Hey everyone,
This chapter is going to be a ton of fun. To be honest, I was a little wondering on how I should continue after the way I ended the last chapter as it made me feel like I had blocked myself from writing on and that was mostly because I didn't want to do the Owl Post chapter just yet, but I didn't know what else to do.
Yet then I reread the last chapter and when I read that it had been Irma's version that Fudge and Amelia heard, did I think: "Of course, I'll just write a chapter on how the Gang and the Squad experience Hogwarts. Why didn't I think of that before?" And to be honest, I really don't know why this chapter came out this late.
Anyway, have fun,

Venquine1990


Chapter 24
The Squad – Part 01

3rd of November 1993
Hogwarts School
Jeremy's POV

Being the leader of a group of people who have never fit in with anyone in their own community of citizens has always made me feel as if my friends, Mss. Rosie and I are just a community within a community and that has always driven me to make sure my friends are safe and that they all have tons and tons of fun.
Then Harry came to us when he was 16 and practically begged us to remain down under until we heard some kind of news that would prove that it would be safe for us to come out of hiding. He told us to do what his parents failed and promised we would all be together and close again once he was sure his life was safe again.

And while Harry was one of the youngest in our group, did we still listen to him as he knew the Magical World and the influence it could have on our lives, even in the Muggle World and so, with help of Isaac did I build an underground safe house near a spot where Aunt Rosie would often pass on her daily routine.
This allowed the woman to constantly bring us stuff we would need to survive while hidden underground and while we actually needed to create an extra room for the sake of the Twins, was even this extra bit of hollow ground never found by anyone; not by Death Eaters and Dementors that started roaming or our horrid guardians.
And then disaster struck as one day, just when we were on the lookout for Aunt Rosie and her usual shipment of supplies, did we actually see her get surrounded by Dark Wizards before she fought them off long enough for her to run away from us, thus drawing attention away from our hiding place and getting killed in return for it.

This had practically broken us and the next few months we had survived on nothing but each other's presence as well as the abilities of Rosaline and Irma and then, at the start of July, Harry had come back to us, yet he had looked an emotional wreck regardless of the fact that he and his friends had managed to win the war.
We had taken the boy into our safe house and kept him there for some time more so he could have someplace safe to grieve over all the losses he had to suffer and during this, we discovered just what our little friend had gone through; and all of it was enough to make me feel sure I had just grown my first few grey hairs.

"And yet, we're now a good three years before all goes to hell in a handbasket and at the same time I feel as if we are just on the brink of those horrible events repeating themselves. And if Harry loses Sirius this time round – there is no way he will mentally survive that, let alone the twins losing their actual birth father."
This makes me sigh, the idea of either Sirius or Remus dying making a shiver run down my spine and making me glad I am lying here, near the boat house as the stone surface that is the ground around it is made of solid rock, the power beneath them helping me feel strong and with the ability to keep things together for myself and others.
"You okay, son?" I suddenly hear a sophisticated voice ask and I look to my side where I see my actual father or mother standing with a worried smile on his face and he says: "There is no way that can be comfortable to lie on." Yet I answer: "I'm an Earth Elemental." And the man retorts: "And I stand corrected."

Yet the calm way with which he says this makes me smile before I slam my fist against the rock to my side, causing for the few rocks on my side to move up and form a rugged looking chair, the man besides me sitting down on it with a grateful smile, yet I can easily sense that he feels a bit uncomfortable seated on it.
"You can scalp it if you want to, you know." I tell him and he smiles at me guiltily before waving his wand, taking the edges out of the rocks, but not actually changing much of the chair itself before I decide to just keep up with this honest kind of conversation and ask: "So, should I call you mum or dad or what?"
And the man laughs again as he says: "Mum and your father would skin you alive if he heard you ask me that, you being his son or not." To which I can't help but ask: "Was he really as much a jerk as we read him to be? I mean, he set thirteen year old teenagers on an essay dedicated to recognizing and killing werewolves."

And the man sighs as he says: "To be honest, yes. As a teen, he was like that. But – he always had good reason and, as he grew up, he grew to develop reasons to just forget about those reasons and to grow out of that behavior. If I recall correctly, he started that shortly after his fourth year Halloween feast – my third actually."
This makes me look back at the sky above me and I ask: "What was he like? After he got those reasons and grew up, I mean." And the man answers: "He could still be like that, don't get me wrong, but it would only be if you pushed him too far. In fact, before I got kidnapped, it only happened twice and that was after graduation."

Here I feel like asking about these two times, yet I can almost sense that the man really doesn't want to think back to those two times and instead I ask: "How did you get kidnapped?" And the man sighs as he says: "I was stupid, son. I was stupid, Sirius was hyped – and it all just went from bad to worse. And in the end, I lost it all."
This worries me and I ask: "You lost it all as in you lost your temper or –." But the man shakes his head and says: "I was the first to be kidnapped, Jeremy. And I knew from the start that Pettigrew had made my disappearance look like me dying. To then see my friends – one at a time – arrive as well; it made me fear for my brother.
It was just utter torture to constantly see him lose friends without actually see him know that he was losing friends to kidnap instead of death and just the knowledge that he believed us all dead; I won't deny it, Jeremy, it is a true miracle that we all held it together for the past twelve years." At this I cringe and I ask:

"Considering where I came from, do you – do you think – do you think any of you –." Here the man sighs and says: "I can't say for sure if all of us would still be in that doll house in the time line you came from, son, but I can tell you that, if Pettigrew ever pulled that stunt again in the future – it would probably have broken me."
And here I just do what I want to do most and I get up from where I'm lying, use my power to expand the width of the chair and cuddle with the man that birthed me, mum hugging me close and cuddling me against him; neither of us really needing to speak, yet both of us offering and taking as much comfort from each other as possible.

Isaac's POV

It really is beneficial sometimes to be the one person that is often forgotten about by the others around you; especially if you make sure that they just ignore your very presence by your own actions and consistent silence. It allows you to fade into the background and see things that others might not want you to see them do.
This in itself had been my power against bullies for the longest time while growing up – even when I became part of the Gang now Squad – yet now I feel it can make sure I can help exactly those who need it as I could tell who of the shocked people around me were having trouble accepting all of these constant changes to their past.

The problem? One of them seems to be the actual father of my leader and the fact that the man is against the idea of having a family is something I have a lot of trouble with myself as my friends and I have always wanted to change our crappy guardians for people who actually care for us and want us as a part of their lives.
"And now Jeremy and Jason might be saddled up with a parent that wants them as much as they wanted that drug-addicted woman. Yet, why does his partner seem to constantly look at Harry with so much desire and then at Lily with questioning eyes? What could possibly be behind those looks? And what is their link with Lily Lupin?"

"Oh." I hear a voice suddenly say and I look up from where I am gazing out at the top layer of bookshelves in the simple, small section of the Hogwarts Library that I was able to find and looking down from the slightly upraised ledge that I am on, do I smile as I actually see my sister looking at me in shock as she says:
"I – I've never seen anyone find this place other than me. How – how did you?" And I shrug as I say: "Those who are easily overlooked easily find easily overlooked places and things. This section of the library is no exception." And this makes the girl smile before I swing my leg back inside the room and slide off the ledge.
My sister's eyes widen, yet I swing my arm a little and the metal plate that most of the shelves are set on expands to the side and then grows into bubble form, the strong shape and sturdy strength of it easily catching my fall and while the whole thing is made of metal, does it deflate as if air is slowly escaping its rotund form.

"Those powers are so amazing." I hear my sister mutter and I say: "They were practically all we had to entertain ourselves with for most of the last few years." Here the girl turns sad and says: "I – I just can't imagine what it could have been like. Having to leave even your families behind, just to go down under with your friends."
Yet here I shake my head and say: "I know it might be hard for you to accept this, sis, but we only gave up on despicable guardians for the sake of the protection of our actual family. And if Harry were any less of the wizard he had been, he would have probably been right there with us, entertaining us with shadow wall images and all."

"When did Harry learn he could do all that anyway? I – I've never seen him do any of it. And why did he hide it from us? Do you know?" At which I sigh in pain and say: "I do, sis. It's because, after he found out he was a wizard, he found out that all of our guardians were wizards as well and their reactions – to our powers – scared him.
They made him believe that all wizards would respond like that and then he experienced firsthand how badly that stupid title had affected the minds and opinions of others in regards to him and he was just terrified. Terrified that, if he were to behave any other way than they wanted, that they would treat him like our guardians treated us.
And I know he doesn't believe us, but many of us always believed that he got to live with the easiest set of disgustingly bad guardians we had back in Privet Drive. Yet he always believed the opposite was true and so – he hid himself. First his powers, then his level of intelligence and – well, over the years, he just – changed."

This seems to really hurt my sister and I give her a one-armed embrace as she softly asks me: "What was he like? The last time you guys saw him, I mean. Before – before you send you all back here." At this I sigh as I have no doubt that the girl will hate to hear my answer, yet not wanting to start off my bond with her on the wrong foot.
"If I tell you, will you help me uncover a mystery I found that I don't get?" The girl nods and I turn my face away from her as I say: "He was – borderline death. And I don't mean he was using Dark Magic or using his Shadow powers for killing others; I mean his behavior. It was practically a dead version of what we knew of him.
It was – it was as if the war had managed to do all that the Dursleys had tried doing for all those years and – and that didn't even surprise me, because he had apparently given his heart to a lot of people who he had lost in that war and – Harry might not know it, but when he gives his heart to someone, he also gives a bit of his magic."
This shocks my sister and she asks: "So every time one of those people died?" And I nod as I say: "A part of Harry died with them. But then, Hermione, but then. Then the books appeared and with them, it looked as if Harry had gotten back all parts of his magic; all parts of him. And that's why we came; to honor that return of him to being himself."

This makes my sister smile at me in relieved gratitude before I decide to just distract her and I ask: "So, why do you think Mr. Regulus was so often looking first at Harry with desire and then at Mrs. Lily with a gaze as if he is asking her for something to agree with him on?" And the girl hums before she says:
"You know, I might have a theory on that." To which I ask: "Already? Damn, you think fast, sis." Making her smile at me before she says: "We all thought Sirius was Harry's godfather, right? But he is actually Harry's dad. So doesn't that make it possible that Lily and Regulus are his godparents?" And instantly I feel kind of stupid.

Elena's POV

"Is there a reason you're not with Draco and your parents right now?" A snobby female voice asks me as I am sitting at the edge of the huge lake on the grounds, hidden by several trees and a few bits of forage and using a single hand to freeze a bit of the water's surface and then calling the ice back and I look up at the person talking.
The person is one of the girls my brother was sitting with for most of the reading and just the fact that she is standing beside me with her chest heaved up, her hands in her hips and her whole demeanor looking as if she is superior to me, makes me hum before I focus back on my easy little practice as I carelessly tell her:
"It's not the first family I've lived with who prefers a distant treatment over otherwise. They didn't show effort to me that they care for my sister or I, so I won't show effort in caring either. I have my family, they have theirs." To this the girl glares at me and asks: "And the fact that you are technically the Main Heir of the Family?"

Yet I shrug again and say: "I am Muggle raised and just by looking at you, I can tell that they don't like that fact either. So be your snobby self and rejoice the fact that I am withholding them the humiliation of having to live with that fact." And the girl splutters at my answer as I calmly focus back on the growing ice.
"How could you care so little about your own parents?" The girl shrieks and I answer: "First of all, volume. I'm not even two feet away here, thank you. Second off, I didn't get chosen for the Ice Elemental ability without reason. It became my saving grace and I am not against the idea of history repeating itself like that.

Like I told you before. I have my family and they have theirs.""So you would rather have some Muggle filth over your own father?" The girl snarls at me, yet I roll my eyes and say: "Family doesn't have to equal blood, you know." Yet the girl seems to only believe that this further confirms her question and I groan as I stand up.
I then turn to her yet at the same time release some of my hold over my powers, making it so that the area around us turns colder and so that the grass, leafs, bushes and a few of the trees around us turn to ice and the girl finally seems to realize that I am not someone she can dominate as she starts to shiver before I tell her:
"First of, little girl, learn to recognize your betters instead of thinking you can dominate everyone, even those clearly older and more experienced than you yourself. Second of, that after the last two days you still haven't realized that I mean the Gang now known as the Squad when I say family is your problem, not mine."
And with that do I move past her shivering form, the ice around us defrosting and everything turning back to its autumn state of windy looking trees, brown and green leafs and bushes and grass that look on the verge of wilting and just when I am far enough away that she can still hear me, do I say: "Just remember, winter is coming."

Rosaline's POV

"Hogwarts is amazing!" Is my most common thought as I am lying on the ground next to the suspension bridge that connects the grounds to the castle and my hands are deeply buried into several small bushes that are around me, yet through their roots have I been able to actually mentally explore all of the grounds.
And just feeling all of that flora that surrounds this entire castle as well as actually feeling all of the crazy magical plants that are grown by the Groundskeeper and the Herbology teacher fill me with a humongous boost of excited energy and that makes it very hard for me to focus on my desire to explore the rest of the forest.
Yet at the same time I can also somewhat sense those that pass over all these great bits of landscape and nature and while some of these feel quite familiar – students and teachers enjoying their time off – do others make me feel excited and intrigued – such as a centaur herd – and again others make me feel scared and worried.
"Something of Hagrid's size with the power of an angry Irma and with the hunger of a pack of starved lions? What is that doing this close to a school? And does anyone even know that it's heading for Hogsmeade right this instant? What should I do? What if no one knows that thing even exists? What if they don't believe me?"

These thoughts make it hard for me to keep hold on my powers and to keep them from transferring into all of the land around me and have it respond to my fearful emotions and then a curious voice asks: "Are – are you okay?" And I gasp as I look up, actually seeing my younger brother looking down at my in shy concern.
This makes me sigh in relief and I ask: "Are – are you close to any of the teachers, Neville?" And the boy shrugs as he says: "Professor Sprout and I are usually on first name basis when not in class. Why?" And I stand up as I say: "I need you to help back up the claim I am about to make. A life may be on the line here."
This shocks my brother, yet he still dashes after me as I head for the Greenhouses, having already sensed that the woman herself is there with a few older students and when we arrive, does my brother take the word and with confusion lacing his words, he says: "Ehm Professor, we – we may have a – a problem – I think?"

And this worries me as it doesn't sound as if even Neville believes me and after she makes the other students leave, does the woman prove me why my brother is on first name base with her as she asks: "Did you sense Pettigrew somewhere in the forest?" And I shake my head, yet feel grateful for her taking me seriously as I say:
"I was indeed scouring the forest with my Elemental Talent, mostly because being around so much stone might be beneficial to Jeremy, but I usually need some kind of nature touch more often than I got in the last few days. But while I didn't find Pettigrew – did I still find something very, very concerning, Professor."
"What did you sense, dear?" The woman ask and I sigh as I say: "I – I can't be entirely sure as I can never really define something I have never sensed before, but I do know three things. It is Hagrid's size, it has the predatory state of a pride of starved lions – and it was heading for Hogsmeade as Neville found me."

The Herbology teacher looks shocked and she asks: "Is there anything you can do about it?" But I shake my head and say: "I learned long ago not to use my powers if I don't know the exact shape and size of what I am facing. So unless I can get face to face with it, I just wouldn't dare to risk trying to catch it – and then instead –."
Here I stop, yet the woman nods and while Neville is now white with worry, does the woman then shock me as she speaks into thin air and says: "Lebby, transport us to the front of the Three Broomsticks." And with a popping sound do I feel my body getting transported with the same speed as it takes me to blink.

I shake my head in shock at this, yet then look around and see that we are in the middle of the village, the town itself looking gorgeously quant and rustic, yet the minute I spot a slightly withering sparse tree do I rush over and put my palm flat against it, focusing on its roots and the connection it has with all the flora around it.
Like this do I expand my senses to all of the outer borders of the village and instantly I sense the forest covering the entire left side of the village. Yet while this makes me fear that I might be too late, do I then gasp as I sense the horrid beast drag something very familiar away from the far west of the village and instantly I shout:
"I know where it is!" Before I pull my hand from the bark, only to move my arm down to where the roots are and one of them pushes itself out of the cobbled path. I jump on it and while using my power to make it expand in length, do I use this vine to dash through the town at a speed that neither Neville nor the Professor can follow.

I reach the outskirt of the village and quickly switch between the root and several low hanging vines and branches and with the agility of a professional athlete, do I jump from branch to branch, using my power to make the branches extra springy and make the reach of the vines that I swing from be longer than they would usually be.
Yet with each branch and vine that I touch, do I send a sound wave through them and into the ground, using its second long reach into the ground to scan the forest floor below me for this horrid beast and finally I find it passing just below me, making me summersault backwards and jump off the branch I was on to land in front of it.

And the sight of the beast I have been sensing this entire time shocks and even scares me. White eyes proving that the beast is practically blind, pincers the size of my arm, legs that are longer than some of the elder years and hairier than Hagrid's beard and a body that looks to be aging quite badly, yet also quite fit for its old age.
"An Accromantula. Who in their right mind – HAS HAGRID LOST IT?" Goes through my mind, yet then I get another shock that shocks me back to the situation at hand as the beast clicks its pincers and actually speaks: "Another snack walks into my web. This must be my lucky day. My children will definitely feed well tonight."
"This thing has kids? I am definitely introducing Hagrid to some bleeding Poison Ivy when I get back." Goes through my mind and I then notice how one of its legs is actually placed against its body, making me turn a glare at the beast and hiss: "Let that person go if you don't want to experience Nature's madness."

Yet the beast seems to really believe its own statement over mine as it clicks its pincers in a creepy sounding laugh before it hisses: "Oh silly, silly human. I managed to trick that friend of Hagrid into ridding me of my only enemy and now – I am the forest's madness." Yet I just still glare at it and softly tell it:
"No, you're not." And before the beast can do more than hiss do I spread my arms and then cross them over my chest, calling on all of my power and causing for all of the trees that surround the beast to bend over backwards and create a cage around the beast, some of their branches actually cleaving through the beast.

Yet because of the bend leg, did I make sure to keep a firm control over which branches to use for splicing through the huge beast and which to bend away and after hearing the beast screeching one last time in a pitiful manner, do I hear two thudding sounds, making me retract my arms and cause for the trees to straighten back out.
And as I do, do I wince as I see the dead, bleeding beast, yet not the person it had caught anywhere and so, with a soft stomp on the floor, do I make a tree root give a strong enough push to the beast from down below to make it be pushed over and instantly I see the poor soul it had captured for its kids to feed on.

"Note to self, remember that Hagrid needs to be punished for allowing this beast to breed." Goes through my mind as I move over to the poor younger looking girl who is covered from head to foot in the beast's web and the girl herself seems petrified with fear as her whole body is stiff with fear, yet her eyes move constantly.
They then focus on me and I smile at her as I whisper: "I'm going to get you out of there. Just hold still, okay?" And the girl nods slightly before, keeping my hand just high enough it doesn't get stuck in the sticky hold of the web, I let my hand pass over the web, before smiling and sweeping my hand back in mirror direction.
And as I do, does the nature of the web move along with my sweeping arm and does it release its captive from its hold, the girl herself gasping in relieved shock as she moves out of the net and I slowly help her back to her feet, just when Neville and Professor Sprout come rushing at us from the bushes ahead.
The young girl flinches at this, yet I focus on the ground near me and force it to grow a simple little flower before plucking the flower and while my powers keep the flower alive and fragrant, do I move it into the little girl's hair, the scent of the flower calming the girl down before I whisper: "Come on, let's get you home."
The girl still trembles, yet she nods and while Professor Sprout and Neville seem shocked beyond words to see the dead Accromantula and while I remember what it said about one of Hagrid's friends killing its natural enemy, do we guide the poor little thing – that can't be older than maybe six at max – back out of the forest.

Hey everyone,
So, that is part one of the Squad spending time at Hogwarts and I will be honest: giving them the chance to have these conversations with those close to them – or in the case of Elena, not at all – and have these small mini adventures was really fun to write about, especially because I wasn't quite sure what I wanted them to do.
Now, I am sure you are wondering why I am not adding people like James, Sirius, Lily, Remus and the rest and the reason behind that is because – other than Regulus seeking out his son – the Gang will each be the ones to seek out their respective parents and when it comes to Iris and Molly – that might not go too well.
Oh heck,

Venquine1990