Chapter 17

Mihail Vasylovitch retired to Jade's school after Valentine's day, having taken the decision to shave off his beard, and was not sure whether to be pleased or irritated by the comment he overheard one of the Lowther twins make that now he looked less like an Eastern Orthodox Bishop he turned out to be quite good looking under the fungus.

The Ubiquitous Marauders kissed him goodbye – in the case of Fyra and Zhenga – or shook his hand – in the case of the boys – and wished him well.

"And if you DO start a school you must ask Severus to lend us to you to get Marauders going" said Zhenga solemnly.

Mihail left feeling a little equivocal about that too!

oOoOo

Severus was only glad that everything seemed to be going well; the weather was improving so quidditch would be starting again soon – and a match booked against the Spartz Spectaculars – which would get everyone outside after what was generally the most miserable month of the year. He was also pleased that he was about to teach Amortentia to a well-balanced and giggle free class, since even the last of the Cackle's girls who were taking potions took it seriously. This was Pru and Muriel; and the others taking it were Frieda, who was too concerned with getting a pass grade to muck about, Milos who had a serious turn of mind anyway and Fred and Rory, both of whom being Marauders could be relied on not to be little idiots. Severus preened slightly. Years of training had honed even Cackle's girls into decent human beings; and generally speaking he should have no need to worry from now on, having picked and chosen his students. Yes, he was an intellectual snob; he admitted as much. And to his mind, the academically excellent or the talented had special needs as much as a child like Frieda whose brain damage at birth should have been gently overcome by the teaching of a governess for a couple of years before ever contemplating sending her to a school like Durmstrang; where even now a child with such obvious problems might attract unkindness. He appreciated her parents' desire for the girl to have as normal a life as possible, but there were limits! And they had no dame day school near them which might have suited the child better.

Well thanks to Jade she had passed four ZPs and was likely to do well enough to at least pass the two NEWTs she was taking, for which Pru was also to be credited in no small part.

And Pru herself was doing better than she might ever have expected; an 'O' average student in Potions, and too in Divination, where her aid against the Sons of Zirnitra would be credited in her portfolio of Divinational Experience.

The Amortentia class went well; his usual homily about using potions responsibly listened to by six solemn pairs of ears and notes taken on the reasonable uses of Amortentia. There was one moment of levity – from Fred of course – when Fred stuck up his hand and asked if an enemy like the Sons of Zirnitra might not be thoroughly disrupted by slipping them a love potion aimed at the nearest trolless.

Severus choked slightly.

"What has the poor innocent trolless done to deserve THAT?" he asked waspishly. "I grant you Fred, that as a non-lethal weapon to er, wage psychological warfare on the enemy it has a certain puerile charm. I shall bear it in mind if they become too irritating."

Fred grinned at him.

oOoOo

The Spartz Spectaculars were a team of the gentle courtesy to be found so often amongst Tyrolean folk; and they greeted Arbrek with as much politeness as they did the other members of the team when the Prince Peak team travelled to the home ground of their opponents.

They were not over-imbued with politeness when playing; not that they were discourteous, but that they played with vigour and neither gave way nor expected their opponents to do so. It was a good game; and the visitors enjoyed themselves playing a tough team who nonetheless did not foul. George Ingate and Kate spent a time out agreeing that the way of coming close to technical fouls without committing them was extremely skilfully done; only once were the Spartz chasers booked for stooging; but they came close to being in the scoring area all together so often that it was hard to know, with frequent passes who was going to move in and stay in to score.

The professional team won by a comfortable margin; and George thanked them for a good game and said that there was much to think about in their own tactics that might be learned from such expert opponents.

"We have never been very high in the league" said the captain, who was the Keeper "But we have three exceptional chasers and we have evolved tactics to take advantage of that. I think the main importance for a team captain is to be prepared to be flexible and play to the strengths of your team. Your beaters and their ability to stand on brooms are extraordinary, so on the whole you play an aggressively defensive game to make the most of them. I am interested in signing them when they leave school if they have no other career or team lined up. One of our beaters is considering retirement in any case and I think for the team the other would move gladly to second string for such talent to give our team a chance of shining; they are brothers, no?"

"Twins" said George.

"Wow" said Peter, who was listening "We'd thought of applying to an English team when we leave school in the summer; we were offered the chance to try out as second string beaters for the Chudleigh Cannons; but that was a chance to try out. If that's a firm offer, my twin and I accept. After all, we've lived in Austria for the last seven years; I guess that makes us almost naturalised."

"It makes you mostly neutralised" said Fred. "And I say, Herr Keeper, we are both also studying chanting to NEWT so we shall be of use for injury as well; though Peter is the transfigurationist of the pair of us."

"What, after the manner of the mighty Professor Fraser? Who saved the play of the World Cup? That is an asset to consider as a negotiable asset on its own even without your amazing abilities" said the Captain. "I will speak to the owner and our coach – who takes my recommendations seriously by the way – and I hope that we shall have contracts ready for you shortly."

The twins were delighted! They knew that they had done better academically than they might ever have hoped when they first gatecrashed Prince Peak, taking five NEWTs apiece; and Fred on track to get 'O' grade in three at least even if Peter was an 'E' student across the board bar DADA and – on a good day – Chanting. They would be independent, and their parents need never worry about them, and they could pay back the expense of their private education too, which would help with both their parents living their own lives. And their little sister Alison would be able to be put through school without problem too. And they had come to love Austria more perhaps than their native England; and too as famous quidditch players, their word would be listened to, helping Austria to come in line with England in the treatment of goblins and elves. Which as Marauders was more or less their duty.

The splendid day ended with a slap up supper laid on by the Spartz team and the school team retired to the Prinzhorn tired but very happy.

oOoOo

The result of meeting the small day school from Berne at the Hellibore's gymkhana led to another challenge; the Bernese asked if they might visit Prince Peak with a Quiddpolo team as they had just put one together after the manner of the new rules described by Mr Malfoy-Tobak.

Severus explained that as they could field two serious teams and a scratch team, more fun might be had in a round robin of limited time matches, matching scores at the end of play; catching the snitch was not always a practical proposition playing quiddpolo since the welbeing of the horses had to be taken into account. Each team would then play three matches and if each match was an hour and a half, with a fifteen minute break after forty-five minutes and an hour's rest between each match the horses and ponies should not risk wing-strain. This meant that all the matches might be played in one day, the visitors given hospitality overnight, and their steeds fresh to ride home.

The Bernese team were enthusiastic. And so too were the Prince Peak teams, who had not yet played an outside team.

"They may not be a team as such yet if it's new to them; but they should have the chance to play outsiders" said Severus "And we don't want to disrespect them by offering only our third team or even the second. They may be better than us!"

"And it doesn't really matter so long as we play up and all have a good time" said George happily.

The visitors had met some of the players for having been those who attended the gymkhana; they were impressed by the facilities the English school had.

"We were lucky to be given some horses and ponies by a relative of one of our children, a descendant of the Stoddard Withers who first invented the game" said Severus "And though we traditionally like to beat Hellibore's – it's an old rivalry – we hope that your team will be able to really challenge our players because WE'VE only ever played each other so far; though we hope for a fixture against Hogwarts at some point soon."

The visitors played up; and managed a win against the third team who had been put together from 'the rest'; the first team won, which was as George said, as it should be.

"And as you only have twenty pupils in total to pick from and we have four and a half times as many kids as you it's an impressive showing" said George to the oldest girl on the Berne team, who led it. "You might want to issue a challenge to the free school, Schloss Adler; they've more pupils but with the large number who have never even been close to a horse they have less who are capable on horseback and they'd relish a team who can show them how to do it properly without depressing them by being relatively practised as we are, for having each other to play. And quidditch too if you have a team; none of their decent players is over fourteen though they are dead keen. And that will help both schools with a bit of healthy competition. I'm impressed by your team, and I hope we'll be seeing you in a multi-school round robin in the future. Durmstrang don't have horses at school, Beauxbatons doesn't either so really it's something we smaller concerns can really make our own, and we should hash out an agreement as to a school league."

"Thank you; we never expected to win any games against a school who produced such fine riders for the gymkhana" said the girl "But we have had fun and learned much from playing."

"Us too" said George "Getting a game against people with a different flying style is really good fun! And you made all the teams work you know; we didn't get a win easily. And that's always good; we appreciate it more and know that another year we shall have to be on our mettle against you! And Switzerland has such excellent policies in education too, so I hope that your school also expands; perhaps some of our Swiss pupils will choose to come to you to teach; and I don't see why we shouldn't have arrangements with you for those who want to take ZH's in subjects you don't offer to come by portkey once a week."

The girl brightened.

"That would be most pleasant; we study to ZH only Potions, and we may study History or Ancient Runes on our own with some help from the staff. But our headmistress wants us to grow, and seeing how excellently you have integrated goblins in your school, she will open to those goblins whose fathers can pay our fees. I think that more have such resources in Switzerland than in Germany."

"Oh Swiss and English goblins are a very different proposition to the poor depressed goblins of Germany" said George "Our few German goblins have had to learn to be proud of who they are; mind you, they've done it very well" he added. "I understand that most Swiss goblins are at least mostly literate; only the poorest, like the poorest humans, are illiterate. A better record I believe than in England until recently as it happens."

"Literacy is important" said the girl. "Yes; Switzerland and England lead the world in being civilised; with the odd exception of certain bludger-brained quidditch players."

"Oh there's always the odd one or two who embarrass everyone else" shrugged George "And Arbrek's none the worse for it. Indeed, it strengthens his resolve to play and show he can be an ambassador for the beautiful game."

"It would have hurt less had they not been our local team" said the girl sombrely "The Berne Bears are an old team and I fear too arrogant. There is some intolerance in our town; but we shall be modern in our outlook and combat it by welcoming goblins into our school. I find them a little unpleasant to look at and I do not much like the feel of their fingers to shake hands with; but such things should be overcome for the sake of harmony and a proper outlook."

"You'll do very well" said George approvingly.

Perhaps Severus might invest in this school in Berne too so it might grow and be a decent sports rival as well as giving more education to local kids. With Prince Peak, Hellibore's – one had to count it of courtesy – and the Bernese Academy of Wizardry the Alpine region looked like becoming a centre of learning in Europe.

oOoOo

George's girl friend had other priorities as spring set in; Flo had a self imposed task of checking on all the local dryads and seeing to their needs and making sure nobody violated their peace. She had managed to enlist the aid of the charcoal burners in this, as they accepted the existence of the 'Zaubervolk' of the castle; and some of the younger charcoal burners had been pressed into service – not unwilling service at that – as fathers for new young dryads as the school's forests grew and were nurtured by Valerie Burdock and Flo with much aid from Rory too. Rory was actually being pursued by a young birch dryad and was considering letting himself be caught; it almost seemed improper for a dedicated gardener not to do what he might. And it was not, as Rory said, as though he actually had a girlfriend.

The Charcoal Burners had been awed when Flo had induced the dryads to show themselves and promised the gracious tree ladies to always be guided by them as to which trees they should fell and to respect them properly.

Fagia, the school dryad, declared that she had never known that muggles could be such decent types and proceeded to organise the other dryads into a rota to help the charcoal burners out.

It may be said that when she returned to the school and her own beech tree in a smug sort of way, the other dryads and the charcoal burners thrashed out their own agreement that had nothing to do with Fagia's well-meaning interference.

Flo considered that Fagia modelled herself too much on Hermione Granger-Weasley.

oOoOo

Severus spoke to the headmistress of the Berne school and found her cautiously willing for some investment so long as she did not lose control of the school she and her sister had started. They had both been to Beauxbatons school and had studied hard there because their natural Swiss industry had disapproved of the general slacking that characterised the school. Consequently they were teaching the few subjects they offered to a higher standard perhaps than Beauxbatons itself and Severus introduced them to Leneli Accola, who was undecided about what career to follow. He suggested paying her wage as his contribution, and she might teach Charms and Enchantment and maybe too Defence against the Dark Arts. Leneli was talented at Charms; which the sisters were weak on, so they were delighted; and Leneli, when pushed, declared herself willing to take it to ZH level, giving them a second taught ZH. Offering enchantment too was something new for them; they taught DADA informally to teach their children to repel a boggart and recognise common dark creatures. The Prince Peak students all had a thorough grounding in DADA and Leneli was no exception. To be a professor would raise the profile and respectability of half goblins, and Leneli jumped at the offer.

She was also profoundly grateful to Severus for his intervention and lightened up considerably, having started to be moody again with the prospect of leaving school.

Her boyfriend Milos Milic also approached the Berne headmistress, explaining that he hoped to marry Leneli and offering his services as full time DADA teacher and suggested that the school might use the English OWL and NEWT exams so that it was Defence not the Dark Arts, or the French equivalents. Milos was determined to see that there was as much competition to Durmstrang as possible, even though Durmstrang had been improved. That he too was willing to teach to the higher level pleased the sisters no end. The headmistress taught Potions, Ancient Runes and Charms at the moment – the latter only to ZP level – and her sister taught Transfigurations and History and between them they covered the necessary defences against dark creatures. Only the Head felt truly capable of taking her best subject to high level; though a few of their pupils did manage to cover the syllabus for History and Ancient Runes. This meant at least the possibility of training to be an Anwalt; and the potion exam could lead to a number of openings. With Charms and DADA there would be more options yet.

oOoOo

Silvina had taken the opportunity, while Mihail Vasylovitch was around, of asking him about Russian music; though he had been unable to tell her much about any musical magic, which was as new a concept for him as so many he had encountered, he had been able to sing her a few songs which Silvina had jotted down with a view to collecting as many styles as possible from which to draw, on the principle, as she explained to the other castle musicians, that the form and origin of music might be as important for the use of it in magical effect as was the form of poetry used in chanting.

Godfrey particularly considered it a valid point and made a note of it in the screed he was compiling to eventually turn into a treatise on music in magic, probably a text book for future reference and which he planned to publish under the authorship of 'The Musicians of Prince Peak' claiming only to have edited it.

Silvina also asked the Prince Peak Russian elves who were able to tell her a few folk dances and folk songs; which all added to her repertoire. Then she pestered Yelisaveta Koldunova who was now sufficiently settled that she could speak, albeit sadly, of her childhood in the Ukraine.

"Why the enthusiasm for things Russian, Silvina?" asked Krait "You weren't hoping to gatecrash the Order of the Dragon and be their first female or something were you?"

"Oh, no, mother Krait" said Silvina "I just wanted to use the Russians' own music against them if they attack again; YOU know. It has to have symmetry."

"Oh that makes sense" said Krait. "According to Pru Buffer we need to beware the stranger who comes as though in friendship; and bless the girl, she managed that out of cards not some daft trance and semi-comprehensible mumblings."

Silvina laughed.

"You really DON'T have a lot of time for Divination, do you best of mums?"

Krait grinned.

"Bearing in mind that Trelawney – the seer who lumbered Harry with being the Chosen One – told me that I was obviously born in September and was full of order and talent I really do find it hard to swallow" said Krait.

"Two out of three ain't bad I suppose" said Silvina "How on earth was she supposed to know when you were born?"

"Characteristics of birth signs" said Krait, sniffing; since her birthday was in February. "She logged Harry as a winter baby as I recall – and he the one she'd spouted about being born as the seventh month died. Huh!"

"Isn't the sign of true prophecy not being able to recall it afterwards?" asked Silvina.

"In theory" said Krait. "And she didn't – not consciously anyway. I found it with legilimensy all the same in her muddled old head. She was a stupid moo who liked to frighten juniors with tales of doom; and she nearly killed at least one kid who set off for home in terror of never seeing her mother alive. Too many people who have visions like to make themselves what they think is interesting by doing the mystic crap at other times and talking any old rubbish. Which is why I like Miss Gimlet; because she's very down to earth. Coming off hobby-horse now."

Silvina laughed and kissed her adoptive mother affectionately.

"And Law is faintly embarrassed by it but determined to do his best to develop it for the good of the school and marauders" she said.

"Yes thank goodness!" said Krait "That reminds me; I want to start giving him classes on occlumency and legilimency to prevent anyone else usurping his dreams AND to teach him to deep legilimens himself if he has a er, funny turn so he actually knows what he said and might even be able to find out more or less what he was subconsciously thinking when he said it. Not that I go much for what's said under trance" she added.

oOoOo

Silvina had occasion to use her music to the good of the school in a slightly more mundane situation than the repelling of dark wizards when Muriel Quinn's pet nifflers escaped their cage and went in search of treasure bent.

There were a spate of disappearances of anything shiny while Muriel was still looking for them; and Silvina asked if she might try to find them.

"Feel free" said Muriel "I caught Pepe but the rest are still loose; do you want to know what colours they are right now?" Muriel used colour changing potions to dye her little pets' fur to make them more visible.

"Don't need it" said Silvina "But you'd better let me have, er, Pepe close to me or he'll go wild with trying to get out to reach me."

Silvina had an idea of using the basic Pied Piper's tune, tailored to suggest to the minds of nifflers treasures aplenty to forage for if they only followed the music.

She played her piece on the flute she had been learning.

"Crumbs, Silvery Snape, that's awfully attractive" said Arbrek.

Several other goblins seemed to think so to and came to listen, even though they were not following mindlessly. Silvina reflected that it WAS a part of goblin psychology to be attracted to precious metals and jewels; an interesting side effect. The tune might be used then to gain attention at any goblin rally which was getting out of hand.

The effect on nifflers was a lot more dramatic; they came running from their current nests and tried to climb into Silvina's lap for petting.

Silvina was no great fan of nifflers but she endured their attentions as Muriel cried in delight that they were all there; and changed her tune to a sleepy sort of tune to make them drowsy enough for Muriel to kidnap and confine her pets more securely.

"Now all we need is to find all that they stole" said Muriel.

Silvina played a tuned of finding; walking around in a small circle. She had heard of the excess of success summoning lost item rituals had had in the past – Irmi told it as a story against herself – and was judicious in her definition in her own mind. Even so there were a remarkable number of socks, handkerchiefs and other odd items of clothing in the pile which materialised in the circle she had defined.

The missing coins, jewellery and foil-wrapped sweeties were there too, which was the main thing; and Silvina left various people to claim that, and then struck up a jaunty little tune that sent all excess items to find their rightful owners.

The sight of Rose Hubble being affectionately embraced by a cardigan, and Anttii Laakkonen being tapped on the shoulder by three odd socks was well worth the effort and Silvina had to stop playing for getting the giggles.

There was to be another match of quidditch that term; the school had been asked for a game by the small amateur team of the Eben Einhornen, the Eben Unicorns in English. The Alpine area had numerous tiny wizarding communities who fielded amateur teams often drawn all from a single family and who played, generally, above the clouds in the mountains to cover their fixtures. The Unicorns travelled up to the Prinzhorn to play and the school team raised eyebrows at pristine white robes with the appliquéd golden horn on the back. White robes did not seem to them to be very practical for any sport! Still, it had the advantage of being camouflage against snow to fool muggles, as Fred pointed out.

The school won the encounter by a comfortable margin reiterated by Arbrek's catch of the snitch; and the visitors congratulated them without too much obvious chagrin.

"After all" said George "We DO get to play against professional teams to hone our skills. And our beaters HAVE been scouted by a local team too; next year they'll be playing for Spartz."

"Well it's said to be a coming team" said the Captain of the Unicorns. "Nice location you have here – if you can cope with the thin air."

"And we'll be training up here to keep our lungs good, twin" murmured Peter to Fred.

"Yeah; and keeping up our chanting training and all" said Fred "Nothing like opera trained lungs to give you plenty of oxygen when you need it. And we'll get our team mates to train at altitude too; and then Spartz will SWEEP the European league."

They grinned at each other and exchanged a high five.

They would be the first people who took broomsurfing seriously who would also be playing professional quidditch and it would be interesting to see how much difference it made. And though neither spoke of their ambitions, the idea of playing for Austria in the next World Cup had too crossed their minds! They would have a couple of months to be scouted on the Spartz team before the year long series leading up to the World Cup started to be played; long enough to make an impression.

But that was too dear an ambition to be spoken of out loud.

oOoOo

There were other hopes and aspirations within the school of a more or less profound nature; Antti Laakkonen hoped only that he did not lose anything more before the end of term and Hermione Granger hoped fervently that she might reach the holidays before she gave birth to the increasingly heavy load of her pregnancy. Flo had already reproved her by asking if it was necessary to have a transfigurational removal of the sense of humour to have a baby after Hermione had set the whole of the First year lines for writing on the blackboard, "1 – calculate with reference to ley assist the distance around Professor Granger's bump;

2 – calculate the maximum time a pregnant professor is out of touch with her feet;

3 – use Wenlock numbers to chart the increase in irritability of a pregnant professor."

Hermione had thrown a bit of a hissy fit even by the kindest of assessments and Flo had taken it upon herself as head girl and one of the top arithmancers in the school to point out the unfairness in that.

Hermione had been about to boil over; but one could scarcely reprove the Head Girl. Silvina had offered to take the job as being almost a relative; and Flo had told her that such would make it easier for Madam Granger to ignore.

Flo had been quite correct in her assessment; Hermione might have dismissed Silvina as 'just another cheeky Marauder brat of Sev's' but the quietly dignified head girl was another matter.

"You think I was unfair to the brats?" she asked.

"I think they were trying to make a gentle reproof that you've been rather unfair generally lately" said Flo "And in a way that they hoped would make you laugh and see that you've been heavy all round to people. I thought it was clever; and less cheeky than mentioning outright that you're not yourself. If it's making yourself ill, set the school to study alone until after the hols; or make us lower sixth teach as revision for a week or so. We'll gladly help out, Silvina and me."

Hermione prided herself on her fairness and flushed.

"I dislike the concept of rescinding lines" she said. "As a matter or precedent."

"Well it need not be a precedent, Madam Granger" said Flo "And if you spoke to them in their common room and explained that you were in some considerable discomfort that their comments seemed cruel but that on reflection you do not believe that they meant them as such, you are making it clear that you would punish cruel teasing but had merely misunderstood intent."

Hermione brightened.

"Thanks Flo" she said. "That's quite brilliant; I'll do that. I AM uncomfortable; the little wretch is lying on my bladder."

"Ouch" said Flo with feeling.

Hermione took Flo's advice; and was cheered by the first, who voted her a good sort and with cast iron ones to admit to a misunderstanding.

Hermione accepted the inner meaning of that rather unlikely suggestion that she had cast iron ones bearing in mind her condition; and nodded to the juniors and left them to their collections and hobbies.

oOoOo

The holidays duly arrived without any mishap; and as the train left, Hermione gave a little gasp and said,

"MERLIN'S UNWASHED UNDERPANTS!"

"What?" said Ron.

"My waters just broke" said Hermione.

Krait took charge at this point, being quite capable of delivering babies without needing any input from Molly though she sent Ron to tell his mother by Floo that Hermione was in labour and they preferred not to move her.

Molly arrived too late to do anything but stare.

Hermione flushed.

"Well I know I didn't mean to have more than two and just accepted that a third was a nice addition; but I never meant to approach your total with one go" she said.

Molly Weasley goggled at the three tiny red babies each with a tuft of ginger hair.

"Hermione, my dear!" she hugged her daughter in law and kissed her firmly "You'll have to think of names for them!"

"Already thought" said Hermione. "The oldest is Severus Charles and his twin is Remus Arthur; after some of my favourite people. And after honouring MY family with Penelope, our second daughter is to be Ginevra Krait after the two closest girl friends I had at school. And I know Krait's not really a name, Molly, but Krait would crucify me if I called a kid Augusta even for a second name."

"She looks just like Ginny did when she was first born" said Molly, too taken up with sentiment to worry about unconventional second names.

"Yes and to make sure we don't get confused, if she's shortened at all she's to be Nevra" said Hermione firmly. "And little Severus is to be Vere because there are so many Severuses out there because so many of us owe Sev so much and love him so well."

Molly never could quite work out why so many people DID love Severus so well; but she refrained from comment. He HAD lightened up a lot after all, even if he was still rather snide; and at least he DID truly care for Harry and for Krait and – incomprehensibly – for Those Other Women of His.

Ron was grinning in sheer pleasure of the thought of what Fred and George were going to say; not to mention the school when they returned after Easter.

"Not double trouble, but triple trouble!" he beamed.

"The trouble with triples" murmured Krait who knew her Star Trek.