Hogwarts Secret Scandal
Chapter 2
Worst Shopping Spree Ever
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Sailor Moon. This is a request for Jay Fanficlover. As far as I know, Jay doesn't own them either. If either of us did, you'd see Harry Potter on a Sailor Moon episode.
This chapter will feature some of girls in Beaxbatons and Durmstrang.
Recap: Martina—Raye. Lavra—Lita. Angelica—Hotaru. Aimee—Ami.
Finally, it happened. The Ministry gave Professor Ogen, Martina's grandfather and new Durmstrang Headmaster to allow muggleborns in the school. It was of course Ogen's decision to accept whoever he wanted in Durmstrang but everyone was so used to Karkaroff's old ways. They didn't like muggleborns and most often even half-bloods in Durmstrang. But that all changed when Lord Voldemort came back to power and Karkaroff abandoned his students. The majority of the Durmstrang students were leaving anyway so it did not matter to them who the new Headmaster was going to be. But all the younger classmen where shocked. Was Karkaroff ever going to return to them? And if he wasn't, who would be their new Headmaster?
Irvin Ogen, already a teacher at Durmstrang jumped at the chance and took Karkaroff spot. Martina was so excited. She had never liked Karkaroff. He had a very dark side to him. Of course in public he put on a very nice show, making everyone believe he could be as polite as the nice guy. But one wrong move set him off. Nearly all of his students were scared to death of him and had good reason. Before Karkaroff was their headmaster he was a Death Eater. His hobby, job, career involved hunting people down, torturing and killing them. His boss was the most feared wizard in the world. Then when He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named lost power and fled, Karkaroff turned some of his old "coworkers" to the ministry.
Having betrayed his fellow Death Eaters Karkaroff went back to his home and became Headmaster of Durmstrang. Being sent to the principal's office was never good. Karkaroff would punish his students with the Crutacious Curse when they disobeyed the rules. Then he'd put memory charms on them so they wouldn't tell others what the Headmaster had done to them. He made the knowledge and secrets to the Dark Arts available to his students. Some of his students enjoyed this teaching and others hated it.
Martina Ogen was one of those students. She hated her old headmaster with a passion. She was one of the few that knew who he really was. Oh yes, Karkaroff tried to keep his being a Death Eater a secret but she knew. She had also been one of the unfortunate students that suffered under the Crutacious curse for a little rule breaking. She saw the evil look in his eyes and saw that hideous tattoo of a skull and snake on his arm. His memory charms only worked on her briefly and she would have dreams of what happened to her the previous day of her Headmaster—a man she should trust—torturing the hell out of her. He did not know that Martina Ogen had strong clairvoyant powers and they helped her learn the truth of Karkaroff. After learning this she told as many as she could but they didn't believe her. The other students had forgotten what they did to them.
One student did believe her and that was Lavra Molniya. She too was tortured many times. Lavra had a little anger problem and got into many fights. As a result, she came at the end of Headmaster Karkaroff's wand and felt the terrible pain of the Crutacious Curse. These girls were scared of what to do. They thought if they went to the other teachers Karkaroff would kill everyone. But Martina's grandfather was the History of Magic teacher there and when he what Karkaroff did to his granddaughter he confronted Karkaroff with other teachers and Martina's father—a ministry member—and told him that he would go back to Azkaban if didn't stop. As the teachers never witnessed or caught Karkaroff in the act they couldn't do anything there. But Martina's grandfather kept a close eye on Karkaroff as a result.
When Professor Ogen became the Headmaster, Martina was so excited and her whole view of Durmstrang changed. Lavra and other students were happy to get a much kinder Headmaster. Some were furious and wondered when Karkaroff would be coming back. It didn't matter. Professor Ogen was the new teacher and things were definitely going to change. He stopped allowing Dark Arts to be taught and since Karkaroff was one of the few that knew the Dark Arts it wasn't such a problem. He fired the teacher when he refused to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts instead and found someone to teach it. The students who complained about this he expelled without delay. He was not going to allow Dark Wizards of any kind in Durmstrang.
Durmstrang started to look and feel like Hogwarts. He gave permission to use the fireplaces during the cold months instead of just "special occasions" that Karkaroff would only allow. After much persuasion and doing all the bookwork needed, the Minster of Magic allowed Durmstrang to take in muggleborns as well as halfbloods and purebloods. Since Professor Ogen expelled a number of students and Durmstrang was low in numbers the Minister really had no other choice.
Martina saw the list of muggleborns coming to Durmstrang and couldn't believe how long it was. There were more muggleborn witches and wizards than there were purebloods and halfbloods combined. It wasn't just the eleven year olds that would be starting but those muggleborns that were denied to come to Durmstrang year after year. Even some of seventh year age would be starting at Durmstrang. Some thought it was a waste for them to start their magical education when they were they could be graduating but Professor Ogen wanted to give every witch and wizard a chance at magic. Martina was rather excited and she helped make the letters for her uncle. Since muggleborns wouldn't know anything about wizard money they sent a coupon for their robes half off. She couldn't wait to see the muggleborns at her grandfather's school.
It was great for many people and though Lavra was glad there would be more people at Durmstrang she was quite stressed. Her father was a wand maker and they had three months to make three hundred and twenty one new wands. Lavra's family was quite rich and had servants and house-elves to do the cooking and cleaning while the family worked the family business. They owned a tree farm with a hundred of just about every tree known to man. It didn't take long for Lavra to learn the names, color and smell of every wood they owned. . Lavra was going to be a seventh year and she could see a wand from ten feet away and tell you exactly what size and wood and probably the exact spot where the tree stood in their tree farm. Her family was rather impressed and shocked about this. They didn't train her much. She had some kind of gift with the trees on their tree farm and the plants in her mother's greenhouse. Herbology was her best subject in school.
Today they were rather behind and Lavra yelled at a new person every ten minutes for doing something wrong.
"Polikoff, you fool! You're supposed to feed the bowtruckle woodlice before cutting the wood! Do you want it to hunt you down and poke your eyes out? No—no! You're using the wrong polish for that wand! You idiot, you put an Oak wand with the Beeches again! How many times do I have to tell you they 're arranged by wood not the core?"
Lavra brandished the wand, "look, Beech, Oak! Beech, Oak! They're labeled for crying out loud!"
"I'm—I'm sorry Miss Moliyana," Polikoff stammered, "too many things to remember."
"You have to study your manual more," Lavra muttered, "Durmstrang starts in two weeks. Do you know how many people are waiting to get wands?"
"Lavra," her father said, "you should be more patient with Polikoff. This is only his second day."
"I know, Dad," Lavra moaned, "but we're so behind. How are the new students supposed to get wands when this—fool—I mean Polikoff keeps messing them up?"
"I'll have Ivan work with him more," he said softly and he turned to call to one of his sons. "Ivan!"
Lavra's oldest brother Ivan hurried up with a tape measure around his neck and a list of woods in hand came up. "Yes, Dad?"
"It seems Polikoff is having some more trouble. Could you help him?"
"All right, you can help me do inventory," said Ivan. "That shouldn't be too hard."
"You'd be surprised," Lavra said under her breath and holding a box of new wands she went to the front of the store to help with new customers.
As Lavra was putting up new wands in their designated areas, she accidentally knocked one over. It fell out of its wand box and rolled on the floor into the aisle.
"Look out!" Lavra called to the customers. "Watch where you step!"
The wand rolled to a girl's foot. She bent over to pick it up.
"Oh, thanks," said Lavra, "I was afraid it'd get stepped on."
Once the girl's fingers curled around the wand, Lavra heard something like music. She looked around to see where it could be coming from. The girl straightened up, staring at the wand and a weird violet glow emanated from her. Her short chin-length hair flew up as if she were about to fly away. Lavra stared in surprise. This girl had to be a very powerful witch to have such a wand reaction. She couldn't recall anything like it in all her years with working for her father. Had he seen anything like it before? Lavra blinked as an insect that was flying over the girl's head suddenly stopped flying and fell dead to the ground. The wand reaction ended and the girl handed the wand back to Lavra. "Here you go."
"No, I think the wand has chosen you," Lavra said softly.
"What?" the girl asked.
"Didn't you see what just happened?" Lavra asked. "All that glowing? The wand chooses the witch and wizard. You can tell by the reaction. It's got to be destined for you with a reaction like that."
"So this is mine?" the girl questioned.
"You did come in for a wand, right?" Lavra asked.
"Why yes," she replied, "but I thought I'm supposed to choose one I like."
"Yes, what do you mean the wand chooses the witch and wizard?" the girl's mother questioned.
"Surely you know that we don't choose our wands. They choose us," Lavra said, "You're a witch, aren't you?"
"No," said the woman.
"No way," Lavra took a step closer, staring at the girl and her mother in disbelief. "You're muggleborn? With a reaction like that I would think wizards and witches have been in your family for generations!"
"From what I know," said the woman, "no witches and wizards in our family."
"Everyone is just normal people," said the girl softly.
"Wow," Lavra whispered, "unbelievable. Well, let's get you that wand."
"What kind of wand is it?" the girl questioned.
"Um," Lavra looked at it, "it's yew, twelve inches and the core is…" she grabbed the box that went with it and looked at the tag, "tail hair from a threstral. Whoa, a threstral hair? I didn't know we had one of those!"
"What's a threstral?" the girl asked.
"It's a sort of flying horse," Lavra explained, "you can only see if you witnessed death."
"I have," the girl said sadly.
"This wand's pretty
powerful. Are you sure there are no magic people in your family?"
"Very sure," the woman replied, "Angelica's father had no wizards and witches
in his family and there are none in mine.
I guess Angelica here is just gifted."
"Gifted, yeah," Lavra said, still in shock, "I guess that's another word for muggleborn. Well, let's see, the wand alone is nine galleons and with a servicing kit it's fifteen."
"Oh, we'll just get the wand for now," said Angelica's mother, "we still need to get her books and her robes. This coupon says we can get them half off, right?"
"Yeah," Lavra replied, "this is the first time muggleborns—well—gifted witches and wizards will be coming to Durmstrang. Professor Ogen wanted to make their school shopping easy for them."
"That's kind of him," said Angelica's mother.
"I know, Professor Ogen is the greatest professor Durmstrang ever had. Our previous headmaster was very mean. Anyway, that's all over." Lavra put the galleon coins into the money drawer, wrapped Angelica's new wand in paper and placed it in a bag. "Thanks for coming. I'll see you at school, Angelica."
"You're in school too?" Angelica asked.
"Yes, this will be my last year in Durmstrang," Lavra replied, "If anyone gives you trouble at school, I'll give them trouble."
"Really?" Angelica inquired, looking hopeful.
"Really!"
"Thank you for help—er—what'd you say your name was?"
"I'm Lavra Molniya," Lavra introduced, shaking both mother and daughter's hands, "my dad owns this store."
"Thanks, Lavra," said Angelic, "see you."
As Angelica and her mom walked out, Martina Ogen walked in. "Hi, Lavra. How's business?"
"Busy," Lavra muttered, "I'm glad that muggleborns are finally able to come to Durmstrang, but couldn't Professor Ogen tell my dad about this earlier?"
"What are you talking about?" Martina demanded with a slight chuckle. "Your dad knew that Grandfather was trying to get muggleborns into school when he became Headmaster."
"Well, we've been behind and a new hire keeps messing up on the wands. I don't know why dad hired him."
"Who is he?"
"Casimir Polikoff."
"Polikoff—you mean the guy that always makes a mess at dinner?"
"That's him. He probably won't last here long. You want a job until school starts?"
"I don't know anything about wood," Martina said.
"Well, you know how our place is set up," Lavra said as she started putting wands back to the shelves. "We arrange our wands by the wood instead of core or length."
"Why is that?" Martina asked. "I never understood why. You have so many types of wood. Wouldn't it be easier to go by length?"
"Nah, the type of wood is what we look for first. We take a test of the person's personality and everything, match it with that type of wood and we go from there. Sometimes people already know what wood they might need."
"It's weird," said Martina, "I can hardly remember the day I got my wand but feels like yesterday."
"You don't?" Lavra demanded. "You set everything on fire!"
"No I didn't!" Martina snapped, "just…the shelves. And it was an accident. I didn't know what happened."
"I know," Lavra said, "your wand is pretty powerful according to what my dad said. Isn't the wood pine?"
"Yeah, eleven inches with a phoenix feather," Martina nodded.
"I bet our reactions cant' match up to the one earlier though," Lavra said.
"What reaction?"
"That girl that just left," Lavra stated, "she had a really powerful wand reaction. Her wand was yew—that's the wood of death you know—twelve inches and has the tail hair of a threstral."
"Threstral? You mean those flying horses that you can only see if you saw someone die?"
"That's right. You should've seen this girl. She was glowing and this bug that was in the room just fell down dead. I've never seen anything like it."
"That is weird."
"And the weirdest thing is that she's muggleborn. I didn't know muggleborns could be so strong."
"Whoa, if only Karkaroff knew," said Martina.
"He wouldn't care," Lavra grumbled, "he would've tortured her too."
"I know," Martina sighed, "I hope he never comes back. He'll go crazy if he knew what Grandfather was doing to the school."
"Well, it's not his school anymore, is it?" Lavra asked. "There's nothing he can do about it. Durmstrang's better off without him."
That night Lavra told her dad about Angelica's wand reaction. "What do you think caused it, Dad?"
"I don't know," he replied, "Sometimes a wizard finds a wand so perfect for him that the wand makes a reaction like that. It happened to you, don't' you remember?"
"Really?" Lavra asked. "I didn't make an insect fall down dead."
"True, but it was like you were struck by lightning. We all thought you were hurt but you looked just the same before you touched it."
"I don't really remember that happening," Lavra muttered, "Everything was a little fuzzy when I took the wand. I remember feeling warm but that was it."
"Many times the wizard isn't aware of the reaction."
"Yeah, I guess you're right," she looked at her wand. Since she was a member of the family wand making business hers was specially made. It was polished with their best wand polish and had a nice elaborate handle. Engraved on the handle were her initials.
Eleven inches, Oak, heart string of a Romanian Longhorn dragon. She could remember witnessing the wand's production. She had even carved the wood for it. There was some kind of connection with her and oak. It had always been her favorite wood but she was unsure why. She wasn't sure about the core either. Yes, she liked dragons and her favorite color was green. The Romanian Longhorn was a large dragon with dark green scales and golden horns. But was that the only reason why her wand was oak with a dragon heartstring? What caused her wand to react so strongly when she got it all those years ago? What about Martina's? And Angelica's? And if there were more people like Lavra Molniya, Martina Ogen and Angelica Palam, where were they?
"Here we are, Diagon Alley!" Mina said brightly as she, her sister and cousin stepped onto the wizard shopping street. Serena's mother, uncle and father were still in The Leaky Cauldron. Some of Serena's old friends spotted her and wanted to chat. After some nagging, Serena's mother allowed the three girls to do their shopping with out the adults.
"Oh, they're grown girls, Diana," said one of the witches, "they can handle themselves. We have much catching up to do! By the way, Serena, you've grown up into such a beautiful young lady! I haven't' seen you since you were a little thing!"
"Thanks," Serena said, looking nervous. She had no idea who this woman was and she was only eight when she had left England. She wasn't an infant.
"So, what do you think, Serena?" Mina inquired.
"It's great," Serena lied.
"You got enough money?" Mina asked. "Should we stop at Gringotts?"
"Yeah, I've got enough," Serena muttered, "let's just get this over with."
"Still upset about moving, are we?" Luna asked.
"You'd be too if you had to leave your home, Luna," Serena said roughly.
Luna shrugged. "Perhaps. Should we get you your Hogwarts robes first?"
"Robes? Oh man, I forgot!" Serena took out her letter to see for sure that a set of robes was still on her list. Yes, it was and she was doomed to wear a uniform all year. "Do I really need to wear them?"
"Not the ones you get," Luna said, "these you'll just have to wear for the sorting and everything. Then once you're sorted in your new house you'll get your house robes."
"So I'll still have to wear robes all year?" Serena asked pathetically.
"That's right."
"Oh, great," Serena moaned as she reviewed her list, "robes, books, cauldron—wait a minute—I've already got one! I'm not a first year!"
"Maybe it's just a mistake," Luna suggested.
"This list is stupid," Serena grunted, crunching her list and letter into a ball and tossing it over her shoulder, much to her cousins' protests.
"Serena, no!"
"Hey, don't you need that?" Luna asked in her usual weird voice.
"You could've hit someone," Mina said.
"It's only paper," Serena muttered.
"Hey!" shouted an angry male's voice behind them. "You three!"
"Uh oh," Serena mumbled as she and her cousins turned around.
"Something we can help you with, sir?" Mina asked sweetly and rather flirtatiously as he got closer. He was rather cute.
"Yeah, you can help me," the man said as he smoothed out Serena's letter and list. "Which one of you threw this?"
"She did!" Luna and Mina pointed at Serena.
"Hey!" Serena exclaimed.
"You shouldn't have thrown it, Serena," Luna said.
"Serena," the wizard said, glancing at the letter, "so you'd be Miss White then?"
"Yeah," Serena replied, "um—thanks for picking it up." She tried reaching for it and he pulled it back.
"I didn't pick it up," the wizard stated, "it hit me in the back of the head!"
Serna's cousins stifled their giggles with their hands. Serena bit her lip nervously.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Serena said, "really, I am."
"You're American, aren't you?"
"Well, half," Serena answered, "my dad's American, my Mom—I mean—Mum's British."
"She's our cousin," Luna said.
Mina gasped and stepped closer. "Hey, I know you! You're Darien Shields! You were a prefect in Slytherin House!"
Darien looked at Mina. "Oh, yes, Mina Lovegood—I remember you—I gave you detention a few times didn't I?"
"Er, uh, yeah," Mina said with a slight chuckle, "that's right."
"I see your cousin likes to make just as much trouble," Darien looked back at Serena who changed from nervous to furious.
"That's not true!" Serena shouted. "You can ask my old Headmistress at SWI!"
"SWI—sorry?"
"Salem Witches Institute," Serena explained.
"Reverting to abbreviations for your school? You really have become Americanized."
Serena rolled her eyes. "Look, I'm sorry I hit your head."
"Well, Miss White," Darien said softly, "I'm afraid I can't let you go without some kind of punishment."
"Punishment? I didn't mean to hit you! I didn't even know you were there!"
"You're not even a prefect anymore, Darien," Mina muttered as she put her hand on her hip. "And school hasn't even started."
"You're right, Miss Lovegood," Darien said politely. "But perhaps you haven't heard? I am your new Defense Against the Dark Art's teacher."
Shocked, Mina stammered, "T-teacher?"
Intrigued, Luna queried, "Teacher?"
Infuriated, Serena snapped, "TEACHER?"
"That's right, ladies," Darien replied.
"How'd you get the job?" Luna asked.
"Simple, Professor Dumbledore needed someone to fill it. He asked me and I said yes."
Luna blinked. That still didn't answer her question.
"I don't believe this!" Serena snarled. "You're just joshing, aren't you?"
Darien laughed. "No, Miss White. I really am going to be one of your new teachers and let just make one thing clear—I won't have you losing your temper in my class."
Serena shook with fury and muttered things under her breath.
"Well, then, since I am here," Darien said, "I will add one more thing to your list. Perhaps even two."
"You can't do that!" Serena shouted.
"Sure I can, my dear," Darien replied as he reached inside his robes for a quill. "I'm a teacher. I've already assigned your books. Don't worry, it's not a book on manners—as much as I think you need one."
"I can't believe this!"
"Well believe it," Darien told her as he scribbled a couple of extra items to her list. He handed it back to her and she snatched it away, fuming. She gasped when she saw what he had written.
"Three bottles of ink? Ten extra rolls of parchment?"
"I assume that should be enough for your lines, Miss White," Darien stated as he put the quill back into his pocket.
"Lines?"
"Yes, for your detention of course," he explained.
"That's absurd!"
"Well, perhaps you won't have to use it all on one go," Darien replied, "but I have the feeling you will need more detention. This ought to hold until this first Hogsmead weekend and when that happens, you should get more too and by then you might want to get an extra quill."
"But—but--," Serena stuttered.
"Now I want you in my office starting these as soon as you get to Hogwarts," Darien replied.
"Darien—I mean—Professor Shields," Mina began, "on the first day of term? She'll miss the welcoming feast and Dumbledore's announcements. Won't you need to be there too if you're the new teacher?"
"Ah, of course," Darien shrugged, "I see you need so much improvement in your manners, Miss White that we should start right away. Very well. You can be present at the welcoming feast but the next day, before breakfast you are to start on these lines."
"I'll miss breakfast?" Serena demanded. "But—but that's the most important meal of the day!"
"You should've thought of that before you tossed your letter, Miss White," Darien stated, brushing off some lint from his robes. "Well, see you in detention."
He turned and walked away and Min ahead to restrain Serena from throwing the list at Darien's head a second time.
"Let me go!" Serena exclaimed.
"No way," Mina refused, "he'll give you more detention!"
As a family of four began making their way to Ollivander's, the older girl with pink pigtails stopped suddenly and looked at Serena, Mina and Luna.
"It's Mina and Serena!" she exclaimed. "And there goes Darien!"
"It is them," said the father, or, male posing as the father of the two girls. "Well, our plan has worked."
The pink pigtailed girl started to step toward the three girls when the mother figure grabbed her arm. "No, Rini. You can't."
"But Luna," Rini protested, "I was only going to say hi. I haven't seen them since the battle with.Nehellenia. Just give me a few minutes.."
"No!" Luna exclaimed and the woman pulled on her arm harder. "You can't. Rini, they don't remember you. Youwill only confuse them."
"But how come they can be together now?" Rini wondered out loud, gesturing as the once Moon Princess and Sailor Venus now living as ordinary witches and cousins. "I mean—and not remember a thing?"
"They are cousins," said the white haired man, "that's how they view each other. They don't remember anything about beign sailor scouts."
"But that's why we're here," Rini stated, "aren't we?"
"Of course that is why we're here," said the little girl named Diana, "we just need to wait."
"You're probably right," Rini mumbled. "Serena really has forgotten everything. She's not even wearing her hair in the same meatball style."
Rini sighed as her future mother walked passed her without a word or even a glance. Serena's was pulled back in one single ponytail. Rini swore she never saw Serena wear her hair that way. Serena's cousins were dragging her into Madame Malkins and Serena was wailing about not wanting to get her robes.
"Can't we get them last thing?" Serena pleaded. "Let's get my books instead."
"No, your robes take longer," her cousin Luna insisted.
"Whose idea was it toget robes anyway!" Serena cried.
Rini laughed. "Well, she's still a big cry baby!"
"Come on, Rini," Luna, the guardian-cat-woman said softly. "All we have left get is your wand."
"Yeah," said Rini and she followed her adopted family to Ollivander's. She had a job to do. She couldn't chat with all her friends the sailor scouts because they had no idea who she was.
Artemis, the man with long white hair opened the door for his "family" and they walked in. Rini approached the counter as the others stood in the back.
Rini cleared her throat. "Hello?"
SWISH!
An old man slid into view on a ladder, shocking Rini. "Ahh!" she exclaimed and started to feel completely stupid. She should be used to surprises by now. She is a sailor scout—maybe just a scout in training—but she learned how to be alert.
"Hello," said Mr. Ollivander, "first year at Hogwarts, eh?
"Yes sir," said Rini, smiling through her embarrassment.
Mr. Ollivander measured the girl's short arm and then began handing her wands to try. "Pheonix feather, oak supple, 10 inches…no…Cherry, 11 inches, dragon heart string…no…no…"
"Try this," Mr. Ollivander said, "Rosewood--."
Rosewood?Rini thought. It reminded her of Darien.
"Nine inches, inflexible, unicorn hair."
Hearing the word unicorn reminded her of Helios. She reached for the wand and felt a powerful connection. It almost seemed as if she was in sailor form. She raised the wand and waves of pink and silver came from the wand.
"Wow!" Rini exclaimed. "What just happened there?"
"The wand has chosen you," Mr. Ollivander replied, nodding to it. "This wand is now yours."
Serena muttered and fumed as the levitating fabric and scissors went around her body. She still couldn't believe this was happening. She really was going to be a Hogwarts student. Life at Salem was over. It was just a memory now. School hasn't even started yet and she already had detention.
"When is this going to be over?" Serena demanded the witch that was making her robes.
"Just a few more moments," the witch replied, "we just need to tighten this here and snip that."
Serena grunted as her clothes became painfully tight in the middle. "I can't breathe!"
"Oh, sorry, dear," the witch said, "but as you'll be transferring here and it will be your last year, I thought you'd want it tight. Impress a few young wizards, you know."
"I—don't—care about that!" Serena gasped.
"Oh, but there will be quite a few changes at Hogwarts, I hear," the witch said.
"Really?" Mina asked with interest. "Like what? Will there be another ball? Should we get dress robes? If there is, how come they're not on the lists?"
"Dumbledore will explain that once school starts," the witch explained as she stiched up Serena's sleeves. "You're transferring to Hogwarts at a very opportune time, my dear. New teachers, perhaps a ball oh, and your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher is quite a catch! Oooh, if I was only thirty years younger…"
Serena moaned and the witch thought there was a problem with the stitching.
"Oh, is it still too tight?"
"Just hurry up," Serena grunted.
"Nearly done, right, there we go!" the witch said cheerfully as she summoned a full length mirror for Serena to look in. "You look so nice in black!"
"Yeah," Serena muttered, "I guess."
Serena stared at her reflection. Never in Salem did she have to day after day wear a gray skirt and sweater over white shirt with a tie and a black robe. The Hogwarts crest on her tie proved it.
She was going to Hogwarts and there was nothing she could do about it.
Serena's day only got worse. As she stepped out with her new robes, Mina screamed as she saw her boyfriend walking in the direction of Knocturn Alley.
"Draco!"
Draco stopped and turned. "Mina—well—isn't this a pleasant surprise?"
"Draco, Draco," Mina said as she pulled Serena over. Serena groaned and rolled her eyes.
'No, not now," Serena thought.
"I want you to meet my cousin, Serena!" she said happily.
"Ah, that's right—the American," Draco Malfoy said.
"Actually, Malfoy, Serena's half British," Luna muttered.
"Really?" he asked. "Yes, I believe I may have heard Mina mention that." He looked at Mina who nodded. "Mina's told me quite a bit about you and your parents. Well, you're a long way from home, aren't you?"
"Yes, I am," Serena answered, disliking Malfoy more and more. She nearly wanted to attack him in the middle of the street. "I really miss it."
"Isn't it true that you take less classes in the American school?" he asked, his silver eyes flashing.
"Yeah, we don't take History of Magic, for example," Serena told him.
"No History of Magic?" he laughed and Serena rolled her eyes. "Why not? Do you have any history?"
"Sure we do!" Serena snapped. "But the majority of it involves witches burning at the stake. If that's all we learne about it'd be quite boring, not to mention depressing. We can get a book on Salem's history if we wanted too."
"So how long have magic people been in America exactly?" Draco asked. "Twenty years? Forty?"
"Oh, a lot longer than that," Serena replied, grinning so hard that her teeth hurt. She was trying not to bite Draco's head off. "A couple of centuries, actually. They left England to practice their magic in peace but they still suffered some persecution."
"Left England, you say?" Draco inquired.
"Oh yes, and now that I'm here," Serena muttered, "I can see why they left for America and I wish I stayed there!"
"Serena," Mina began but Serena swirled around and stomped off to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream. Mina sighed and turned to her new boyfriend.
"I'm so sorry about that, Draco," Mina said softly. "Serena's still upset about leaving Salem."
"Don't apologize, Mina," Draco said, watching Serena leave. He smiled and looked at Mina. "I think your cousin's all right."
"You do?"
"Yeah," Draco said and he lowered his voice, "for a mudblood."
Luna turned to her sister. "Mina, let's go sit with Serena for a while."
"But…" Mina stated.
"Go on," said Draco with a sly smile, "I'll catch up with you later." He looked over at Sereana's table. She was watching them over her sundae. He turned back to his girlfriend and gave her a kiss on the mouth and Serena nearly got sick.
"The nerve!" Serena hissed.
Luna also wasn't so impressed. When Draco finally pulled his mouth away from Mina's she made a noise between a laugh and a groan.
"Draco, you've got lipstick on your face…"
"Thank you, Luna," Draco said. He winked at Mina and walked way. Feeling like she as floating, Mina sauntered over to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor and sat at Serena's table.
"It's he great?" Mina inquired.
"I guess so," Serena mumbled.
"He's such a good kisser…"
"Please, I'm eating here!" Serena shouted, throwing up her hand holding her spoon and flicking ice cream onto Mina's face.
"Hey!" Mina exclaimed and Luna cracked up laughing. "Luna, stop it!"
But Luna laughed even harder, sinking out of her seat and holding her sides. "You got…ice cream…on your face!"
Mina groaned and wiped the ice cream off her face. "It's not funny."
"I don't know what you see in him, Mina," Serena said as she went back to eating her ice cream once Luna's giggles subsided and she pulled her back into her chair. "He's way wrong for you."
"Wrong?" Mina asked. "How do you mean?"
"He seems like a real jerk," Serena said bluntly. "I don't even think he cares for you."
"Come on, did you see the way he kissed me?"
"He was only showing off," said Luna, still a bit breathless from laughing. "I saw the way he looked at Serena before he kissed you. Draco doesn't care about anyone but himself. He's a Malfoy. It runs in his blood."
"You're wrong!" Mina cried. "So—so wrong! He's really good looking, rich and he's smart!"
"He's also mean, sly and conniving. Did you see the look on his face when Umbridge was about to torture Harry year before last? He looked so excited. He looked like he was about to summon some popcorn and watch."
"You're wrong," Mina said again. "Draco can be nice."
"Yeah, when he wants something," Luna replied.
"Why do you keep dating random guys, Mina?" Serena inquired. "I mean, Draco has to be what, number twenty-five?"
Luna chuckled again. "You're not too far off, Serena! He's number twenty-one!"
"Well, it won't be long until you get that far," Serena said under her breath. She took a bite of her ice cream. "How'd you start dating anyway? Did he offer you to stay at his great big mansion or something? Or you were impressed the way he gave someone a smelly armpit spell went their back was turned?"
"No, it wasn't like that," Mina replied, "he was there for me last year."
"Oh yeah? How?"
"When number twenty--Zacharias Smith--dumped her and Mina started dating Draco on the rebound." Luna answered and Mina began to sob in her arms.
"Luna! Why did you have to bring that up?"
"You should be over it by now," Luna said, grinning. "You have your Drakey-poo!"
It was Serena's turn to crack up laughing. She nearly inhaled her ice cream instead of eating it and nearly fell out of her chair. "Drakey-poo!"
"Please, stop it!" Mina sniffled. "I'm still sensitive about that. You know how much I like Zach! He was so nice."
"He wasn't so nice in DA meetings," Luna said.
As Luna had tried many times in the past to get Mina to join the DA, her face never broke out in pimples. Mina already knew about it but really wasn't keen on it. Mostly because Harry
"I probably would've paid Fred and George Weasley to clean Zach's ears with whatever that thing was," Luna muttered.
"Who's Zach?" Serena asked.
"He's a C-Chaser for H-Hufflepuff H—House," Mina stammered, wiping her eyes. "We started dating in our fifth year, a couple weeks after the quidditch match against Hufflepuff and Gryffindor."
"Why?" Luna demanded. "Ginny Weasley caught the Snitch."
"Yeah, but Hufflepuff kept making goals, in case you didn't notice."
"He dropped the Quaffle."
"So? That can happen with sweaty hands!"
"I thought quidditch players wear gloves."
"Whatever," Mina said.
"How long were you together?" Serena inquired.
"Sometime after I made Chaser on the Slytherin Team," Mina replied. "I'm probably the first witch on the team. Usually it's all boys but they all like me anyway. Draco was Captain, he liked my moves so he appointed me."
"Let me guess, Zach didn't want to compete with his girlfriend incase you beat him so he broke up with you?" Serena asked as she resumed her ice cream snacking.
"No!" Mina shouted. "That wasn't it at all. He said—that it probably wouldn't be right competing against each other. I mean, Slytherin might use me to get all their plans and he didn't want to see me get hurt in a match."
"That's the same thing, Mina," Luna muttered, "Zach just didn't want to play against you."
"This Zach guy sounds a bit like Draco," said Serena.
"But Draco wouldn't join the DA if his life depended on it," Luna said, "at least Zach had enough sense to come even though he smarted off at Harry a couple of times."
"We had so much fun together," Mina moped, "oh, Serena, can I have some?" Without waiting for a reply, Mina took Serena's spoon from her hand and gave herself a huge spoonful of ice cream.
"Feel better?" Serena asked.
"You're right," said Mina, "I do have too many boyfriends! I started dating the first boy I met on the train!"
"Who?"
"Seamus Finnigan—but he broke up with me the first day in potions!"
"Why?"
"Because he's in Gryffindor and I'm in Slytherin!" Mina bawled. "Everyone knows how Gryffindors and Slytherins clash! It's so hard finding people to date when you're in Slytherin! I dated guys from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff but we hardly see each other. I mean—Slytherin doesn't have any classes with Hufflepuff!" Mina began sobbing into her arms again and Serena patted her back.
"There, there, I'm sure you'll find someone," Serena said, "the one you really want."
"Like that's ever going to happen," Mina muttered. "I've had my eye on Harry Potter ever since—since our first flying lesson. But it's not to be either. After Seamus dumped me I know I can never date Harry or any Gryffindor for that matter! Gryffindors and Slytherin hated each other and that's how it's always going to be!"
"Speaking of the boy who lived," Luna said, pointing across the street, "there goes Harry right now."
They looked up where Luna was pointing and flanked with his two best friends, Harry was walking down the street. Luna stood up and cupped her hands around her mouth.
"Hey! Harry!"
"Luna, what are you doing?" Mina demanded her sister.
"What's it look like? I'm calling Harry. Harry! Ron! Hello!"
"No wonder people call you Loony Lovegood," Mina groaned.
"Isn't that Loony Lovegood?" Ron asked, looking over to the three girls seated at Florean Fortescue's.
"Yeah, and her sister," said Hermione.
"Who's that girl with them?" Harry wondered allowed.
"Dunno," Ron shrugged, "but she's cute."
Hermione glared at Ron, fighting the urge to smack him in the back of the head.
"C'mon," said Harry, "let's go say hi. She's calling us anyway."
"Oh great, he's coming this way," Mina tried to sink down her seat as the boy she's been crushing on since her first year came closer and closer. She fought every thought of how good looking, and talented, and amazing he was and tried focusing on Draco. She closed her eyes.
'I'm dating Draco now,' she thought, 'and he hates Harry Potter. Oh man, what if he sees me?'
"Hiya, Harry!" Luna said cheerfully as the trio came to their table. "Had a good summer?"
"Not really," said Harry. When did he ever have good summers?
"Oh, right," Luna muttered, "well, this is my cousin, Serena."
"Hey, wussup?" Serena inquired, making Ron smirk at her choice of greeting.
"How'd you do?" Harry asked as he shook Serena's hand.
"Okay," Serena replied, "I uh, read your story in The Quibbler. Luna owled me a copy."
"Wait, you're the cousin from America, yeah?" Ron asked suddenly.
"Uh-huh," said Serena, "I was born in England and I left when I was eight."
"How come?"
"Mom's death," Luna explained.
"Oh, sorry," mused Ron."
"It's okay," Serena and Luna said together.
"I'm here now," Serena stated, "Mom missed England and she thought Hogwarts would be good for me. So I'm transferring from Salem Witches' Istitute."
"Hey, I've heard that don't have many subjects there," Hermione began, "is that true?"
"Yeah," Serena replied, "We just have Transfiguration, Potions, Charms, Herbology, Defense Against Arts and our electives at year three can either be Divination or Care of Magical Creatures."
"No way!" Ron exclaimed. "No History of Magic? And you only have to choose one elective?"
"That's right," Serena said.
"That's brilliant!" said Ron. "I wonder if it's too late for me to transfer."
"Well, the school's for witches only," Serena stated.
"Where's the fun in that?" Ron demanded and Hermione elbowed him in the ribs. "Ouch, Hermione!"
Serena laughed. "I know what you mean. But there are plenty more American witches than wizards. There's a school just for wizards if you're interested in that one. They pretty much teach on the same level. The Quodpot team is pretty good too."
"Hey, I've heard of that," said Harry as he grabbed a chair and sat down. Mina took in a sharp intake of breath. She didn't know how much more she could take.
"It's that American style of Quidditch, isn't it?" Harry asked.
"Yeah," Serena scooted closer. She could see why Mina liked him so much. However, beneath his smiling face she could sense a deep sadness, like his world was ending.
"It's pretty fun," Serena said, "I play a bit myself."
"I didn't know you can ride a broom," Mina said suddenly. "You trip over your own feet." When Harry looked at her, she gasped and started to eat Serena's ice cream. Serena shrugged.
"Yeah, it's weird but I kind of like to fly," she said.
"Really?" Harry asked.
"Yeah," Serena smiled.
"You any good?" Ron inquired, sitting down like Harry. Hermione shrugged and sat down as well.
"Well, I don't like to brag," Serena smiled, "but I can throw pretty hard. Well, when you're carrying a ball that can explode at anytime you tend too!"
"Yeah, like Mina," Luna nodded at her sister and Mina flinched, "she can throw hard too."
"Er, right," Mina whispered.
"Hey, we're going to need a new Chaser this year," Harry said, "and I'm Quidditch Captain. If you're sorted in Gryffindor, you want to try out for it?"
"Quidditch?" Serena asked. "That's way more different that Quodpot!"
"And besides," Mina sat up straight. "Serena's going to be in Slytherin with me."
"No one knows what house they're going to be in," Hermione said.
"I don't want to be in Slytherin," Serena said, "I'm muggleborn—sorta—muggle father and squib mother. I'm going to have sleep with one eye open if I go there."
"Well, I'll make sure no one gives you any trouble," Mina stated.
"Draco Malfoy just did," Serena muttered, "remind me again why you're dating that guy?"
"You're still dating Malfoy?" Harry asked Mina.
Mina tried to reply but nothing came out. Great, Harry spoke to her. What was she going to do? She should've kept her mouth shut.
"Y-yes," she replied finally. Then more firmly she added, "Got a problem with that, Potter?"
Harry shrugged. Mina stood up a bit awkwardly.
"Let's go," she said, to her cousin and sister. "Draco will go crazy if he sees me with them." She glared at Harry and his buddies.
"Hey, you can leave," said Ron, "your sister was the one kind enough to invite us over."
"My cousin has loads to get," Mina said, "well, we all do. Come on, Serena, Luna, let's get going." Without waiting for them, she left the table.
"See ya on the train, I guess," Luna said as she followed her sister. Serena stayed behind to say goodbye.
"Harry, I hope I am in Gryffindor," Serena stated, "It look like Slytherin has done something to Mina and I don't want to be like that."
"I didn't want to go in Slytherin either," said Harry.
"I'll think about your offer," Serena smiled, "about joining the team—if I'm in Gryffindor anyway. It was nice meeting you guys."
"Yeah, same here," Harry replied and Serena walked off.
"Well, while we're here," Ron shrugged, "how about some ice cream cones?"
"Oh Ron," Hermione groaned and shook her head.
Harry didn't think about ice cream. He was thinking about Mina and her cousin. They looked quite same but were so different. Why did Mina Lovegood always act so fidgety around Harry? It was almost as if she liked him. But that was stupid. Why would she like him? She's a Slytherin and he's a Gryffindor. Slytherins and Gryffindors hated each other—didn't they? Why was he asking about her relationship with Malfoy? It wasn't his business. But still, why would a pretty girl like Mina Lovegood get involved with snake like Draco Malfoy?
Since the Triwizard Tournament, Madame Maxime had made some new rules. She had become very concerned for the safety and welfare of her students. One of the Hogwarts champions ended up dead and one was tortured by his worst nightmare. Madame Maxime wondered what would happen if it had been Flour Delacour that ended up touching that cup.
No one knew that she and Hagrid had gone to meet with giants. When the giants had refused to help them she had to turn to other means. She was impressed by one of her student's eagerness to help. That student was Aimee Arroser.
Gifted with a brilliant mind, Aimee was muggleborn. Her classmates and Headmistress couldn't make sense of it. How could Aimee be such a good witch? Were muggleborns just as talented as other witches and wizards? Aimee Arroser certainly proved that time again. She had read all her books Thoroughly for her first year, nearly having them memorized. She became prefect and during her OWL's she performed her charms and tests without flaw. For extra credit, she even showed the OWL professors a few invented spells. Every Christmas she helped out with ice sculptures.
Aimee built a robot to protect the school. It wasn't a clunky tin can of nuts and bolts that ran on batteries. It was powered by magic. It was in the form of a small griffin and it lived outside the school. Unlike real griffins that were difficult to befriend, this was one was very loyal and obedient.
Before school was going to start again, Aimee was having a meeting with some members of the French Ministry of Magic. She was very excited and nervous she wasn't sure how it was going to be. Madame Maxime told the ministry about her robotic griffin and how it proved it's usefulness many times. The ministry members planned to meet with her and learn of her other ideas. Some of the ministry members could not understand why a muggleborn witch that was still in school do so many things while the others wanted to see just what else they could do.
"How did I ever get myself involved in this?" Aimee wondered aloud as she pushed her table into the conference room of the ministry of magic. There was a sheet hiding her invention on the push table. What were the ministry going to think when she showed it to them? What if something went wrong? "I don't know enough…oh…"
"Aimee Arroser," said one of the ministry wizards, "thank you for meeting wit us today."
"My pleasure," she said shakily.
"What gave you the idea to come up with a robot griffin to protect Beaxbatons?"
"Well, I could've used something like a troll but I wanted a creature that people don't see often," Aimee replied, "Griffons are normally used to guard treasure and even though they are fierce few can make friends with it. I find that griffins are very intelligent, powerful and beautiful—but rare. I do not know of any griffins that life in France.. Madame Maxime wanted to increase the security of Beaxbatons."
"Aren't robots the inventions of muggles?"
"Yes, they are," Aimee mumbled, "but I did not use muggle devices to create this robot. I charmed everything and it's power source is a potion I made—something like the energy found in batteries."
"Batteries?"
"Allow me to demonstrate," Aimee pulled the sheet off her pull table to reveal a miniature model of her griffin robot, a muggle toy robot, batteries and a sample of her "magical battery potion."
"Interesting," said a wizard, pushing his glasses upon his nose.
Aimee picked up the muggle toy robot and batteries. "This I bought in a muggle toy store. Its energy comes from the batteries. When the batteries become 'dead' they need to be replaced. All this toy can do is walk and make beeping noises."
"Can you show us?"
"Uh, okay," said Aimee, "but the magical resistance in the air might interfere."
She took the robot to the large table the ministry wizards and witches were seated and placed it on the end. She clicked the switch to 'on' and the robot came to life, turnings its head and lighting up.
"Extraordinary! It moves on its own."
Then without warning, the robot exploded. Aimee gasped and backed away while the ministry wizards put the fire out with some extinguishing spells.
"I'm so sorry!" Aimee exclaimed. "Did anyone get hurt?"
"No harm was done, Miss Arroser," muttered a wizard. "I trust that the robot you designed will not do the same?"
Aimee nodded and placed her miniature griffin robot on the table. She wave her wand, tapped it on the head and it came alive. It walked around the on the table and it did everything Aimee told it to do. She gave it items to fetch and destroy and the ministry seemed quite impressed. They asked her questions about the robot and the potion she made. When they asked if she could do more she explained it took very long and was quite expensive.
"The larger the robot, the longer and harder it takes," Aimee said, "that's why the griffin guarding the school isn't the real size of a griffin."
"I understand," said a witch, "you still have one year left at Beaxbatons. After you finish, Miss Arroser, perhaps you would wan work in the Committee of Experimental Spells and New Magical Devices?"
Aimee's heart jumped to her throat. Work for the Ministry? Design more robots? Invent more spells? Aimee wasn't sure. Did she really have what it takes?
A wizard grunted. "I don't think that is a good idea. Look what just happened…." He nodded to the remains of the muggle toy robot. "How do we know that this new metal griffin won't backfire like that?"
Aimee frowned. "Yes, there is still a possibility that something might go wrong. I will have to work harder."
"Aimee, may we keep this invention?" the Head of New Magical Devices pointed at Aimee's robot. "We can check to see how we can improve it."
"My invention?" Aimee looked at her griffin and sighed. It was like her baby, her pet, and only friend. But she didn't invent the griffin to have a pet. She invented it to help the community.
"Yes, you may take it."
"Thank you. We will keep in touch."
Aimee pushed what was left of the toy robot and the batteries into a back. She placed her wand and phial of magical battery acid into her pocket. Meeting with the ministry went better than expected. However, she wondered if she really could work for the ministry making new devices, spells, potions. Aimee couldn't become a great she? If only she had more friends in her corner to give her the confidence to go for it. She wouldn't even had met with the ministry had not Madame Maxime insisted on it.
What was school going to be like for her now? She had a feeling there was going to be some more changes at Beaxbatons.
To Be Continued
Authors notes: Some of you may wonder why I chose rosewood for Rini's wand. It's used for divination and love charms. She's from the future and she 'fights for love' like the others. Also, since it's just rosewood and her father's Tuxedo Mask, it kinda fits. We don't know what kind of wand shops are in Bulgaria and stuff so I decided to have all sorts of cores. Phoenix feather could've worked for Hotaru/Angelica's wand as well but Threstral is good too. Thought it'd have an interesting touch.
Those you who haven't read Quidditch Through the Ages Quodpot is an Americanized version of Quidditch. Abraham Peasegood brought a Quaffle from the old country (probably England—it just says old country) and the Quaffle touched the wand in his trunk. When he started throwing it around, it blew up in his face so he invented Quodpot. The players have to throw the Quaffle or Quod into a cauldron before it explodes. I know Serena doesn't like sports but as she gains wings in Stars and flies, she is a pretty average flier here. Also, she throws things (tiara) and probably objects when she gets angry.
Starlytemint: You wondered how Mina & Malfoy got together and somehow I came up with a story behind it. Mina's a player, well, kinda. She keeps getting her heart broken and she thinks she can never be with Harry because of the whole rivalry between Slytherin and Gryffindor..
Next chapter will have the beginning of the school year, and Serena's detention.