Here the next chapter, I'm very motivated with this story so don't be surprised if the next chapter is posted quickly.
-Nice smile, miss Granger.
Hermione blushed bright red face to Robin's remark. With Luffy, Robin was the only one who had noticed her teeth. Was it because it was Chopper who had arranged them after the curse Draco had thrown?
-Yes, misses Patil?
Everyone turned around to see Padma and Parvati, who had raised their hand together. The twin shared a glance and Parvati let the Ravenclaw talk.
-Mrs…
-Miss, corrected Robin with a chuckle.
-Miss… seeing as the Four Wizard Tournament make us be around so many pirates, would you accept to talk about them? I know that you said you would do it if we were good, but…
-It wouldn't be because of a certain someone from the Second float of Shirohige that you would like to learn more about us, would it?
Padma bowed her head, trying not to blush.
Robin had a small smile and came to lean above the desk of the twins.
-Let her go. It's a young woman who suffered a lot and succeed in building herself again against everything. To hold her back will only make her more bitter.
She straightened herself and went back to her desk.
-Seeing the numerous head of the Piracy we have here, and the marines, it would surely be interesting to make a lesson about the subject. Who would like that?
More than half the class raised their arm. Some excited, other, with more or less indifference.
And, big surprise, Luffy didn't raise his hand.
-You don't have any question? Neville asked him.
-Robin is my archeologist! If I want to know anything, I ask her on the occasion! It's cool to pass our evening on the deck listening to her talk about the past, after the diner!
-Stories under the stars, with Brook adding a musical touch sometimes, it's a pleasure, right, Robin laughed really.
Harry realized that the professor was stunning when she was laughing. But she seemed so sad most of the time, except when she was with the member of the crew…
The opening of a door pulled him out of his thoughts, and everyone could see Zoro in the entry.
-Hun? Robin? Said Zoro, clearly surprised to see her there.
-You have Transfiguration, I think, Zoro, smiled Robin as Luffy was on his chair, laughing hysterically. Sir Nicholas!
Nearly Headless Nick, who was floating around, passed through the wall to join the class.
-Would you have the goodness to accompagny this poor man to Minerva-san? Oh, and if you find the Mei-Ô on the way, tell him that a history lesson with a legend, is always enjoyed.
-But of course, my dear, assured the ghost bowing, keeping his hand on his neck to keep his head on place.
He gestured to Zoro who followed him grumbling something.
-I'm sure that he will find his way in the school, one day, said Hermione, positive.
-This day, Chopper will have found the remedy against stupidity, smiled Robin closing back the door from her desk.
Nobody saw a hand bloom on the wall beside the door and close it.
-Since we have two hours, let's work, smiled Robin. Seeing that you will find little source on the subject, you won't need to search for rubbish I could say, but I still want you to do some research on your side.
She sat on her desk and crossed her legs, leaving her robe on her chair.
One more remark on pirates. Few utilize Robe. When the weather was good, we could see Luffy leave his robes in the dormitory with the others. Since they wore the rest of the uniform (except the shoes for Luffy who was staying with his flip-flop), nobody said anything to them.
Today, Robin was wearing a purple ensemble with beautiful heels boots.
She smiled at them and said:
-To begin to tell you about pirates, I will tell you about the sea. Without the sea, there wouldn't be any pirates. You must have heard of some names like Thomas Cavendish, Matsura Katanobu, Richard Hawkins and others… Bartolomeu Português – Luffy tried not to laugh at the usual joke about Ace's name –, but the most known still are Samuel Bellamy, also called Black Sam, Edward Teach, also called Blackbeard, Anne Bonny, or even "Calico Jack" John Rackham. Even the name of this dear Eustass has a precedent… with William "Captain" Kidd! Of these men, some were wizards, other muggles. In the first crews, we notice that in the case of an accidental death of someone high ranked in the crew, the one who inherit of the post was usually a wizard. But there is ships where a full cohabitation of our two communities is possible. However, among them, only some put their feet on the Sea of all Perils…
She looked at each of the students with a small smile and asked:
-Who among you heard of the Grand Line?
Luffy raised his hand, making Robin giggle. The Golden Trio too, plus Bones, and, for the surprise of everyone, Zabini.
-What? He asked when he was stared at. My mother is from Water Seven.
-An amazing island, known for its carpenters and his Umi Ressha, approved Robin. One of the last islands before Shaboady and the Red Line.
Robin pointed her wand on the board and four names appeared.
-For those who know where to search, these four islands have what is called Magical anomalies, thing you don't see before your NEWTs, if you want to enter in the Department of Mysteries. These anomalies work as portals who lead toward a Cape, called the Twin Capes, which mark the entry of another Sea, the Grand Line. To explain to you in detail what this world on the other side is, is a little difficult, so, be attentive, please.
You could hear a pin drop in the room. Luffy smiled and leaned on his desk, arm crossed, shin on them. He noticed a move in the shadow telling him that Rayleigh was in the room to assist to the lesson.
-Image a cover boring holes covering the Earth. By some holes, bit of earth succeed in coming out. It's another type of anomaly and the worlds we know enter in contact, like if nothing ever happened, but, according to the side of the anomaly by which we reach these points of ground, what we will see won't be the same.
-Do you have an example? Asked Neville.
-Paris is a good example. We are, let say on the side A of the anomaly, so, Paris is the capital of France. But on side B, Paris became two island near each other who would be a part of a sea.
-But, and the pirates! Said Macmillian becoming impatient.
-Tss, tss,tss, the pirates are linked with the sea. If you don't know the sea, you can't pretend to know the pirates.
Ernie pouted and Robin came back to her explanation.
-Where on side A we have the Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean and the others… on the side B, it's simpler…
She waved her wand toward the board who presented a strange map.
-We have five principal seas. Four having the name of the cardinal points.
Another wave, and the names were posted on the map.
-Loguetown is an island off our coast. And you will see, here, she is seen as a lost island in a sea called East Blue. Dawn, off the coast of Brasil, one of the only point colonised by the British, is also part of the East Blue. Ohara end in the West Blue, when Paris land in the North Blue Baterilla, which is around the Canary Islands, is part of the South Blue.
New wave of her wand, and between the four Ocean, a thick line and full appeared.
-This is a mountain range called the Red Line. Think of the Equator, and you won't be far. She separate the four oceans in two group, South and West on one side, East and North on the other.
New wave, and a big piece was marked out on the map, crossing the Red Line in a perpendicular way.
-The Grand Line, breathed Zabini.
-Ten points to Slytherin. Do you want to place the Calm Belt and the Twin Cap?
Robin took out of her desk a chalk and gave it to Zabini, who hesitated before he stood up. He thickened the line limiting the wideness of the Grand Line, and erased a little of the Red Line at the junction of the four seas before putting a point
-Perfect. And thank you for marking the entry canals. You can go back to your seat. Knowing that the Twins Cap is on the Red Line and that it stay the entry to the Grand Line, can someone tell me what is shocking?
Huge silence. With just Luffy chuckling softly and Blaise trying to be forgotten
Rayleigh finally showed himself, making everyone jump:
-You're asking too much from them, Robin, it's a map in two dimensions, they can't visualize it!
-I was hoping from a stroke of genius, but I must ask too much, laughed softly Robin, not at all surprised. Since you're here, explain to them what should shock them.
-What you would have seen in a map showing a minimum of relief, it's that the canals are going through a mountain. To go into the Grand Line, you must go up these canals to the top of the mountain.
-But that's impossible! Exclaimed Hermione.
-After my first weeks on the Grand Line, I took my dictionary and crossed the word impossible in it.
-It's possible because of some currents who are the basis of the canals. But I'm no Nami, even less Marco-san or Yasei-kun to talk to you about navigation. Let's say that, if we calculate well, with the impulse given by the currents, we can go up the canal and find themselves at the Twin Cap. It's a this point that everyone who want to enter in the Grand Line pass.
-Wouldn't it be easier to pass directly there? Inquired a Ravenclaw showing the lines that Zabini had thickened.
-No. These zones there, are the Calm Belt, which are unsafe for navigation, even if the scientific advances of our marines friends begin to change things, pointed Robin. First thing is, we use very few motorboats. With the Magnetic fields of the Grand Line, if the instruments are too complex, they burn out. Second thing, there is what is called Kai-ô.
-The Kai-ô are sea monsters, explained Rayleigh joining Robin before her desk, sitting on a chair beside her. The squib in the lac is of the same size as the smallest specimens The waters of the Grand Line are full of them… but the particularity of the Calm Belt is that it's the area they chose to make their nest. The weather is stable, no wind, no current. What can we ask for more to make our nest?
Harry shivered remembering the monster they had seen the corpses, in the search for the Philosophal Stone.
-You see, what makes the Grand line interesting, it's his magnetic field. Each island has his. Seeing the distance between them, it is usual that, from an island to another, we find another language, or a style of life totally baffling, or an era which isn't ours. For example, Little Garden still has dinosaurs, Robin spoke.
A murmur traveled through the classroom.
-It's possible? Neville asked Luffy who was laughing hard.
-It was so fun! Luffy said having a blast. I was almost eaten by a dinosaur with a long neck! Ah, that's far, Little Garden!
-Very, yes, Robin nodded. Now, since you want stories of pirates, I will please you. For you, pirates are lawless people who ransack, kill and steal each islands and ships they cross path with, am I wrong?
The expression of the students told her that she was right.
-It's not exactly true Pirates aren't all like that. Some are more like this, that's true, for the others.. They mostly go from adventure to adventures, commented Rayleigh. Let's take the example of your teacher of Natural Magic. What do you know about him?
Hermione raised her hand.
-If it's you, young girl, you will have to tell the information in Japanese, dared Robin.
Hermione jumped from her chair, surprising everyone.
-Marco wa Shirohige Kaizokudan no Ichibantai Taishou to Shirohige no Fuku-senshou desu, sensei!
-Ten points to Gryffindor! Smiled Robin. To translate, your teacher is the first commander of the Whitebeard crew, and also his right-hand man. The crew has sixteen floats, with a commander for each. Whitebeard is what we call a Yonkou. I will come back on this word later. But you see, they're part of these pirates who aren't after anything in particular. They live their life on the seas, searching for adventures and interesting things. It's… a very big family who gather the excluded of our society… runaway slaves, prostitutes, thief, assassins… So long as the lives rules of the community on the ship are followed, you have your place with them. Under the flag of this man, you become his son or daughter. He even calls you so. If you are a pirate lambda on his ship, no matter your age, you will be a part of one of the sixteen floats. This float will be your siblings. The other members your cousins. Your commander your big brother, and the captain, your Father, or Oyaji as his men like to call him. We except from you that you respect everyone, and that you listen to your superior. Marco-san would be, even with the fact that there is older people on the ship, the aniki, the oldest son. Always on the right of the captain, always listening. Luffy, Ace being a commander…
-Ace, it's Fred and George as pirates. Always pulling pranks and being chased because he tried to steal something to eat in the kitchens. But when he has to be serious, he will put aside the childishness and he is here. As the second commander, he has authority on everyone, except Marco. During a mission, if there isn't Marco, he will be the one telling the plan of action.
-Can you tell us what charge are held against him that made he has a bounty?
-He has a bounty of five hundred fifty million berry, the money on the Blues and the Grand Line. Behind this, he is guilty of hold-ups, robbery, eat and run, forgery, escapes, destruction of goods and property, and murder of marines. The murder of other pirates isn't held by the government. Ace, in his carrier never killed any civilian. Never killed someone who surrendered once defeated. Those who died were trying to kill him or other members of his division, in spite of their defeated
-Thank you, Luffy. Aside that we have Eustass "Cap'tain" Kidd, a rising head of the new generation of pirates, who is known for his aggressive comportment and the fact he kills anyone mocking him. Civilian, pirate, or marine. No difference.
Robin stood up and began to walk slowly between the rows.
-See the Grand Line as a Survival tournament. Everything is against you. The sea, the weather, the elements, the people… if you don't fall sick, you can be eaten by a hungry Kai-ô. If you escape from the Kai-ô, you will be chased by the locals of an island on which you had the misfortune on putting a foot on. Regardless of your side, there will always be someone who will not like you and who will try to kill you.
Robin turned toward Rayleigh who understand what she wanted and talked:
-I was a student here, like you, some years ago, and I took to it like a duck to water. I had a good friend… a Gryffindor… we did a good number of dirty tricks. One day, we took advantage of a day out to Hogsmead to go away, together. We were fifteen, and we discovered the Grand Line. Roger decided this day that he would one day set sail and that he would put the world upside down.
Rayleigh had a small smile remembering this.
-In spite of my objection, I found myself, just out of Hogwarts, at his side, ready to explore the world. This guy was an idiot… very sincerely. I wanted to throw him in the sea more than once, and already at Hogwarts, it was like that. But as his first-mate, I lived a fantastic life. I didn't really had an objective, at this date, but for each island we met, during our travel, we found ourselves with a sort of quest, defy to take part, and extraordinary recompense to get. We may not have followed the laws, but we had fun. We lived life like we wanted to. One day, Roger told me he wanted to conquer the totality of the Grand Line. Nobody had succeeded in going to its end. We needed three years, but we did it. Just for this simple fact, Roger became the Pirate's King. The title didn't have a great importance, but he was happy. He liked to do things big… and he succeed. For once, even if I didn't want it, I found myself with a new nickname. From the simple Rayleigh of the Shadow, I became Silver, the Dark Lord. During our journey, we were attacked from everywhere. One time, I found myself with a blade on my neck because I had the bad luck of sitting on the favorite seat of the chief of an island that we saw. Without even searching a fight, it found us. And then, we had a mad man after us. I still wonder how he was named a prefect…
-Who? Asked Parvati.
-Monkey D. Garp. Were of the same year. Strangely, Roger and him never killed each other in the dormitory. He was at once our worst enemy and our best friend… a little hard to see, but it's the truth. This man is today a Hero of the Marine, an example, however, this old geezer never listen to anyone… When I think about it… Roger and him were very alike on a lot of point, and still, so different. Difference which exacerbated when Roger became a pirate and Garp went to Marine school.
-Thank you Ray-san.
-With pleasure, assured Rayleigh.
-As you can see now, and as you can see every day, the pirates aren't different from you. A pirate, it's someone who decided to reject something part of the society and to live in a way this aspect isn't a problem for him. Sometime, without any crime, it's the society itself which reject them. I will take the example of a young man, a muggleborn. Let's call him… John. John is born in a family of merchant on Anvil Island. Until the age of three, everything was alright. He had parents, a twin sister. One day, nobles came. They saw the women of the family, and became interested in them. The took them, and nobody did anything against it. We had no right to tell them that it was bad, after all, they were nobles. Some days later, staying alone with his father, John began to show sign of magic. Not wanting a monster like that, his father sold him as a slave. The little John was bought by what is called a Celestial Dragon, Tenryuubito, like we call them in Japanese, which is the language most used on the Grand Line. I talk of this with the fifth years, sorry.
She smiled a little and told the rest of the story:
-His new master had a lot of slaves… they were treated in way much worse than some house elves. A lot died after a few days. John was lucky. Even with the abuses and the violence… be it the abusive and foul words, the blows… or sexual abuses… he survived. He grew up with the voice of his asters telling him he was only garbage, an object, something that was there. He had no right. One day, a golden occasion show itself, and he succeed in running away, finding himself in a hostile field. There, he survived the best he could. He stole to cover himself and fulfill his stomach, he slept in squat or even in the street; He was assaulted more than once, but he survived… what do you think, would he have had a chance at a better life if he went to the authorities, or asked for sanctuary in an orphanage?
-If you ask, it's that the answer is no? Breathed out Harry.
Rayleigh cleaned the board and, with a clack of his fingers, made appear another picture.
-This is the symbol of the Tenryuubitos. The heel of the Celestial Dragon. All their slaves have this mark. If someone had seen the mark of the little John, he would have been sent right back to his master. Who would have most likely killed him in the worst way possible. The slaves don't have the right to have a will. They obey and that's all. A slave who rebel is punished. A slave who escape is tortured until death.
Rayleigh sat down.
-John wasn't even ten. He had never asked for anything. His father decided to sell him and he found himself in hell. John could have died more than once. But he survived. He could have turned very bad, hating people, and become a monster, Robin said. In a sense, for some, he became a monster… but not the sort we could except. He met Edward Newgate, who would become known sometime later under the name of Whitebeard. Newgate wanted a family. The treasures, he didn't care, and he still doesn't care. He saw John, wary. By mistake, he discovered his secret and saved him from being sold again as a slave. He took John with him, and raised him as a son, without a care that he was a slave or not. John grew up with him and became one of his man. It's a man liked by the crew, someone normal. He learned again what it was to be human with people accepting him. He still has a bounty on his head, that's true, but he can walk his head high and tell that he is human, where he wouldn't have the right staying in the society.
The silence in the room was heavy. Luffy had put his hat on to hide his face.
-A lot of pirates have a tragic story like that. They chose this path in hope of a better life.
-You too? Asked Hannah Abbot with hesitation.
-I was only eight that I was nicknamed the Demon Child, just because I wanted to know a little of history; I stole a wand and some books, to learn to master my powers, since I couldn't go to a school like you. Anywhere I went, the rare people who accepted to help me, betrayed me next. I heard, more than once, that I didn't have the right to live. I fought the best I could, in the hope of continuing to go on and solve the mystery that wiped my island off the map. One day, I put myself to the service of Sir Crocodile, a Shichibukai. The Shichibukai are pirates accepted by the Marine. Crocodile was one of them. Me, I needed him to advance a little more in my quest. For this, we needed to overthrow a kingdom, Alabasta. This Kingdom had a very brave princess. A little by chance, she crossed path with your comrade Luffy, and they became friend. Learning of the situation of the kingdom, almost in a civil war, Luffy decided to help her. You were what… ten?
-Shihihihi! Sniggered Luffy.
-They were six, without the princess. And together, they fought against the group of Crocodile, adults. Luffy beat Crocodile in a single fight. I decided to join the crew, curious about this small crew. Zoro had a little difficulty trusting me at this time. I had the intention to do like I always did: advance as much as I can, and leave them when they would hinder me. Luffy made me want to live when I had lost every hope to see my dream came true. Little by little, I integrated myself to the crew. I was the oldest, but, they didn't really act like children. Luffy and Usopp had to enter school the next year. Chopper, our doctor, went from building to building, during the school year, to deepen his knowledge in medicine. When we gathered together, we went through marvelous adventures… I think to name one at Skypiea, a sky island around Jaya. It was an epic discover. Then, on our way, we ended at Water Seven. Things didn't happen very well. The Government noticed I was fond of my crew. They gave me an ultimatum. Either they destroyed the crew, or I obeyed them and they would leave the crew continue their travel. Madame Bones. Can you cite the three major places of the World Government?
Susan took a pensive air and said:
-Enies Lobby, Impel Down, and Marine Ford?
-Exactly. Ten points to Hufflepuff. These three island are anomalies, too. Can you tell me what happened to Enies Lobby, four years ago?
-The island was destroyed, I think. I don't know more, sorry.
-That doesn't matter. I am the reason of this destruction. Luffy decided to come to pick me up personally. I will remember this all my life. Even with these circumstances, it's one of the more symbolic and happiest memory I have. It didn't import that he was a pirate or in the middle of the enemy side. He asked me to tell him that I wanted to live. And for the first time, I was authorized to say this wish. I wanted to live, go back to the sea with him and our crew… the island was destroyed, but we survived. We won and we still are here to say the tale.
More than one girl wiped their eyes in the room and a lot of guy looked at Luffy with admiration.
-I didn't do the work alone! My nakamas were there! Luffy smiled peacefully. Nobody go after them without making me angry.
-You see, Luffy-kun is a pirate, he has a bounty, a marine grandfather, and still, he stays simple and carefree. The pirates are complex, pointed Rayleigh. From what I know, this child like adventure more than anything else.