Chapter 20
Ralph at six months old got made something of a pet of between coaching.
"Were you then actually expelled from Prince Peak for having a baby at school?" asked Franziska.
"I didn't have him at school; he was born in the holidays between Prince Peak and coming here" said Jade. "Nine months after my marriage to Wulf; so before anyone makes any comments they're going to subsequently regret he is quite legitimate. Marriage at sixteen is legal in England. Do I miss him? Yes I damn well do; and I'm hoping to negotiate that my husband and son stay for the rest of the year. Irmi will go back to Prince Peak in the furtherance of her education; meanwhile she can help out those of you in the fifth since she's in the same year and so knows more than you; and it's decent of her to come over to help you lot rather than stay with her own revision group. Perhaps some of you might help her with the subjects she's weak on, care of beasts and herbology."
"I wish I was less of a dunce too at Arithmancy and Ancient Runes" said Irmi "I have had only a class average of 'E' in them; I have only had an average of 'O' in five of my classes and 'E' in the rest bar the two J- Nefrita mentions. But they are compulsory classes so one does not feel so bad. And two mere passes out of ten does not look too bad; I have never had a fail in any of them."
Jade laughed.
"You are being stared upon in wonder, Irmi, for being such a genius as to have 'O' averages in five subjects; you compare yourself to such as Elsie Blackwood who is a straight 'O' student, and Sebastian Cantripp who takes eleven OWLs to make up for having a brown thumb in herbology and who weeps when he drops to 'E' in his few less strong subjects."
"Yes; I should console myself that I am not a dunce like Deborah Puisel who is only taking eight subjects and will be pleased to pass them all" said Irmi.
"Hhr'hm" said Hilde Mondschein "MOST of us are only taking eight ZPs and there are about six of us who not only hope to pass them all but who hope for some 'E's and maybe the odd 'O'."
"Sorry" said Irmi "Perhaps it is that we are a small school and have more attention."
"No; it is that until I sat on Nachtigall, bullying here was so entrenched that younger kids were too depressed to study" said Jade bluntly "And when, next year, Madam Bacsó institutes prefects, those of you who are chosen to be such in the lower sixth will be helping to continue to stamp on bullying; because a prefect in the lower sixth will still outrank a non prefect in the upper six, even if they are von with an und in them. And I would hope that you'd all lend a hand leaping on bullying anyway and support your prefects" she added. "Madam Bacsó will no longer permit her school to be dictated to by those of advanced social rank or by ODESSA . It's as simple as that."
"I can see that it would be difficult to study with bullies to worry about as well as that er, Sccchrempf woman" said Irmi. "She must so have embarrassed Madam Bacsó showing her up on Wizarding Wireless Vision like that!"
"She was a bitch" said Zhanargul. "All we learned from her was how to cower. Will you help us with our shield charms? Some of us are deficient."
"Gladly" said Irmi. "I learn Defence Against the Dark Arts but I guess a lot of the skills are the same."
"If you can't survive to use the Dark Arts you're a pretty poor specimen" said Jade. "The practical is to curse an item and to have a short duel with the examiner; not to the level of the NEWT duel where the headmaster usually has to undo the examiner from various embarrassing and disabling jinxes; but where in the OWL a student has to put up the shield charm against things like densaugeo the ZP student is expected to attack back; two defensive charms and two offensive charms as I recall; probably extra marks for twisting a couple of jinxes together in the attacks. Like the jellied furnunculous curse."
"Oh what's that, Fraulein?" asked Stiv.
"Well you know the furnunculous curse that causes boils, and the jelly-leg hex? Cast simultaneously out of the same wand they make you boneless and covered with tiny tentacles; here, young Irmi, you do it on me" said Jade. Irmi giggled and complied.
Notebooks came out and there was furious scribbling.
"Now, you lot, try to be creative" said Jade putting herself back to normal "Make up your own combinations; mind I doubt any of you will surpass the combination of the arachnonunculous curse – that's the jellied furnunculous curse with a twist that makes the tentacles be spider legs – and the tarantallegra curse that makes them dance."
"I heard the Hogwarts crowd added another layer to that with the honky-tonk twinkletoes curse on top so all the little legs dance and play music at the same time" said Irmi.
"Ah, kids and train journeys" said Jade. "Nothing better to do than to make up curses!"
"Isn't that what the time these Durmstrangers have in the lodge is for?" asked Irmi.
"In theory; in practise it involves juniors getting attached to a senior who'll protect them and avoiding the bullies who stalk around hurling the cruciatus curse because they have no imagination" said Jade. "Here, why don't you and I do a demonstration duel? You're good enough that I shan't hurt you."
"You'll take a handicap before I let myself loose against you, o my best beloved" said Irmi firmly "Your hands tied behind your back and word of honour not to untie them; I KNOW how much you like wiggling your fingers in lieu of a wand and you always say it isn't necessary so you can jolly well prove it!"
"Fair point" said Jade "It shouldn't be necessary; it IS just bad habit."
When news went round that Nefrita Von Strang was fighting a demonstration duel, most of the sixth turned up as well, even those not taking Dark Arts; for the fifth the class was compulsory and all were keen to watch.
Based on Hedda Schrempf, and the way Nefrita had handled Nachtigall they did expect it to be over quickly to the embarrassment of Irmi when they found that she was only in the fifth; and they were in for a surprise.
Irmi had a shield better than any of the upper sixth at Durmstrang; and an original and complex line in curses. The piste itself became a weapon in the hands of each, rearing and bucking, or transfiguring and trying to bite; and both used acrobatics to actually avoid spells; Jade hurling herself sideways at a bolt of energy and saying,
"Hey, young Irmi, did you know that was a death spell?"
Irmi stared.
"IS it? I'm sorry, Jade, I just made it up as I went along. It's based on muggle electricity."
"Yeah; and the muggles don't put up big notices on the places they store it saying 'danger of death' for fun" said Jade "Even the domestic supply that's less powerful can kill if you mess with it in the wrong way! Keep that one for emergencies our kid. I don't think there's any shield to it except….cast it again."
Irmi obediently did so and Jade pulled a copper pole out of the substance of the piste and then swore because she had not taken it far enough down and the piste went on fire.
"Sloppy" said Wulf "Not like you my dear."
Jade finished putting out the flames – she sucked out the oxygen from around them and finished off with Aguamenti from Irmi's wand that she levitated and pointed – and pulled a face.
"I thought grounding it to the flags was enough; I should have driven the copper pole right into the ground. Useful spell there Irmi; until someone decides to make it unforgivable."
"Do you think they will?"
"well as you could tailor that to between giving someone burns over all their body to killing them outright with the option of slow cooking them in the middle I should think it'd scare most ministries into gobbling incoherence" said Jade "Hang on; I've thought of another counter. I need my hands free; deal?"
"I'll stand by to be fire brigade" said Wulf.
Irmi untied Jade and cast it again; and Jade brought to her hand the energy sword that Draco had developed as a lightsabre just for fun; and the lightning caught it and ricocheted off; and the protective shell on the piste flared and died and the bolt of lightening flew up towards the ceiling.
The copper rod went far enough down this time, conjured out of thin air with a gesture by Jade and backed by one from Wulf who also waved a second protective shield up around the spectators.
"Wow!" said Jade "Sorry you lot; didn't mean to put you young people in jeopardy; I'm too much a scholar not to push the boundaries of spell and counterspell when there's a new one I'm afraid. Forgive?"
"You are extremely impressive in your ability to react and create so fast" said Clovis Gierek "Any small fear we may have suffered I think we all would accept willingly for the privilege of seeing such a display. That so young a person as Fraulein Luytens is so able is shaming to us all and I think a spur to us to do better. It is plain that the scholars of Prince Peak are NOT just encouraged to hide behind defences but to make new spells to give as good as they get."
"And I reckon it might work on dementors too" said Jade "Outside everyone; Clovis, you're best at dementor summoning, whack us up a couple of big ones and we'll see what this – and Draco's sword – can do."
Clovis called up a couple of dementors; and unlike Billkvam he did NOT lose control of either of them.
Irmi fired her spell at one; and it screamed and flew apart.
Jade advanced on hers; Draco's sword cut it into pieces which seemed unable to rejoin but which wriggled feebly. Jade absently electrocuted it in a broad wash of power rather then leave even such a creature needlessly suffering, and was utterly unaware of how THAT impressed her pupils.
"Cheers Clovis" said Jade "And that's another weapon in our armoury. Fulmen is a good one; but to be used judiciously. Like natural lightening it's not easy to control" she looked around "If ANY of you use this and claim you didn't know it was a death spell be sure I shall know you're lying. I hereby decree it unforgivable to use on any being."
They would obey her; they feared her ability.
And at least they now had a realistic idea of what a kid approaching ZPs SHOULD be able to do; and those who had been performing a little better might not be so damnably cocky.
When Von Frettchen's flying coach hurled in to land and that nobleman jumped from his carriage Jade sent a blood pulse to her new bloodkin of the sixth, Wulf and Irmi and to her father and the others at Prince Peak.
She could guess by his face what had happened.
"He's moved too early?" she said.
Von Frettchen nodded.
"How did you know?"
"Your face, Herzog, if not you fortune, was most expressive; baffled fury and worry" she said "The werewolves?"
"He takes all those from the compound."
"Fine; we'll turn them on his men. Collect Agata; we'll apparate en bloc to the ministry in Strasburg; you'll have to give me visualisation."
"We'll have to get out of the non-apparating zone here; and it to is a non -…."
"You let ME handle administrative details like that Von Frettchen" said Jade. "Collect Agata. You pace; I'll worry."
That wrung a wan smile from the duke who hastened off to find Agata Bacsó.
Jade picked up Ralph and handed him to Volodya.
"You said you will not fight; back us with blood and care for my son. If anything happens to all three of us – Wulf, Irmi and me – take him to Prince Peak" she said "And that's highly unlikely! The rest of you; be vewwy vewwy quiet, we'we hunting Gerhardt….. never mind, muggle er, literature reference" she added as they stared. "We'll apparate in to the ministry; dad and a few others will be there as backup; and we whack 'em and whack 'em and whack 'em; you people do NOT read the right books" she added at more slightly askance looks. "Wulf and I will turn the werewolves on them; dad's bringing masses of the cure for afterwards. I'll keep in mental contact; we make Madam Bacsó look good and then she gets to dictate terms to the ministry because they'll be so grateful they'll agree to almost anything."
Clovis Gierek came over.
"What is going on?" he asked.
"Gerhardt of ODESSA is moving on the ministry; we're backing Madam Bacsó in killing him, wiping out the rest of ODESSA and leaving her to dictate terms to the ministry" said Jade directly "Including fair pay for non German professors, and more rights for goblins before they actually realise they outnumber humans and decide to rebel for being kept in conditions Ritter reckoned his father would not house chickens in."
"That they do NOT choose to live in of their own will" added Ritter "But no man can keep a damp house that is never repaired anything but squalid. You aren't a part of us Clovis; clear off."
"I will support Nefrita Von Strang; I will come" said Gierek "I am part Polish; the German ministry is not disposed to treat Poles and part Poles fairly. The English schools have had a go at ODESSA ; now it is our turn and let us be the ones to destroy them not have to be grateful to the English. ODESSA has given us nothing but failures; like Schrempf."
"Welcome aboard then Clovis" said Jade "In the heat of the moment if anyone shouts 'Jade' it's me; but I don't have time to explain now so just live with it."
"The child Irmi so named you" said Gierek. "Madam Bacsó comes and Señor Carcano too! And Herr Rebet!"
"The more the merrier" said Jade.
The ministry in Strasburg was set in its own park on the outskirts and the muggle conurbation unaware of its existence. One might apparate to the outer limits of the park but none were supposed to be able to apparate within.
Jade had a link opened to her by Severus with a mental throat clearing as he spoke in her head:
"Seagh and I just did a reconnaissance; Gerhardt and his men are arriving in droves just outside the non-apparating zone; the werewolves are being side-alonged. It's full moon tonight. I'd say they were hurried into changing a little early; it's not difficult. We have AKs; if you take over the wolves, you and Wulf and Irmi; your new ones and Agata and the rest of us can mop up the rest; they have got Slavic troops. Von Frettchen lost sight of him briefly I'd say. I'll give the word and you bring people in; as soon as the ministry fools have actually really started to panic. Are you ready?"
"Red five, standing by" said Jade in her head; and out loud "Link hands people; we're about to start our attack run on the death star… just stand by" she added irritably. "WHERE is Draco when I need someone to cap my quotes?"
The Durmstrang senior blood group, Gierek, Von Frettchen and the three teachers linked hands.
"It'll be just like beggars' canyon back home" said Irmi.
"Good quoting kid; don't get cocky" said Jade; and on her father's mark apparated them all smoothly.
Several German ministers screamed as they arrived simultaneously with the Prince Peak contingent; Seagh and Severus stepping out of fey space to look as though they had arrived with the rest.
"We're not here, Agata" said Severus pleasantly "But while we weren't here we thought a hand might not go amiss."
"Very civil of you Severus" said Agata "I'll ask you as the most experienced person not here to direct operations."
Seagh was busy telling a German Minister
"We're Luke Skywalker; we're here to rescue you."
"Thank heavens for another voice of insanity" said Jade "Take care of my friends; we'we hunting Gerhardt"
"The idea of a wolf looking like Elmer Fudd is quite boggling" said Seagh. "Bite his fat arse for us."
"Only after I've turned him into a fwuffy white wabbit" said Jade.
"Two films in one quote? That's going it even for you" said Seagh.
The werewolves were contained in an area of force; because Gerhardt's top men were busy summoning dementors.
"They never learn" said Jade as she and Wulf and Irmi apparated behind the pen where the werewolves were.
"Be fair; they aren't actually expecting to hit anyone competent" said Wulf "Only ministers and their secretaries and hot and cold running etceteras. When do we release them?"
"You two go wolf; I think I may need to bring this down with a chant; it's moderately competent" said Jade, passing her wand over the cage. Wolves inside snarled "And then I'll have to change in a hurry. This is the time when one envies Rakshasa for having voices in tiger form. I'll pull up my scent of wolf. When it goes down, we attack. And I go after Gerhardt" she added. "I want him in custody."
"Kill him" said Wulf "And let him be in amongst the others; let him not be a live rallying point; nor a dead hero."
"You're right" said Jade. "Okay; change."
Dementors rose from the magical circles of energy whence they had been brought; and at the direction of their summoners headed for the handsome, but not very defensible ministry building.
Bolts of energy shot from wands as the new spell of Irmi's leaped upon them and a horrid smell not entirely unlike burned flesh floated horridly onto the air.
The ministry officials were trying to flee of course; and various Prince Peak people dropped binding curses on them.
The two groups linked up, took hands of those not blood-joined, and apparated outside.
"There aren't many of them; attack!" cried Gerhardt. "And the lands and title of Von Frettchen to whoever kills him for me!" as he recognised his erstwhile lieutenant.
"DURMSTRANG DEFENDS!" shouted Ritter, using a sonorous spell.
"Posey, but a good sentiment brother" said Seagh.
The storm wizards advanced behind the diminishing dementors; who died faster than with the laughter curse; and the werewolf handlers stepped towards the pen, waiting for the order to release. Jade absently stupefied them both without pausing in her chant; and went rapidly wolf as it finished.
"I did not order the wolves released yet!" shouted Gerhardt as the werewolves poured out when the barriers of energy went down.
Jade grinned to herself; wuffed a couple of times in encouragement and left her husband and stepdaughter to lead the bemused wolves as she set off towards Gerhardt's campaign throne. The wolves fell on the rear of the storm wizards without discrimination, unable to tell friend from foe, but following the pack leader as Wulf made himself be.
Gerhardt was speechless with fury, ordering his aides to do something about it, then screeching that there was one coming at him.
Jade contacted Seagh and said
"He said 'do something Muttley'"
Jade dropped the aides with a burst of subsonics issuing from her body; Gierek was right it WOULD make a mess of their brains. If it only knocked them out that was worth knowing; if it killed them that was worth knowing too. She fancied that the level at which she was using it would act more like a flash-bang-crash grenade than anything terminal, bursting their eardrums and keeping them woozy for a while.
Gerhardt was not one to soil her wand on; though she could not resist turning him into a six foot tall white rabbit, cycling through Bugs Bunny and a small white domestic bunny.
"THREE film references" she sent the thought to Seagh before turning him back; and launching herself on him. Traumatised by the sudden – if transient – transfigurations Gerhardt hardly managed to reach his wand before her teeth were at his throat; and the killing curse bounced harmlessly as she ripped his life out of him.
Mauled by a wolf he would not be so pretty any more. That should destroy his mystique!
The Prince Peak contingent – Severus, Krait, Dione, Sirri, Beloc, Ron, Hermione, Percy, Harmony, David, Ellie, Victor, Seagh, Anett, Lydia and Viktor, Helga, Hester Figg, Angelica, Tala, Erich and assorted ex werewolves – raised their products of Tovarich Kalashnikov and opened fire.
Under a hail of lead, storm wizards fell as though walking into a wall of death. A few werewolves fell too, having got ahead of themselves; but got up. The force of the impact knocked them flying but ordinary lead did little but bruise them; which was the idea of using ordinary bullets.
The Durmstrang contingent focused with their wands and poured such spells as they knew into those still standing; shocked by the hail of death from their counterparts. Severus was chanting, holding a shield over all so that that was one less thing to concentrate on; old hands like Krait, David and Hermione were using spells as well as firing, one finger on wands for better focusing, showering the enemy with blue fire in Hermione's case, a very practical disarming spell from David, who could be relied on to be sensible; and locusts in Krait's because it was funnier.
It was over before the contingents of ODESSA even knew they were beaten. These Russian wizards had never come across such carnage before; at least, not unless they were causing it.
And one of the ministers died too in the hail of lead because Seag saw him creeping up behind Von Frettchen with his wand readied and apported him right out into the killing ground.
"Och, Von Ferret, yon mannie's nae verra friendly t'wards ye; ye'd better watch yer back lest there's a few mair sich gaumless sumpfs tryin' tae spell ye in the back" said Seagh,
"He said that the one who just appeared three feet off the ground was trying to spell you" translated Victor, whose German was now very good "And wondered if you had any other enemies in the ministry here."
Von Frettchen looked startled.
"My thanks for the timely intervention" he said "Er, does he understand more German than he speaks?"
"My German is impeccable" said Seagh impeccably "My manners however are excruciating."
"True" said Victor.
Severus clipped Seagh across the back of the head in the time honoured fashion.
"Ignore my son, Von Frettchen" he said. "Pass the word, use the full body bind on the werewolves; Von Frettchen if you and Agata and your contingent would care to take the ministry we'll mop up out here and be on our way. If you want to play with prophesies, my daughter has been named as the Jade Wolf. You may have to talk very fast to get her to play ball; she despises prophesy. Have fun; actually YOU probably will. I believe Lucius did when we took OUR ministry. The rest of us endured."
"Use Jade to legilimens all the ministry types and weed out the ODESSA supporters" said Krait "She's really quite good considering how young she is."
Since Von Frettchen had never met a legilimens as good as Jade before he seethed once more inwardly at the laconic litotes of the English.
It was however a good idea.
Severus was most concerned with getting the antidote into the werewolves; those who hated the disease would then be free of it; those who liked being werewolves and enjoyed the pain and horror they caused would then be neutralised.
Von Frettchen paused.
"Bertolf Hochbesen is grateful for the cure" he said "He is part of my bodyguard now; and is on his way here with other of my troops. They will be surprised to find it essentially over."
"Let us hope he will not assume we are the enemy" said Severus dryly "I will be aware they come."
"That is them now" Von Frettchen pointed to a heavy carriage drawn by six flying horses, from which storm wizards leaped, wands ready, before it even touched down. Von Frettchen waved.
The ex werewolf Hochbesen ran over and clicked his heels.
"Herr Herzog; you have had aid from the Herr Professor; I am glad that two men I admire are now allies" he said "You will aid these other werewolves? They are not all dead?"
"They should none of them be dead" said Severus "We worked on not killing them."
"You are a great man and a compassionate one Professor; as well as profoundly ruthless and with a well developed sense of humour" said Hochbesen. "Excuse me; the duke wants me" and he clicked his heels again before following Von Frettchen.
"A man who can earn that loyalty is a man worth working with" said Severus. "Well, let us get busy with serum."
Jade, Wulf and Irmi joined the rest of those from Durmstrang.
"Ah, Fraulein Von Strang" said Von Frettchen "We need to know which if the people here were the hidden allies of ODESSA ."
"They can wait until we've all had coffee" said Jade "Killing people is no picnic; oh, Madam Bacsó" she curtseyed "I have the honour to report that Gerhardt is dead; and so that ought to be that."
"You are certain it was him?"
"The stench of him was unmistakeable" said Jade "He might have cast spells or have one take polyjuice potion to assume his form; but polyjuice potion was devised using human senses. The nose of a wolf or dog cannot be fooled. I bit his throat out myself. Stupid fool; his ignorance also defines him for he thought I was one of his werewolves. There are six distinct signs that define a werewolf and eight minor signs."
"Eight?" queried Von Frettchen.
"I admit that one is only detectable to an ordinary wolf or an animagus being in the scent; but the others are in the texture of the fur; the angle at which the follicles grow; the size and shape of the cranium; the angle at which the carnassial teeth are set; the colour of the inside of the mouth; the arrangement of the pads of the feet, which may be detected if following spoor and is a useful one for anyone to know; and finally and also useful if following the spoor, the appearance of the stools which are distinctly human in nature."
"Eight things about werewolves we didn't want to know" said Traudl
"Quiet you" grinned Jade "Ah, elf, you have made my day; thank you" as an elf passed her coffee. "Will you be good enough to take a message to England for me?" the little creature bowed and Jade added "Go please to Malfoy Manor and tell Lucius or Draco Malfoy that Gerhardt is dead and cannot sue."
The elf snapped his fingers and disappeared.
The blood group members were grinning that Jade could not resist any opportunity to free other elves from their self punishment compunctions. Even in the middle of a coup.
Jade ran her eyes over each of the captives from the ministry.
"This one would stand your enemy Herzog Von Frettchen but purely because he believes you to be a member of ODESSA , quite naturally being unaware of your subtle infiltration of the organisation to bring it down. I am sure he will be suspicious of you until he has seen the results of your actions; he is a man of honour and compassion. I suggest you promote him head of the goblin relations ministry and fire – or set fire to – the current head, who is in my opinion by his actions three parts knave and two parts arsehole"
"That's true enough" said the one she was examining "His idea of goblin relations is to crush them further; and even from the point of view of self preservation and leaving compassion out of it that's wrong."
"You'll do" said Jade "And your first act in your new capacity can be in getting the potion to cure black goblin pox well known; it's an old potion, and the disease has been extinct in England for two hundred years and I seem to keep repeating myself over and over telling people that; there's a couple of goblins in Munich, Neric and Torik who are good types; clever, and realistic. Capable of keeping the peace within their community and willing to accept that change will not come fast but ready for it to come. Liaise with Switzerland. You can actually trust Von Frettchen he's a gentleman."
Three were picked out as ODESSA agents; and Von Frettchen's men took them to one side well bound.
Jade sighed and tutted over the rest.
"They really are fairly useless" she said "I'd sack all of those I've sorted over there; it leaves you a skeleton staff but you'll just have to work harder until you've decided if you plan to institute a ruling oligarchy as in England or whether you are going to rule by ministry."
"Weren't you going to be our empress?" said Von Frettchen.
"I don't recall anything of that in the conversation" said Jade. "I said I'd lead to get this sorted out; I don't recall agreeing to be lumbered with any more. Let there be a Rathaus made up of a dozen noblemen; any one of whom can be removed from the council by the consent of the others and another chosen as replacement not necessarily his direct heir. Let the head of Durmstrang be a member of that council. Let a representative of the ministry be another member of that council. Let a goblin chosen by the Goblin Liaison Office be the fifteenth member to represent the views of goblins. I will serve on that council if you wish; and although not technically a nobleman I suggest Herr FREIDULF Nachtigall. He'll make a better job of it than most with such heavy titles hung around their necks that they drag the brains out of the nose; there being more to nobility than titles to polish and admire."
"You can be truly offensive at times" said Von Frettchen.
"Thank you" said Jade gravely.
Von Frettchen gave up. It had NOT been intended as a compliment.
The ministry was denuded by the time Jade had finished firing those she thought inadequate.
And then Agata and Von Frettchen dictated their terms to the remaining stunned members of the government.
"After all, you have done NOTHING to oppose the threat of ODESSA " said Agata "We in Durmstrang decided it was time to support our school governor in his bid to destroy the organisation; and we have goaded the Prince into rash action where we might meet him on OUR terms. We have taken the country by force after destroying the main threat; you don't have to like what we tell you to do; only to obey."
It was rather a schoolmarmish speech; and Jade grinned. It was, after all, quite true!