Chapter 8
"Has anyone given you trouble mein Vöglein that you are late to us?" asked Jade sharply of Elfleda as she ran in to the study some time behind the older fags who were on duty.
"Yes, Fraulein Von Strang but not another pupil; we were all stupid in class in Arithmancy and we all had to return to repeat the lesson even the ones of us that had studied it properly the first time" said Elfleda. "Frau Professor Meyer was displeased and said we should all suffer that those of us who knew what we were doing should then be angry enough to beat it into the stupid ones."
"I fear she is not so clever, for she will only make those of you who are any good resent her subject and her person as much as you do the stupid ones" said Jade with a sigh of exasperation. "Do they understand now?"
"I doubt it" said Elfleda "the Frau Professor does not explain so well as you; Sofie was one of those confused."
"And the others?"
"Kyril Payutinin, Anisoara Fieraru, and Hengst Ritter" said Elfleda.
"Young Payutinin fags for that lower sixth girl, Pompilia Constantinescu; she's Romanian, does the Romanian child, Fieraru, look to her as well?" asked Jade. "She is the one who tripped Sofie, yes?"
Elfleda nodded.
"Yes she does now fag for Fraulein Constantinescu" she said.
"For whom does Ritter fag?" asked Jade.
"Hilde Mundnimbus; she's in the fifth. He picked out a fairly high born witch to avoid being picked on; she is too a German as he is."
"Hmm. I don't know her. Wait a moment; let me write to her and to Constantinescu; deliver the letters then fetch Sofie."
Elfleda hovered, standing on one foot and adjusting the constant wobble as Jade wrote.
What she wrote to Pompilia was,
"I dislike my fags being kept as collective punishment for the unfortunate failure of a few to follow their lessons; send your fags to me and I will see them caught up so neither of us may be inconvenienced again."
She wrote a similar letter to Hilde of the fifth and wrote their names on the outside; and Elfleda ran off.
Pompilia turned up with the two fags in tow.
"Why should I loan you my fags, Von Strang?" she asked.
"Loan? I wouldn't have them as a gift – at least, not Fieraru; I know nothing against Payutinin" said Jade. "But if they can be brought up to speed MY fags won't be inconvenienced. I'm a better teacher than Frau Professor Meyer who is very clever but cannot cope with little ones. I expect right now they hate Arithmancy; as does Herr Ritter who has just arrived behind them; but they will hate it more if they have not the tools to get it right in their NEXT class; and collectively punished again. If you wish to sit in and see I do not bully them you may; ah, Sofie, good you are here too. Fraulein Fieraru, I will for the peace of your class forget that I dislike you on a personal level. Please all be seated and we shall study through out loud this piece of Arithmancy that so troubles you. What is the problem, Sofie?"
"Please we have been introduced to Numerology and learned the Pythagorean values of the letters but now we are studying something called the Chaldean method, which only goes up to eight, and we have talked of other things called bases" said Sofie "And I think we are all somewhat confused."
"Ah, I see" said Jade "And the explanation rattled by a little fast and left you the more confused?"
"Yes Fraulein" it was Hengst Ritter who answered "And it isn't fair because we want to do it; because the English witch said Arithmancy is the basis of all higher magic."
"Oh Jade Snape is quite correct" said Jade "This we have had dinned into us in Prince Peak where much emphasis is placed on the subtler arts. How many fingers am I holding up?"
"All ten" said Kyril Payutinen "Is it a trick question?"
"Only sort of" said Jade "We count the way we do because we have ten – well, digits. Actually we have eight fingers and two thumbs; the eight fingers giving the concept for the Chaldean count. But suppose you were spiders – with eight legs." She turned her hand into the semblance of a spider and wriggled her legs. The children giggled a little nervously. "You would count one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, one lot of legs and one, one lot of legs and two and so on. Let me write that up" she used her wand to write in mid air. "So you see, one lot of legs – one lot of eight- and two is written one, two; that we see as twelve; but eight plus two is?"
"Ten" said Sofie. "Oh, so where the ten is depends how many fingers you're counting on?"
"Kinda sorta" said Jade "NOT ten though; if you think of one, zero in base eight as ten, you'll be sunk mein Blümchen because it ain't any such animal; one lot of eight plus zero is eight. So if I write it with the notation thus, and I write one, zero, with a little seven by its toes, what is than?"
"Oh, it's seven!" said Anisoara Fieraru.
"Good girl; quite right" said Jade. "In Arithmancy we generally use base two, seven, eight and nine; and some people use base thirteen where ten is represented by A, eleven by B, and twelve by C. These are more magical number bases; and in fact the Chaldean system is arguably base nine because it goes up to EIGHT not to seven with a zero. A lot of people debate that but you don't have to worry about that at your level unless Frau Meyer is in a good enough mood to sidetrack into a debate…. Not that I ought to give repellent first year brats ideas about sidetracking their teachers."
They giggled.
"The book does not put it so clearly" said Hengst resentfully.
"Well a lot of people who write text books are a bit dry and dusty and have forgotten what it's like to be eleven, even if they weren't so swotty that they didn't manage to be eleven even when they were" said Jade. "what is your homework?"
"We are to work out some numbers into other bases" said Kyril "And if we have time we are to reduce them to a single figure."
"Do you think you can manage that now?" asked Jade.
"I think so" he said.
"If you wish to come to me when you are doing your homework if you are uncertain of anything I will see you" said Jade "Yes, you too, Anisoara" she added, noticing the girl wondering. "Providing you do not try to cause any trouble to any of my fags or any other children who want my help. Are you all happier? Good, you may scoot then; and best of luck! Don't forget when you reduce in another base that it must add up only to that base's number; adding six and seven in base eight is not thirteen but one eight and five; that then reduces to six. Unless Madam Meyer has specified otherwise? No? Bear in mind that sometimes it is well to note reductions in both common notation and in basal form. It won't do you any harm to write down both. Sofie, you may do your prep here and if you struggle, I'll see where the others might be likely to do so also."
"THANK you Fraulein Von Strang!" said Sofie and managed to put out her tongue covertly at Anisoara. Jade pretended she had not noticed.
She could hardly really refuse to show that little girl how to do her lesson just because she disliked her for scalding Sofie; the Romanian child had lost out on being more doted upon than overworked.
"Thank you Pompilia; Mr Ritter, thank Fraulein Mundnimbus for me" said Jade.
"The children are grateful for your indulgence" said Pompilia stiffly "And I, that they will not be unnecessarily delayed in future."
Herzog Eduard Von Frettchen regarded Madam Bacsó thoughtfully.
"So, Agata, tell me about how the English girl is settling in" he said.
Madam Bacsó shrugged.
"She has been here a little over a week. She seems to be settling in well; one might say, though, that it is early days. Why, are you then interested in the English so much that you concern yourself over a schoolgirl?"
"A schoolgirl who, it is said, is remarkably able" said Von Frettchen.
"It is galling that the English seem capable of producing results beyond what we are used to; even though I am proud to claim that academic achievement at this school has risen since I took over from the late and unlamented Karkaroff" said Madam Bacsó.
"Oh, nobody is disrespecting you efforts, Agata" said Von Frettchen quickly "I suppose I am intrigued as are you that such levels of competence come out of those TWO English schools; it is not solely in the English experience or training, nor in the English nature; for the boys from that other school, Hellibore's Academy, they were on a par with Beauxbatons only. It is Dumbledore – and his disciples. Snape was trained by him; some say Snape is his natural son; or else an adoptive son."
"Some said, as I recall" said Bacsó acidly "That Dumbledore had lost all his power and was helpless and that to threaten him would bring this supposed son of his running. The same concept led to the loss of the most able Dark Arts teacher I have ever known; Helmut Hesse was told to set up the trap to bring Snape down running and when that failed he was told to kill Dumbledore. His principles in ODESSA FAILED to find out and warn him that not only was Dumbledore in no way impaired in faculty but was capable of what I understand to be about the most tricky transfiguration that could ever be undertaken in returning him utterly, mind and all, to infancy. And we have too seen Dumbledore smile gently and take twelve killing curses in that DISGRACEFUL display at the Triwizard. ODESSA appears to have lost the plot; is that why you want to talk to the English girl? You hope she may bring a touch of efficiency to your organisation?"
Von Frettchen frowned.
"The orders to Hesse were not from me; but from one who had little imagination" he said. "You seem to take it for granted that I represent ODESSA ."
"I thought THAT was obvious" said Bacsó. "Besides, I have asked Nefrita what she knows of ODESSA : apparently the plans of the Prince are discussed as common knowledge in the Austrian school; Snape does not trouble to hide what he does to oppose the Prince. Your name has been mentioned there. So much for being incognito."
"Preposterous!" he was outraged "What has she said?"
Bacsó shrugged.
"Not a lot. Only that she finds it extraordinary that a man of your undoubted ability should utilise a tool like Hedda Schrempf" she said. It was not quite what the girl Nefrita had said; but she had hinted at turning Von Frettchen, and for that he must be flattered; and the girl HAD implied that he was able, more able then the Prince. Agata Bacsó toyed with the idea of suggesting to Von Frettchen that he replace the Prince rather than sticking to Nefrita's idea of bringing down ODESSA ; but ODESSA had been made a laughing stock at worst and was discredited at best. Better to tear down the whole tottering structure and begin again.
"Send for her; I will speak to her" said Von Frettchen.
"The midday break will come soon; a shame that she should be dragged out of lessons drawing further attention to you, is it not?" said Bacsó silkily. "Her Monday afternoons are for free study; I suggest you contain yourself until after the midday meal, Herzog Von Fretchen."
"Yes; yes, you are right. Better not to draw too much attention to myself. I shall, if you will accompany me, do an inspection tour of the school as Governor; and I should like to see her in class if I may."
Jade was in Transfigurations arguing Gamp's exceptions with Professor Nagy.
She was pointing out that though you could not summon food per se, there was nothing wrong with summoning a couple of rabbits and wringing their necks that would then make rabbit stew; and getting technical about how to expend extra energy to make the summoning permanent so the food would have actual nutritional value and would not vanish together with its calories after a while.
The conversation was heavily arithmantic.
"It would be nice if our teacher took some notice of those doing ZH's and not the weirdo English who want to argue obscure and unimportant theory because they can't handle the real lessons" said Nachtigall loudly.
Attila Nagy rounded on him.
"It would be nice if the ignorant little boy managed to understand enough theory to be aware how relevant some of Fraulein Von Strang's points are!" he said furiously. "Somehow I despair of convincing you that matter and energy are thaumoturgically identical!"
"It's a difficult concept for limited minds to grasp" murmured Jade. "Especially those with no creative urges; any idiot can reduce matter to ashes with the conjuration of bluebell flames and doubtless plenty of them do. Channelling the energy into a coalescent form is a little harder; and the difficulty lies in the conjuration of enough energy since the coalescence requires more energy than you might realise, since one has to realise that, say, a rabbit is the sum total of all its years' growth using energy in the calories it consumes that are made into flesh; in effect a rabbit is made of sunlight."
"Run that past me a bit slower, Nefrita" said Volodya, who was actually trying to follow Jade's arguments instead of disappearing off into a world of his own once he lost the plot.
"Item; sunlight powers the growth of grass, since vegetable matter is fed by sunlight with some additional feed from soil and airborne nutrients" said Jade "And the rabbit is powered by eating grass; when a rabbit is born it drinks milk like any mammal but the milk is made because the mother eats grass; and when it is old enough it too eats grass and grows and duly makes more little rabbits. So a rabbit is made of sunlight. A LOT of sunlight."
"Ah, an excellent if almost simplistic way of looking at it!" said Professor Nagy "But essentially a good way to explain why to produce a living creature you must expend a lot of energy! Headmistress – Herzog!" he had just noticed the visitors.
Jade and her satellites sprang to their feet; Nachtigall and his followers unwillingly followed.
"Be seated" said Madam Bacsó "A lively debate, Herr Nagy."
"Yes; the understanding of Fraulein Von Strang is advanced but some of her arguments are close to specious" he said.
Jade grinned.
"Gamp is such a didactic fellow he makes me want to argue with him" she said. "The exceptions are sound enough but the wording is rather woolly and I feel we should think more deeply about the meaning rather than about the actual terminology. The fourth exception to his law 'potions' for example; it is possible to summon the most basic of potions, those that do not require more than the most basic of processing, such as Glumbumble juice, rattle snake poison or a herbal tea. Only those that require a significant input of magic are impossible to summon, so no Felix Felicis; and that really is no different from the third exception 'enchanted items'. Professor Nagy has explained very clearly that Gamp was simplifying things for the purposes of presenting a limited understanding of his true meaning to those of a standard level of knowledge about transfiguration; and properly reproved me for trying to discuss post ZH level transfiguation."
Attila Nagy, who did not recall putting it quite like that blinked and silently applauded Fraulein Von Strang's neat understanding of what he had really meant in the shouting match they had been having. A very clever and intuitive girl that!
"Well, I am glad that your students are so advanced" said Von Frettchen.
"A few of them" said Professor Nagy gloomily "Some are imbeciles; but while the ODESSA demands four ZH's three of which are specified as Dark Arts, Transfiguration and Charms for its officers then I shall be saddled by imbeciles with delusional visions of flashy uniforms who should have perhaps stuck to three ZH's in studies they can comprehend."
Bacsó hid a smile; Nagy could not have made a better comment to rattle Von Frettchen if he had been primed.
Jade hid a smile too.
It had not taken much to find one of the sources for Nagy's resentment of Nachtigall and gently ease the thought to the fore.
Nachtigall flushed and did not hide his displeasure.
"Herzog Von Fretchen, this English girl is disruptive" he said "She shows off and must ever be the centre of attention in every class!"
"Nefrita Von Strang is so far ahead of most of us she cannot HELP looking well in every class" said Cacilia quietly.
"Herr Nachtigall, I think you might do better if you applied yourself to your work rather than to worrying about the exploits of others" said Madam Bacsó coldly. "You are not so good a student that you can afford to busy yourself with the affairs of others."
Nachtigall scowled. He was furious; furious about all of Nefrita Von Strang's doings; she had stolen one of his followers outright and the latest thing she had done was to alienate another! Ritter Kesselring had had the impudence to cast the babbling curse on him and ask about his stupid Uncle Friedolf and his rotten family and that ungrateful bitch Katarina who should have been GLAD to marry him!
Naturally he had got De Witt to help him punish Kesselring; but his loyalty was now in doubt!
Ritter Kesselring approached Jade at lunch. He looked pale and ill.
"I was mistaken to doubt your word" he said abruptly. "Nachtigall spoke quite clearly about the unbreakable vow his father shared with his uncle and how his father got around it; and of his fury that Snape managed to free them of the curse of lycanthropy. When he recovered from his babblings he and De Witt cast the cruciatus curse on me until I passed out. I fear I have given my loyalty unwisely; I should never have stood by a boy who gloated over such abominations as clever manoeuvring. I should prefer to serve your interests; but I refuse to kiss your robe."
Jade grinned.
"I should prefer you NOT to kiss my robe" she said "That Schrempf female just irritated me."
"How do you just TAKE the cruciatus curse?" he was disbelieving.
"That one is my secret" said Jade crisply "But I WILL teach you how to shield against it and how to increase your stamina to shield for longer than most people can hold it. You can join my class with Traudl tomorrow. And if you like, you can bring your fag to the early morning run too; which is how you build up stamina. Here" she passed her wand over him, healing the neural damage of the cruciatus curse, drawing too on the blood group to give him healing energy. She could do it with a chant, but this was quicker, even if it was cheating a little bit.
He gasped.
"Why I feel like new!" he said.
Jade shrugged.
"You must be fit to run" she said "And moreover where I come from, loyalty is supposed to be a two way street. If I were you I should express your willingness to break from Nachtigall to Bertel Elstrupp, Lazlo Ijas and Volodya Potishev and ask if you can move in to their dormitory. They have a spare bed. I will see you and small Grishilde Stengel at five thirty tomorrow morning; try to be on time."
"A two way street? You are right. And it is true that we have to be loyal TO Heinrich; we receive precious little loyalty in return."
"And on that subject I will pass the word that little Grishilde is to be looked out for by the others of the second so that Nachtigall does not use his usual tricks of getting at you through your fag" said Jade "Which piece of nastiness SHOULD have told any man of honour that the one he served had sunk so low that he shamed his name."
Kesselring flushed.
"It should" he said "It – I gave him loyalty at first; I could not break away until he had broken faith with me."
"Perhaps you should, as a gentleman, have spoken to him about those things you liked not earlier; but I understand. It is hard to break from something and question it when you are afraid of the answers. Loyalty is an admirable trait and he does not deserve a man like you to have given him such" said Jade.
After lunch she was intercepted by Von Frettchen.
Jade was not surprised; but made sure Nefrita Von Strang looked it.
"Fraulein Baronin Von Strang; how are you enjoying school here?" asked Von Frettchen.
"Well enough, thank you Herzog" she said "It is interesting to study lessons presented with a different slant."
"Yet I believe you were disrespectful to Frau Professor Schrempf?" he asked.
Jade gave him the sort of snaky and inscrutable look that Lilith affected.
"Respect has to be earned" she said "One gives respect for the abilities of one's professors; but when it becomes apparent that such ability is lacking, one loses respect. The Schrempf is incapable, inept, inutile and infantile, and worst of all inefficient. I have forgotten more about the Dark Arts than she is capable of comprehending. She has no subtlety; I doubt she could even SPELL subtle let alone such words as insidious, mutable and implacable. One could almost suspect her of being a plant – unwittingly – of a saboteur within ODESSA , were one not painfully aware that its upper echelons are riddled with moronic inadequates whose greatest skills are licking their prince's arse to command."
"Painfully? You then support the ideals of ODESSA ? Is that why you came to Durmstrang?"
"I came to Durmstrang because Professor Snape, whilst a genius in his own way, is also a nutter. Did you know he has arranged to have goblins, half goblins and even elves in almost every year at Prince Peak? I ask you, who can take that without protest?"
"And mudbloods too I suppose?"
"Oh I have nothing against mudbloods" said Jade "Hybrid vigour you know! I am proud to be a Malfoy; but frankly you German types place far too much emphasis on purity of blood, though I used it to get in here. I can't help thinking of the purity of the Gaunt family who gave rise to Voldemort and shuddering at the, er, purity of THEIR blood."
"Indeed? I do not know the story."
"You have of course heard of Salazar Slytherin; who has not! His last descendants were Marvolo Gaunt and his son Morfin and daughter Merope; all so inbred that had scarcely any magic between them and Merope virtually a squib. They couldn't even cure her squint! They were dirty, ignorant, stupid and probably incestuous. Merope was witch enough to brew a love potion for the muggle she fancied; and stupid enough to believe he had fallen in love with her for real. She died in a muggle hospital giving birth to her son – who became Voldemort. I almost feel sorry for Voldemort."
"Why? Wasn't he a loser?" said Von Frettchen.
"Yes; but with such a background it was almost inevitable. In the orphanage he cut himself off from emotion and so lost the ability to feel it; and so he was ALMOST a winner – for he was subtle – but he missed the point of the other side of the dark arts. There are two sides to it; as not all realise, especially not the likes of Schrempf."
"I would be interested to hear how you define the two sides" said Von Frettchen.
"The side most people think of is the often brute force side – though it may contain some subtleties – such as the unforgivable curses and ordinary sorts of cursed items" said Jade "The sort of spells and things made with the unbridled imagination and no appreciation of consequences that mark out the wizard of considerable power and no self-discipline, lashing out rather like a toddler in an 'I want' temper tantrum. The other side is the side that wants, but realises consequences and works with slower, but more certain results towards a goal; the side that controls with deeply implanted controls and sets up conditions that make their would-be tools come willingly to worship them. Almost, Voldemort understood this; but in the end he decided on implanting crass compulsions and insisted on demeaning his disciples. Like I demeaned Schrempf; as I would never do to a follower. I am not so small that I must needs make myself feel larger by humiliating others that follow me. Only my enemies. And if one would have loyalty, of course, one must give it too. As I have no doubt YOU have worked on a means to free that spy fellow that Snape turned into a house elf."
"I – you know of that? Well, I have been searching for a way; once I realised it really was Dunkelwald. Do you know how they did it and how it might be counteracted?"
"The way I heard it they chanted over him using Finnish naming magic; and the only ways to release him would be to use a similar method of chanting – I suppose a man in your position has expert chanters at your disposal" at which Von Frettchen chose to look inscrutable and Jade bit back the grin that he had no idea where to find such a chanter " – or you brew mandragora using his true name chanted appropriately as you brew it; naming the root you use for him should work."
"Thank you; that is helpful information. Poor Dunkelwald will be pleased to be free of that horrible form."
"And its inbuilt compulsions" said Jade "Or so I understand. He is lucky to have an effective master to whom he may feel absolute loyalty and trust, so he does not have to punish himself for disloyal thoughts."
Von Frettchen shot her a look. He knew that Dunkelwald DID self-punish; and wondered what thoughts he might have when he, Von Frettchen, was doing his utmost to free his one-time fag.
"It is a shame there are those like this Nactigall boy in ODESSA " said Von Frettchen.
"He is a disgrace to his name and lineage" said Jade "I know Katarina Nachtigall; I admire her; she is strong. And from what I understand Friedolf Nachtigall was loyal to ODESSA until he was turned into a werewolf – you know the story?" Von Frettchen nodded and she went on "And the way he was treated turned him against the organisation. Which idiot decided that all werewolves were just animals regardless of previous status I don't know; but it is no way to lead men. I know something of what it is to be wolf – I am an animagus – but the idea of losing my sentience to be in the form is horrifying and is a time when support and understanding could have brought unswerving loyalty instead of, as I have seen from those werewolves Snape has cured, dumb acceptance and smouldering resentment. If I was in the upper echelons of ODESSA I'd arrange to get the prince wed to some girl idiotic enough to think it an honour and then see he had an accident! Snape's avoided killing him for a very good reason you know!"
"Has he spoken of it?"
"He? No. But his daughter has. A live clown is no harm to anyone; if he's a dead martyr he can't do something ineffably stupid any more to remind people that he's not a hero."
"I did not know that they went so far as to call him a clown" said Von Frettchen grimly "Were you there during the Triwizard when the attack took place?"
"Yes; it was quite stimulating" said Jade "The dementors were easy of course; we've been well drilled in dealing with them, herd them together with patronuses then use the spell ride to make them laugh themselves literally into pieces. I handled half a dozen or so; Snape's wife and Madam Granger – she's a friend of Harry Potter – had this friendly rivalry going; they're of the class that can handle one with each hand. I believe Madam Snape won by seventeen to sixteen. Then the storm wizards came, and it got a little confused; and then they let the dragons out. Snape had guessed what would happen and called in a favour from a previous pupil who was a dragon handler. They'd have mopped up the rest only they went into mating frenzy; Professor Fraser voiced the opinion that someone from the survivors of ODESSA managed to confund the male into thinking the female was ready."
"A nice piece of magic" said Von Frettchen "The best Dragon Handler in the world cannot handle them when they are mating."
"Quite" said Jade "Fraser's a good teacher, but Professor Carcano's better; I'm really enjoying HIS classes by the way" she added.
"He is rather good" said Von Frettchen, wishing that of the teachers who were good and of those who supported ODESSA there were at least one or two who coincided. "Do you know how Snape enchants the guns?"
Jade shrugged.
"I've never seen any enchantment ritual of them" she said – with absolute truth. "I could not confirm; nobody has hold of one long enough to try any reverse engineering."
"I hear he can project himself too" said Von Frettchen.
"Oh the famous Brockenbow trick" said Jade "That's a secret known only to his closest family."
That was perfectly true too.
Von Frettchen was using legilimensy. He was not, in Jade's opinion very good and her occlumensy eluded him easily, letting her present such pictures as she wanted him to see; and by avoiding the lie direct it made it easier.
"He has spoken of it though?" persisted Von Frettchen.
"Oh yes! I understand he told Prince Gerhardt that if he interfered again he would cane him – one assumes he uses some energy formed device to do so – and has done so twice. He and his son were laughing about it when they returned from the first Triwizard task after the debacle of the double attack. The Prince's strategic designs on the English schools is sound, but his methods! Puerile in the extreme; brute force and ignorance! It puts one in mind of some playground bully who thinks he can push around the little kids and yet still have their support and who hopes the teachers won't notice. He doesn't seem to have grown up much past about twelve. I have to say that unless ODESSA changed its direction I'd be loath to have anything to do with it. To my mind it needs to concentrate more on consolidating in Germany, using the werewolves – if there are any left – with compassion and efficiency, properly led, perhaps by an animagus of some type, quietly shuffling the Prince into a subsidiary role as a figurehead only until he can produce a son to be raised as a GENTLEMAN rather than a Bavarian – uh, barbarian – and taking over the ministry by stealth or force to lend a legitimacy and to stop skulking in the shadows as an organisation everyone knows about even if your sports minister DOES declare it a figment of the imagination."
"We have not been strong enough to move into the light; and resources HAVE been wasted against the schools" Von Frettchen admitted.
"Huh, if the Ministry here is like the ministry in London when Voldemort was briefly in charge, they're a much softer proposition than a veteran of the two wizarding wars like Snape; and of three wars, like Dumbledore. Who fought GELLERT Grindelwald who DID understand the subtle path. HE would be a leader worthy of the name" said Jade who admired the abilities, if not the aims of Gellert Grindelwald and was therefore able to simulate admiration easily. "If you once had happy werewolves held in disciplined manner, the threat of being bitten if they opposed you and the promise of NOT being bitten if they complied would almost certainly bring the ministry into line. The ministry in London would have been presenting their backsides to be sniffed to be known as friends before you could tell them to drop their pants" she added dryly. Jade had seen the ministry in non-action and had no illusions about their moral or physical courage.
"Well! You have given me much to think about; and a possible cure for my friend; for which I thank you again" said Von Frettchen. "By the way, what do you study for the Dark Arts?"
"I teach my friends a corporeal patronus" said Jade "And I have read through the whole book; there is nothing in it I have not already discovered ferreting about in the eclectic libraries of Prince Peak and – on the odd occasion I've been invited there – Malfoy Manor. It's fairly low level games on the whole; I think I know more about the dark arts than the author. It was a trifle disappointing to be quite honest."
"Well perhaps you might like to come and see MY library one day" said Von Frettchen.
"That is an invitation I should like to take you up on" said Jade "Thank you."
Let him think he had a way of controlling her; a way to satisfy her hunger for knowledge.
Jade was pretty certain nobody had a more extensive library than the combined ones of Lucius and Hogwarts school; and Durmstrang's murkier shelves too. Most of the dark magic books in Durmstrang however were of the more brute force kind of dark magics; and not, therefore, too dangerous. There had been a few things in the text book she had not known – certain rules that enabled the better crafting of curses so they were harder to lift, for example; that once she had read them she realised she already followed with jinxes on an instinctive level. And some of the specific curses she had not come across, mostly because they were heavy, Germanic, and pedestrian. The fixing of compulsions was old news – Jade had been implanting minor compulsions since she was about eight, mostly of the nature of having juniors feel the urge to tell someone if they were being bullied – and did not go anywhere near even Voldemort's famous efforts. If this was the highest level of exam expertise, even those who studied the book should be easy enough for one of the most junior of Marauders to handle, Jade thought. She planned to read every dark book in the library eventually of course; but in the meantime she had at least implanted some ideas on Von Frettchen that would hopefully bear fruit. Keep the prince alive – for now; treat werewolves better – and she had dropped in the information that she was a wolf animagus – and go for the ministry.
And then Madam Bacsó would lead her triumphant students against the wizarding backup to the werewolves and the werewolves would turn on the ODESSA troops too.
Plans went wrong; but the simpler and looser they were the less likely that was. And this was simple and loose; and adaptable.
Now she just had to wait; and maybe too start to win hearts and minds of Goblins and get her group working to help them. Easier said than done; but one might as well be optimistic.
It was a good start.