. Romanos, Euredeke and Marios send their greetings", Socrates replied, his eyes taking in his new surroundings hungrily.
"Grand. Socrates, this is Claudia, Emerick, Uriel, Ethel and Miremba Namazzi from Uagadou."
Socrates' eyes inspected everyone but stayed on Claudia, making her fidget uncomfortably.
"Most enchanted. I am certain your consciousness is as beautiful as your eyes, they remind me the deep blue sea", he told her taking her hand in his and bringing it to his lips.
Claudia blushed a heavy crimson. "Th-thanks. I've heard a lot about you. We all have."
"Nice to meet you, Felix has told us a lot about you and Elysion indeed", Emerick shook his hand, followed by Ethel and Uriel. Miremba kept her distance.
"Felix does make interesting friends", Ethel chuckled.
"Likewise, likewise, friends of Felix. So, are you my Mentor?" Socrates turned his eyes to his friend.
"I did apply for it, but I do not know…"
"No, he is not. Mrs. Joymother is. I thought she'd be perfect for you", Professor Marvey told them as if she had waited for this moment her whole life, with a gleeful, self-satisfied smile.
The Great Hall reverberated with Felix's loud laughter as he supported his weight on Socrates and Claudia a hand in each shoulder. "Oh, you are being serious, Professor. Do you like Anneke? Because I don't think she can handle this Hellena", Felix wiped the tears from his eyes, trying to settle down his lungs from the intense laughter.
"Anything you can do, I can do better", Anneke said standing next to Professor Marvey, her hands crossed in front of her torso.
"Socrates, my friend you know how in Elysion everyone knows you by now and interrupt your vocalized thoughts? Go wild", Felix could barely contain himself from bursting into laughter again as he slapped his friend's shoulder followed by a squeeze.
"An interesting turn of events, we'll see how long before they either shutdown philosophy's greatness, or attempt something original for a change, to embrace it", Socrates replied, feeling inquisitive.
"Philosophy? We're wizard-folk", Anneke stated as if she had been asked to kiss a Dementor.
"I wonder if you would desire to elaborate on those most unoriginal thoughts of yours?" Socrates asked her. Claudia could not tell if he was genuinely curious about it or if this was a prelude to anger.
"Oh, this is going to be funny to watch", Felix mused.
"Later, now people need to be sorted into their temporary Houses", Professor Marvey cut them off short.
She took the exchange program students to the far end of the room, in front of the Professors' table where the Sorting Hat lay on its stool.
One by one the new people sat and followed the same procedure first year students had done ever since Hogwarts had been founded in the tenth century AD. Socrates was sorted into Ravenclaw and Miremba into Gryffindor.
"Poor Ravenclaws…" Felix muttered to himself.
After the sorting was done Anneke found Socrates. "Come, I'll show you around, Come on I don't have all day."
"Most interesting, what have you to do. One would think classes are finished for the day", Socrates asked her with his inquisitive voice.
"Kill small animals, probably", Claudia whispered so that only Uriel and Felix heard her.
"Mind if we tag along? Seeing as Socrates and I are best friends?" Felix asked her with as neutral a voice as he could muster.
"Wouldn't have had it any other way, my friend", Socrates replied for her.
"Sorry, I just remembered, I must go feed my owl", she tried to leave.
"Ya don't got one! You have a toad", Felix laughed.
"Most fascinating, I wonder do you lie because you are bored of the task assigned to you, or is it fear? Most interesting psychological reactions, troubling for you, yet interesting for us to digest, comprehend and interpret. How is your relationship with yourself? Can you introspect to clarify, please?" Claudia laughed, and Felix definitely didn't hide his glee as the other three didn't know whether to cringe or laugh.
"You are dangerous!" Anneke left in a hurry.
"To ignorance only, I assure you. And those who would deem it a valid idea to attempt harm on those I care most passionately about", Socrates raised his voice more than he had to.
"I agree on both", Claudia stated, her Italian-English accent getting the better of her.
"Perhaps we could dive deeper into this subject later", Socrates told her, not so much as a question but as a statement.
"Indoubtedly", they smiled at each other.
"Looks like your "Mentor" has bailed on you, come I'll show you around", Felix motioned him with a nod.
"You are my Mentor, despite what that Professor might think. You are in more ways than one", Socrates stated following him out of the Great Hall.