Disclaimer: I own nothing. I am but playing in another's brain baby.
AN: I apologize for the long wait; I have been having problems getting this part written. I would also like to apologize for my grammar I still don't have a beta. It should also be noted that I have started to write another story if anyone is interested in it. I will however be putting this story first and will continue to try to update in a timely manner. Thank you.
Disembarking was an exercise in semi-organized chaos and a rather silly show of one up man ship among the students themselves. The phrase "Obviously, I should be allowed to go first" must have been uttered a hundred times by various students all trying to get their stuff out, while disregarding their fellow students right to do the same.
Arcturus had them all wait for some of the rush to calm down before he started to direct all the house-elves in various tasks. Aurora informed him she should need to retrieve her Pegasus herself. Beyond giving her an odd look, he didn't ask questions and just had Virgo lead her to the cargo hold to claim him. She didn't get there fast enough.
Some idiot shifter must have caught a glimpse of her Nightmare and recognized him. For as they got closer she found a large number of this outside his metal enclosure all trying to look in. One of them undid the latch and it was game over Nightmare already spooked by all the people jumped over several students and tried to take off.
Aurora ran after him jumped off the decking and onto his back before he could get to far. She pulled on his reigns whispering soft insurances as she flew him around the docks before landing next to her family. Arcturus looked mildly impressed. Everyone else took several steps back.
"Sorry guys some idiots were messing with my poor boy and got him all riled up." She called down as she slid off her mount. She made sure to keep a tight hold of his reigns and started patting him on the nose. Virgo and the house-elf she had directing Nightmares enclosure arrived several minutes later. Virgo in between loudly proclaiming the idiocy of all shifters, stopped to ask her how in the world she had landed the allegiance of an Aithon?
"I saved him from idiots and he has consented to grace me with his presence ever since." Aurora told them while coxing Nightmare back into his home. She would have to remember the name so she could look it up later, as this was the first hint she had as to what breed her Pegasus could be.
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They did eventually make it up to the school. Adults directed the children to their assigned rooms by calling out names and passing them class schedules, keys with numbers and a small map. New students were reminded to sign up for a tour of the school soon so they could get it in before the mandatory welcoming assembly.
Professor Akila Baniti Akins was their tour guide, Aurora and the others had decided to put their stuff in their rooms and then leave for a tour. They could sort their rooms after and if they didn't finish in time they could do it after dinner. It was just better to get the tour out of the way.
Most of the buildings where clearly Greek in origin others Egyptian. Roman looking walkways and roads paved with flat stones connected all buildings, outbuildings and pavilions. They were given maps and list of spells to help them find their way if they got lost.
Draco was having trouble reading it apparently his tutor had wanted him to impress his father with his pronunciation and had neglected the rest, focusing instead on the languages Lucius was more likely to test him on. Aurora offered to tutor him and he accepted until she asked to see his schedule. At which point a small battle ensued where Aurora tried to steal his schedule and Draco tried to keep it from everyone.
Finally as he realized he was taller and preceded to hold the parchment above his head as far as he could, Caellum who was a good bit taller than all of them simply grabbed it from him took a glance and passed it onto Aurora even as he started to grin. Draco flushed in embarrassment Aurora said nothing about his remedial classes just found some time between her schedule and his to write in time for tutoring. Caellum on the other hand continued to send Draco mocking grins the rest of the tour.
Maggie ignored them all in favor of making gooey eyes at one of their taller more human looking classmates. Maggie who had despaired them being the only older students to just start out was happy to find that was not the case. Most of the tour group they had joined were fifth and sixth years who had just started Athena's. They passed more groups made of little ones than older kids though. The tour only lasted thirty minutes and did not go into great detail just generalities, so they were able to return to their room fairly quickly.
Either someone with knowledge of their families surname had made arrangements or fate had a sense of humor. All the Children with last name Black were on the same section of the same floor and even Draco was on that floor except his room was the other side of the hallway. Arcturus greeted them as they came back and asked if they needed help.
"I can cast a space expansion charm that will accommodate my tent." Draco said smugly.
"I'm good as well." Maggie announced.
"I'll need help setting up my greenhouse and water room." Caellum told him. "But, I figure Aurora can help with that when she's done."
"Greenhouse and water room?" Arcturus asked head tilted to the side slightly, clearly curious to see it.
"Yeah give me a few moments and I'll show you" Caellum announced as he disappeared into his new room.
Aurora quickly got to work she cast the space expansion charm extending the room as far as it would go. She looked around at the large space that gave her and smiled. She set up her own wards and ward stone first. The balcony was to the right side of the wall facing her and she placed the unfolded double glass doors that led to the kitchen beside it. She put her small greenhouse mostly of healing plants and herbs out on the balcony. The multi-compartment door/trunk that also held her bedroom went on the wall right of the balcony. It held several living rooms that she would need to check one by one to ensure all the sticking charms held and nothing was out of place.
Beside that door she stuck her favorite. It was a large broom racing course complete with obstacles that could be moved to rearrange various patterns to help her train. She would likely be spending most of her 'free' time in here. Just inside the door was a small wardrobe were she kept her brooms. Just looking at it now made her want to halt everything and go flying.
On the wall to her left directly after you entered she placed the guest toilet. It had a setting that changed 'compartments' to a wash room for her clothes with shelves that held all the cleaning supplies she and elves might need for the year. Towards the middle of the left wall she placed the three story library. Her library was true work of art the bottom floor had tables where her entire family and any friends could spread out to study together, but small reading nooks and secrete rooms were dotted all over the place. Small alcoves contained glass cases for rare first edition books and the occasional rare volume.
On the left wall closest to the kitchen she placed her dining rooms. One large formal dining room, two breakfast rooms and three smaller informal dining rooms all with their own special themes and enchanted windows. Here in the main room she added several chaise lounges and comfy chairs. With small tables. Expensive paintings were hung on the walls between the doors decorative vases and status were placed artfully around the room. Some of which also hid her runic warding schemes and her small ward stone was hidden by the base of one of her middle sized statues.
She inspected her kitchen first. Her large island was sight to behold all butcher block and with a wine rack in the middle. The house elf rooms were in the right cupboard and her little servants settled in well. Her cabinets were gleaming and golden in color and nothing was out of place. She found similar results in most of her rooms only have to fix something here or there. She sat up the small square 'door' to a kittens paradise in the middle of the right wall and realized she was finished with time to spare.
She went out to see Maggie too was finished and they helped Caellum set up his massive greenhouse and water room. The greenhouse was put on the balcony and took up the whole thing. The water room was a combination indoor pond and underwater greenhouse. Those plants that grew best in water and submerged in water could be found here. Caellum loved it. Maggie loved the swimming opportunity. Aurora didn't see the appeal either way personally but Caellum did grow some important medicinal plants in there so she endured helping him with it all.
"Woah!" Arcturus and Leo were standing in the doorway. In moments all of their cousins including Draco were in Caellum's rooms. So They gave them a tour, then Maggie did the same. Aurora exchanged them being allowed to tour her rooms for her getting to tour theirs. Draco was at first convinced that they'd somehow bribed the school for larger rooms, mostly because his own room was literally slightly larger than the cell it was to begin with and his wizarding tent took up every inch. The tent itself contained a small library that doubled as a office space, two bedrooms one bathroom, one living space that flowed into the dining area which was connected to kitchen space. One miserable house-elf lived in the cabinets to the right. It was in a word, tiny. Most of the others weren't' much better.
Arcturus like her had expanded her room as far as it would go. He had decorated it as a sitting room filled with couches and artwork. On the back wall was a large heavy trunk. It was open and led to several other rooms sitting rooms a guest toilet and his giant bedroom. Virgo's room was much like Arcturus's only with darker colors and themes. Her artwork was downright gruesome and poor little Libra found it disturbing and frightening in the extreme. Her balcony was covered with a thick black shroud.
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The welcoming feast was also a new experience for the former Hogwarts students. The school first held an assembly in a large theatre hall. Headmaster Athanasiou welcomed everyone new and old before he introduced all of the teachers. They acknowledged last years leading students and those who'd made exemplary achievements over their break.
Aurora was surprised to be introduced as a journeyman level healer apparently the papers she'd submitted to be officially acknowledged had been published. With several prominent Healers praising her theoretical work. Once done they introduced this years prefects and the captain's of various sports; before dismissing everyone by sections to head into the dinning hall.
The dinning tables were smallish and round. Long buffet tables lined two walls and the doors were open to a court yard where several more tables were set up. Their family found seats in the same general area as each other and those who'd already been students here quickly had their friends find them. Aurora, Caellum, Maggie, and Draco sat together. Draco had sandwiched himself between Caellum and Maggie, likely hoping they would protect him from undesirables. No one got up to get themselves food instead calling on their servants to do it for them.
Aurora quietly and gently called Winky and began using sign language to give her instructions instead of yelling out in the loud hall and hoping she was heard. Winky quickly brought the table bowls of Greek Stifado before popping off for other food. The table was soon filled with plates of tirokroketes (breaded cheese balls), Dolmades (stuffed grape leaves), and various other bits they enjoyed. Honey covered balls of bread finished them off and Winky happily cleared their table for them. While a few other children came over to introduce themselves most stayed with known friends and caught up. Leaving the new students to introduce themselves, and not much else to do. Maggie suggested they retire early, something Draco was thrilled to comply with.
The next morning made for another first for the group. Potions class started with Professor Papadopoulos going over the safety rules and regulations. Anyone found to be breaking said safety procedures would be asked to leave the class and would not be returning. Following the Safety lecture, they were asked to copy the class goals, and a schedule of when certain projects would need to be turned in from the board. The projects were their homework assignments and would be graded harshly but this was the fist and last time they would be mentioned in class. It was up to the students to remember to do them and turn them in on time. No assignment would be accepted late.
They quickly found that most of the standard core classes were equivalent to what was offered at Hogwarts with small variations. Maggie enjoyed the days focused on theory and Aurora lived for the practical. The transfiguration's class was focusing on finding ones animagus form much to all their joy. Though it was hard work, having seen Orion's form, they all counted it as worth it.
The infirmary was amazing. Aurora had to attend two lectures every week and turn prearranged assignments otherwise her Healing class was just a rotation helping kids around the infirmary. She mostly deferred the non-human kids over to other healers if they had anything more than small injuries not trusting herself to be able to properly judge the differences in their body from a humans. She was working on that deficiency though and doing her best to quickly memorize their anatomy and magical circulatory systems. She spent two hours a day with the various experts on different species both to help her studies and to ensure her patients knew she cared about them she just needed more practice with them.
One of the other student healers was a seventeen year old Fae, of the green variety. As in his skin was greenish, his eyes were very green and his shoulder length hair was brown with green streaks. His name was Bes, and he did not like her at all. Of course this meant the instructors paired them together as often as they possible could.
While they all had the usual problems with school, nobody is perfect, there will always be people you hate or hate you. Most of their school related problems ended well enough and none of the teacher were like Snape. Though it would be hard not to notice the Necromancy instructors apparent dislike of Aurora. Try as she might, she simply could not figure out what she'd done wrong.
On the Friday following their first week of school Aurora held a diner in her rooms and invited all the Blacks by issuing official invitation cards allowing them a plus on so long as they rsvp'd at least three days in advance. Arcturus was bringing a date and rsvp'd by calling out to her in the middle of the gardens while she was hurrying to class. "Hey Rory, I'll be there!" He than wrapped his arm around the girl with him. "I'm brining a date!" He added as though it were an after thought "You should probably warn the little mouse!"