Chapter 19

The Visicks had returned early to school by a day because Severus had contacted their father and requested the presence of his head girl to impart some information to.

Flo was dying of curiosity; and the Headmaster smiled at her as she stepped lightly into his study in response to his invitation and dropped the obligatory curtsey to him.

"Take a seat, Flo my dear" said Severus "Cocoa? Marshmallow in it or cream and chocolate sprinkles?"

"Cream and sprinkles please sir" said Flo "I think I've grown out of marshmallow."

Severus laughed.

"Oh I tend to agree save in special circumstances" he said "It DOES hit the system where it needs it after heavy ritual I must say; I prefer marshmallows toasted and smeared on biscuits."

"Me too" said Flo, wondering what he wanted.

He smiled.

"No, I didn't ask you back early to discuss gustatory tastes" he said "It's about a new girl who will be joining us for the summer term."

Flo raised an eyebrow.

"You don't use sloppy speech sir; FOR the summer term not FROM the summer term?"

Severus grinned.

"Well it's nice to know my head girl is on the ball over my subtleties of speech" he said. "I SAY for the summer term; but a lot depends on….well, a lot. Let me explain; I've left it as clear as mud so far. The girl's name is Danica Paslenova; she's Russian. Apparently she has been to a small school, of the dame school type where she has studied so far four subjects; and wants the opportunity of a wider education. She will be in the fourth, nominally; though I have warned her parents that if she cannot keep up with the remedial classes she may find herself put down a year to give her at least a chance of passing some OWLs outside her current experience."

"Well, naturally we shall all do all we can to help her catch up; but what's the catch?" asked Flo.

Severus put his cocoa mug down on the table and sat back.

"I'm not ENTIRELY sure that there is one" he said "But I DO have to take note that Pru came up with a prediction that strongly suggested a spy to be introduced. Gut instinct suggests that Danica might be it."

"You mean she's actually a grown up masquerading as a schoolgirl?" asked Flo.

"No, I think the poor child really is only fourteen" said Severus "And has been somehow induced to spy – whether cajoled, bribed, threatened or under the influence of a mistaken sense of duty I don't yet know. I will do; I plan to legilimens her thoroughly. However, I want you as head girl to see that she is treated as well as any new child would be, settled in, shown about, given every courtesy; because I would rather subvert her than send her away with a flea in her ear for her activities."

Flo nodded.

"So show her how nice it is here and how decent all the kids are and how brilliant are the staff and lessons so that she realises that she's spying on something rather fine and feels ashamed? Like Gertrud Becker in the Chalet School book?"

"More or less" said Severus. "Give the poor kid a view of reality and encourage her to feel like defecting. I'll be reporting to the marauders in her form when I've more real knowledge; because I want HER to choose to come over to us, not to reveal her secret to her and force confidences."

Flo nodded.

"Much better" she agreed. "You're most awfully clever sir. I'll certainly do my best. Crumbs, will you teach me Russian the quick way, please? And then I'll go and gabble with Vya to brush up."

"Certainly; you are a good girl, Flo" said Severus warmly, transferring the knowledge – rudimentary at least – to Flo. The Head Girl had not been on the duelling team and so had not troubled to learn the language when the rest of the team had done so.

Flo gasped and shook her head which suddenly felt very full of a foreign language, which was quite a normal reaction to learning through magical transfer. It would take a while to speak as a native, with a full vocabulary and naturally used grammar and pronunciation but there was a basis and Vya was a native Russian speaker who was a castle resident, and from the next day the Zorn twins also spoke the language – Svetlana was in fact a native Russian before her adoption and ritual induction into being Sandalla's twin – and Yelisaveta Koldunova was another resident whose native Ukrainian dialect was related to Russian, which she spoke too. Flo would soon pick up the more subtle nuances to the language.

"Well, this Danica will have Beta to speak to in her own language also" said Flo.

"If the child accepts Beta as a little girl and not a slave" said Severus gently.

"She will learn if she wishes to fit in; and if she's spying, she will want to at least seem to fit in" said Flo "And if she complies perforce, the actions will soon become habit and start to seem natural."

"You are a wise girl Flo" said Severus "Of course she MIGHT chalk it up to resentment; and let the fact that we treat what she sees as little more than animals as people fester."

Flo shrugged.

"We can try to show her the realities of life; if at fourteen she is too stupid and set in her ways to be ready to see facts then I fear we will not be able to subvert her. She must learn, or you will be forced, I suppose, to send her away?"

Severus sighed.

"Yes" he said. "I don't quite know what they hope to find; they saw at the duelling competition that we have elves and goblins and that all our pupils learn an eclectic selection of magic. Perhaps I shall find out what they are actually looking for."

"Oh something fatuous like the 'source of the power of the English' or something equally daft" said Flo "Some of these damn foreigners can't get it into their heads that the source of our power is hard work and study."

"Your parochial nature is on display" laughed Severus "And of course the source of the ability of the majority of the likes of the duelling team, and those of you who are hoping to enter the Triwizard next year is more than the hard work in school; but a level of creative mischief not encouraged outside of schools run on English lines. Many European children are raised in unthinking obedience; The German mindset is that rules should always be obeyed; the French that nice little ladies and gentlemen don't do anything improper; and I suspect that the supremacists of Russia have as controlling an ethos as the Odessa that keeps natural mischief subdued. Only total freedom permits mischief and separates it from real naughtiness. We grow up in the knowledge that mischief and disobedience are separate things. None of our marauders would dream of doing anything that was actually forbidden – save a bit of bounds breaking and curfew dodging. And if it were explained I doubt most of them would comprehend anyway" he sighed. "And I know fine well that one of the pieces of mischief that is going to be pulled for the next Triwizard is Lilith attempting to get her name in."

"She'll succeed" said Flo with conviction "That little girl is already far beyond any of us in the combined sixth. And I wish her luck you know! And being Lilith" she added thoughtfully "She'll manage to confund the goblet of fire to persuade it that she's from a different school yet so she doesn't spoil the chances of a champion from Hogwarts who she'll enjoy going head to head with. We're not actually so talented a group, those of us who'll be eligible, as some years; my money's on Yrdl Breuer; or maybe AHHa."

Severus nodded.

"I am inclined to agree" he said. "They are rather the better of the two years; Crow Langstaffe is in there with a shout too."

"And what makes you so special, sir, is that you know that Silvina, who is special in her own way, is NOT likely to be one who has a large chance of being chosen" said Flo.

"Well, I suppose I should give others than my own family a chance once in a while" laughed Severus "Silvina is as you say special in her own way; not an all round genius like Jade or Lilith; I'd have backed Lydia to be champion if her age had been right I think; Mimi however would have had tough competition from Bella. But not necessarily to have won the whole competition. Lionel was a joint winner because Jade chose to let him in. And I believe I'm prouder of her in that than in her joint win" he added.

"Jade's something rather special" said Flo devoutly; Jade was a firm heroine of hers.

"And she trained you up to be a worthy head girl following in her footsteps" said Severus firmly. "You may confide in Beta if you like; she's a discreet girl who will be another pair of eyes – and Russian speaking ears – to keep an eye on our little spy. If indeed I'm right and she IS a spy; and if she isn't I'll let you know right away."

"Well I shan't treat her any differently to the way I would any new oik" said Flo "Just watch her a bit closer."

Severus nodded.

"Good" he said "Now hop along and practice your Russian."

oOoOo

Danica's heart was hammering; the English had such a fearsome reputation, even the children were said to be cruel and fearsome, though that was hard to believe. But what if the terrible Professor Snape discovered what she was doing? He would surely use her in his experiments; and what that might entail she had no idea but the idea made her blood seem as ice water!

Nervously she approached the area of the big muggle train station where she was supposed to meet with the other pupils for the school; looking out for other uniforms of brown and flame. She was glad that the flame colour in the tie and trim to her clothes did not look ill with her auburn hair; in fact it brought out the redder lights in it. The muggle style clothing was odd, but at least she was not stared at too much by the muggles. And there were robes to wear with it or instead for summer wear. The letter from the headmaster had warned her that it would be very hot at high altitude; so she had brought a lightweight cream robe as well as the muggle-style summer garments.

The smiling, tall, pretty girl with a badge and plain flame coloured tie that she had been told denoted the sixth stepped up to her and spoke in careful Russian.

"You must be Danica" she said "I'm Flo Visick; the Head Girl. I assume that you've learned German; do you know any English or French?"

"I know more French than German" said Danica "And I have been taught some English by spell but I think it is a little rudimentary."

"Not to worry" Flo switched easily to French "You'll soon pick it up in using it day in and day out. We speak nothing but French one day a week and nothing but German another, though we are essentially an English school. There is a native Russian speaker in your class – unless you find you cannot keep up with the catching up and need to go down a year – and she'll be able to help you out, as she's fluent in all the languages we use too. I DO hope you are aware that we have goblins and elves and that we do not brook any racism? Or for those of half-blood?"

"So I am given to understand" said Danica "I have never met any elves or goblins but I want a good education so badly I – I don't really care."

"Well that's all right" said Flo "As the only Russian in your class is Beta, who's an elf. Her sister was on the duelling team and the big Russian pure-blood school made a fuss; but then I suppose they have so little to boast about that they have to make a big thing of the only thing they think worth having, which is their pure blood. They only study nine subjects as I understand" she added in scorn "Which means less than the average number of OWLs we take – the lower exam. I don't know what you call it in Russian."

Danica gasped.

"You mean more than nine SOWs are normal? That is what we call them in Russian, the Supermennoe Wolshebstulo. The upper level we call the ShABA, the Shutko Akadeenitscheskeyo Blestjastkchej Attestazi."

"Oh we have twenty available; the top students take eleven or twelve, nine or ten are normal, those who struggle or have but a single main talent like music or art may only take eight, or even seven" said Flo. May as well point out how GOOD the school was, she thought!

Danica gasped again.

"I did not know there WERE so many studies!" she cried.

"Oh but yes; though such as music in magic and art in magic are taught only to those who have talents in those subjects; and Quidditch likewise, that is only to OWL as yet, but may give advantages to those who love the game but are not good enough to play professionally and yet look to a career within the game, as officials and such. It's something a lot of those mad to play take as well, because having theoretical knowledge will make them better players, as I understand. It covers minor medical transfigurations for sports injuries too I think as well as the Arithmancy of the game and rules. Are you keen on quidditch?"

"Oh, yes! Well, I enjoy the knock-about games I have had the chance to play, and I follow the fortunes of my local team; I don't know if I'm any good or not" she added.

"Well, my boyfriend George Ingate is head of games so he'll look you over" said Flo. "And if you love the game I expect you may want to take that as an extra OWL because you'll have picked up some of the theory by being a fan. And we'll all help you catch up, you know; as will all your class. Come; I shall take you through the barrier and introduce you to Beta who will then introduce you to the others of your year."

Danica was soon presented to a tiny girl of unmistakable Slavic appearance as well as having the odd proportions of a House Elf; and half bemused shook the tiny hand that was offered to her.

Beta relaxed.

"Well I guess you are all right" she squeaked "We have had a few people who are most 'scruciatingly rude about our race; the rotters from the Russian pure blood school were most unpleasant to my big sister, and DIDN'T she show them up!"

"Did she?" asked Danica.

Beta nodded vehemently.

"She's had an English education; of course she was better than them" she said.

"What is it about an English education that makes it superior?" asked Danica curiously. It was one of the things she was supposed to find out after all.

Beta considered.

"I suppose it is partly at least the idea that all subjects intermesh and you are foolish to neglect anything just because it does not seem to have any immediate use" she said.

"But if you have so many subjects, how is that to be attained?" demanded Danica.

"Oh, because if you give attention to the basics, anything else can be picked up I guess" said Beta. "Arithmancy, Potions, Charms, Transfigurations and Defence Against the Dark Arts are compulsory here because they cover most of the basics; and too it's sensible to concentrate on Runes because without an understanding of runic application Chanting is less powerful, and enchanting and any kind of magical art or metalwork; and you can't expect to progress to serious ritual without a passing knowledge of runes. Not that I know an awful lot about ritual myself" she added "It's never really been something that ever came up. I expect the Marauders understand it already though because they do library work for pulling practical jokes and you almost need low level ritual for some of the stuff they've done."

"What are these Marauders?" asked Danica.

"Oh, groups that get together; they have to be invited to be Marauders by older groups of Marauders in the school before they can properly call themselves it" said Beta "By proving themselves. They play pranks to hone their skills because it is Marauders who are the first to fight dark wizards. Our Marauders are grousing that these Sons of Zirnitra got such a drubbing that they might not get a crack at them."

"True, O best beloved" said Hette in bad Russian. "But then I guess there's always going to be supremacists and nasty types who won't leave people alone for us to take a crack at."

"But surely you do not WANT to fight adult wizards?" gasped Danica.

"Too right we do!" said Hette grimly "And I say can we switch to French? Ta" she added as Danica nodded "I know it's traditionally taught to Russians and I'm a sight more able in French to explain that we want to fight those who would be so lost to shame as to attack children in schools because those of us who are strong have a duty to protect those of you who do NOT want to fight. We pledge to lay down our lives so other kids get the chance to grow up; only Professor Snape is such a good organiser he hasn't lost anyone yet and none of us has HAD to lay down our lives. And actually, you poor naïve child, THOSE sorts don't actually think about me and my twin and our kid brother and Beta and others not pure bred human to actually BE children and would only kill us or enslave us."

"You cannot be correct!" gasped Danica.

"Well, I'm sorry to destroy your innocence but the Sons of Zirnitra actually had along a ritual wizard who admitted – because we eavesdropped and found out – that his role was to place a curse in all the children from the school not of the purest blood to make them self-punish like elves used to do before OUR people pulled off the big ritual to remove that curse from them" said Hette.

"There are those who openly say they would like to see goblins enslaved in the same way as elves" put in Vava.

"And those of us who would be considered free in decent places like England are still held slaves in other places – like America" said Kizzy who was glad the conversation was in French not German which she was still struggling with. Coming from near New Orleans she had started knowing some French already, or at least Creole French.

"They are evil people and your folk are wise to send you here not to Durmstrang. Unless you are not eligible?" asked Beta.

"Actually I am pure blooded" said Danica; and almost felt as though it were a damning admission not a boast.

"Crumbs! What a lucky escape for you; you might have been sent to the pure blood school!" said Beta. "Your parents are sensible. They learn nothing but arrogant posturing there; even Durmstrang is much better, though it is said to be a rather rough school even after the reforms."

Danica was confused. Was it not the ENGLISH who were the evil performers of wicked ritual? But if the Sons of Zirnitra HAD threatened to enslave all the children…. Had not this goblin girl made a mistake? She must have done, surely; she had no reason to lie to another child…. It must be a misunderstanding!

The children chatted away in French – very fluent French – with Beta clarifying anything difficult to Danica in Russian; asking her what she had covered, and promising to help her catch up; and heaving out text books to start her on Arithmancy on the train journey as Madam Granger was said to be a 'little short' with people who did not consider her subject the be all and end all of existence.

"Which as the Head kinda sorta agrees makes it hard for those who aren't good" said Vava "But fortunately all our year really are, except Rudi and Beta."

"And we knuckle down because it IS the be all and end all of higher magic and potions too which is why the Head rates it," said Beta "And one of the subjects that you can achieve a fair level of knowledge in without talent by the application of hard work."

"But the way she's eating up those different bases we don't have to worry" said Sarah "Looks like you're a natural at Arithmancy, our Danica."

Danica flushed in pleasure.

"Hey, Henik, your position at the top of the class is under challenge!" said Vava.

The goblin boy grinned.

"Well it will be nice to have a bit of competition" he said. "Nice for you too, Danica; it comes easily to me but I know that those who struggle groan rather. What else did you say you hadn't studied? Potions? Well you can achieve at that through sheer hard work so long as you persevere, and as it's Professor Snape's own subject he'll be sure and make sure you DO catch up! Any spell can be duplicated with a potion, and often more subtly at that."

"That's very true" said Beta. "Potioneering is one of the subtle arts like chanting; not so brute force as charms or even transfigurations. Well, you've done enchanting and runes, so catching up chanting should be easy enough; and if you want to have a go at metalwork I expect that Professor Chang will be happy to help you out. I expect that Professor Snape will want you too to study some Herbology to help with potioneering."

"Oh but I love gardening!" said Danica.

"Well that's handy" said Beta cheerfully "And another good subject for you then. You'll have studied about half the course of DADA of course if you've only studied the Dark Arts; we do that of course but we also study the defences to them. No point knowing how to get yourself into trouble with the dark arts if you don't know any way to rescue yourself or any of your friends from them, is it? It's one of those really sloppy ideas that so many would-be dark wizards have, that studying defences are weak, forgetting that if they do something like summon some powerful dark spirit and lose control of it, and don't know how to defend against it, then they're sunk. I reckon a lot of people who want to be dark wizards die of stupidity because they've pulled off some ritual that's actually beyond them and they disappear without trace because they didn't know how to get out of trouble" she added giggling.

"More than likely" said Vava. "Mind you, the ritual wizard who we had for a while as a hostage until Professor Snape got sick of him and kicked him out was pretty good at dark ritual but he didn't know how to rescue himself from the ordinary corridor curse I dropped on him for upsetting our Kizzy because I used Finnish naming magic and a chant to tie it to him and he didn't know how to undo it; but it's a timed effect so he'll be all right now, worse luck" and they explained the dirigible fart curse to Danica, and how Professor Snape had put an ugly word on the man's forehead in zits that he would have trouble getting off because Professor Snape was just the works at curses, and someone that pompous would hate more having words in zits that described him than suffering some fiendish death.

"Didn't Professor Snape use him to experiment on then?" asked Danica.

They stared at her blankly.

"You HAVE got a rum idea of him" said Beta "Professor Snape performed experiments on VOLUNTEERS when he was perfecting his cure for werewolves but they all were ready."

"I'm one of them" said Rudi proudly "My family was one of the final test subjects because he had what he thought was a perfect cure. He was right; no real pain at all. And we salute the early testers because it hurt an awful lot while the cure took effect, they say" he said "And one of those is one of Professor Snape's best friends, because he was bitten as a child and Professor Snape and their other friends protected him through school. I was born a werewolf because my parents did not know, after they had been bitten, that it could pass in the heritance. And lots of us who have been cured also come to school at Prince Peak because we're just accepted; a lot of Germans are most silly about what is, after all, only a disease; and most of us not dark creatures at all save when under the curse. That we need never be again" he added.

"I – I heard he sent back some of the leaders who were but mental vegetables" said Danica "I suppose I wondered if their minds had been destroyed by being experimented on."

"Crumbs, you must have been really scared then when your parents sent you here!" said Beta putting an arm around her "But it's no such thing; he killed them and did some ritual to make their bodies live I think, as part of the ritual for killing them. It's well out of our league."

"Ours too and we're Marauders" said Vava "It was invented by Jade Snape on the spur of the moment when someone hurt one of her dependants; and leaving the body more or less alive was an accidental side effect but I expect Professor Snape thought it would freak out the niculturniy pigs of the Sons of Zirnitra. Not an experiment at all; deliberate terror tactics and serve them right for attacking children. He protects ALL of us under his care most tenderly you know; you need not fear him. He's stern and fierce about laziness and wilful stupidity but he's the kindest of men if you have a problem and no child ever need truly fear him. Though I'd rather not be explaining to him something of the order of not having an essay to hand in because I couldn't be bothered" she giggled "Because I think I'd almost WISH he'd only experiment on me because I know I'd be gutting horned toads in detention for about three days running. He is a VERY strict disciplinarian if you go out of your way to irritate him!"

"Well I'd rather gut horned toads than write lines in Hieroglyphs like Yrdl's lot had to last year" retorted Hette.

"Yes, but you take an inordinate amount of interest in all sides of potioneering" said Vava "And I'd rather write the hieroglyphs."

"Which means" Hette grinned at Danica "I'd get to do the hieroglyphs and my twin would be gutting horned toads or it wouldn't be fair. Our big sister and her lot enchanted a particular water pipe to have a reservoir that they filled with hair-growing potion so when people washed their hands they got hairy hands; it wasn't on the drinking water of course. Naturally he had to do something to register disapprobation. But of course they learned a lot making a tank in wizarding space and brewing the potion as a concentrate. Marauders learn through japes, you see?"

"I suppose so" said Danica "They get punished though, even though it is good to learn?"

"Oh yes; but they are punished not for the jape but for inconveniencing people by the said jape" said Vava. "If it's something that causes no problem to anyone and only the mildest inconvenience, no action is taken. We need one for this term by the way, people."

"If these blasted Russians will leave us alone" put in Viridian "We should be concentrating on worrying about the defences more, surely?"

Vava gave a squeal of delight.

"Viridian, you ARE clever; why don't we chant up an exclusion line that does something amusing to anyone who comes to the castle with ill intent? That way they'll be so phased if they DO attack again it'll be like poisoning doxies in a barrel!"

"Like do what?" asked Hette.

"Well, if we had them turned green by the avocado cadavra curse there would be a flash of green light that should freak them out, and just as they're wondering why they're still alive they should notice that they're green instead of dead" said Vava.

"But not really enough to phase them THAT much" said Jo. "Can't we have them tickled or their nose playing tunes to alert people that they're here?"

"Or have the bat bogey curse with the bats also subject to a twist on the boogie woogie bogey bugle curse to shout that they are enemies as they attack them" suggested Viridian who had soon picked up the popular corridor curses.

"Viridian, man, you really ARE on good form today!" said Vava. "NICE building on Jo's idea. We'll do it; and if it also catches creeps from the ministry that's their problem for being anti."

"And there you see Marauders in action" squeaked Beta to Danica "Out for fun with a practical purpose. Anyway, we're expecting a spy sometime soon because Law had one of his prophecy moments and mooed something about the sons of the dragon sending their tool to disclose all. Law's in the first and so far quite reliable" she added. "Pru Buffer also said to beware of a stranger so that kind of clinches it. And you know, we HAVE done ritual magic; because there was a nasty little boy – he was a goblin as it happens – who was expelled for being racist about half-blood goblins and we all did a ritual sending to drop a rude word on HIS forehead, which I'd forgotten, so it isn't just Marauders who do stuff; he was such a little rotter the whole class was involved."

"Except that awful Italian girl who got expelled later" said Vava. "That should have been WAY out of our league when we were eleven; actually a ritual sending should be way out of our league now. Crumbs, that was funny; and they had to get Professor Snape to actually rescue him. Insulting our professor Devlin like that!" she added indignantly.

"YOU didn't have to share a dorm with him, effectively accusing me of being likely to steal anything he had because humans always steal from goblins" said Rudi "And calling Roseli and Leneli monstrosities! WHAT a little tick he was!"

Danica stared.

"But how did you find out how to do it?" she asked.

"We asked Irmi Luytens" said Vava "She's left now; but she was in the fifth then so well versed in ritual. She's another cured werewolf; her dad is married to Professor Snape's daughter Jade. Ritual sendings are dodgy though; because the senders open themselves to the recipient and if they're attacking anyone competent then it can so rebound. Not that we knew that then and nor would we have cared" she added. "And it was too low level a spell to backfire too badly if he'd had the sort of defences any decent wizard can muster. Ritual magic is awfully dangerous and tinkering with it beyond the level of dropping words in zits on anyone from a distance is a bit daft unless you really know what you're doing and actually I don't think that Professor Snape approves much of it because it is so risky. But he took the point that that boy – I've actually forgotten his name – made himself so detested the entire of his class combined to show him what we thought, and we got off with a caution."

Danica had some things to ponder; a spy was expected – they had a very young seer who was actually given credence – and this group of children she was to be with were capable of sending spells to people at a distance, so if she fled, they might even so manage to get her. She wondered if this was being told to her on purpose; but they seemed guileless enough. They just chattered on heedlessly about the quite remarkable level of spells they expected to be able to do as a matter of course!

And when she came face to face with a small boy as they were disembarking the train who gave her a funny look and said,

"I say, if I was you, I'd ask Professor Snape to look out for your family" and then blinked slightly and added "Sorry, did I have one of my odd turns at you? So sorry" and grinned deprecatingly, Danica was almost ready to cry in horror and fear.

But first she must face the terrible headmaster.