Disclaimer: See chapter 1. The songs: "The City of New Orleans" and "Traveling Man" belong to their respective writers, producers and performers.
Reviews are welcomed, flames aren't.
Chapter 37: Traveling Man
0o0o0o0
Severus Snape sat in the last staff meeting before the little dunderheads were due to arrive. Even now, the Hogwarts Express was barreling its way towards the castle for the beginning of the term.
His thoughts weren't on the upcoming year but on the past three days. Days he had spent Underground. Never in his wildest dreams, or flights of imagination, had such a land existed. Underground was a myth, a legend where magic and dreams dwell.
The Goblin King really did exist and he did indeed take the unwanted children from this world. Severus hid a shiver. He never wanted to get on the the wrong side of that being! The magic and power that radiated off the Fae made Severus feel like an untried boy just out of nappies.
Potter's offer, at first, was too good to be true. He'd been ready to haul the brat back to Albus and wash his hands of the whole sorry mess. However, Potter had supplied proof that could not be dismissed.
Po-Williams wanted to 'apprentice' himself to Severus as a way to keep out of the headmaster's control. In return, Williams offered to teach him Bardic Magic and a way around the Dark Mark as well.
"Severus? You said you had an announcement?" came Albus' voice breaking into his thoughts.
Severus straightened as he leaned forward. "I have decided to take on an apprentice. His name is Garion Williams and he is 16, an American. He is currently riding the train with the rest of the students."
Several of his fellow staffers exclaimed and started to speak at once. Albus raised a hand to silence them. "Is that wise, my boy? With everything that is going on?"
"Absolutely, Albus and before you object too strenuously, it is my right as a potions master. He comes highly recommended. His potions skills need polishing, but then, he isn't going for a mastery in that but rather in Defense in which he excels," Severus assured the Headmaster. "Mr. Williams expressed an interest in seeing how the education here differs from what he has so far experienced. His scores are exceptional in everything but potions and divination. Hence his desire to improve his potions skills while serving as my DADA apprentice."
"But don't you think you should've cleared it with me first?" Albus asked.
Severus shrugged. "He won't be taking part in the sixth year curriculum, Albus. He's far too advanced for it. So I saw no need to inform you and I certainly don't need your permission to take an apprentice if I so choose."
"But we are the finest school . . ." Minerva started to huff.
Severus shrugged. "He's a bit of a prodigy and was home-schooled. His father saw to it that he had the best instructors. However, I will note that Mr. Williams is a bit eccentric."
Holding up his hand, he continued as he stood. "I'm not going to answer anymore questions. He shall be here for the Welcoming feast. Now if you'll excuse me? I have a potion waiting."
0o0o0o0
The landscape sped by in a blur as the Hogwarts Express rumbled along the tracks. In a lone compartment, a teen-age boy sat strumming his guitar. An open guitar case rested on the bench across from him. A small hairy brown and black creature sat on the lip of the case blowing spit wads through a small tube at the teen.
The boy glared. "You know I can send you back to Father and get a different goblin to keep me company, Squirt."
Squirt paused in mid-huff. "You wouldn't, princey. Would you?"
The teen smirked. "No more spit balls?"
"No more, princey, but Squirt's bored. A song?"
Garion Williams laughed and plucked the beginnings of "I Ate a Peanut."
On the sixteenth verse, the door slid open and a girl with dishwater blonde hair walked in. Squirt dived into the guitar case with a squeal.
"Hello, Harry. Or is it Garion now?"
"Hello Luna. Come in," Garion, formerly known as Harry Potter, welcomed her as he paused in his playing.
"Will your friend come out too?" Luna asked, sitting down by the opened case.
Garion had long thought that his friend Luna had a bit of Fae blood in her from the way she acted. So it wasn't too much of a surprise that she knew about goblins and the Underground.
"It's alright Squirt. You can come out. This is Luna. A friend."
"Looney?"
Luna looked a bit pained by the nickname as the tiny creature popped out. "Hello Squirt?"
"Uh Luna? Don't let his nickname throw you. Goblins of his sort are mischievous children. They give nicknames to everyone. They don't mean anything by them."
"That's right princey!" Squirt bobbed his head.
"Squirt. What did I tell you about calling me that in public?"
"Not to, princey. But you's my princey."
Luna laughed at the long-suffering expression on Garion's face as the imp stuck its tongue out at him. "Princey, princey, the boy who likes plants is heading this way too," the goblin bounced excitedly. "He's looking for you and Looney."
"Thanks Squirt. Hide in the case and stay there and leave my socks alone!"
"Ok princey." The small goblin dived into the case and disappeared just as the door slide open again. Luna giggled as she peered into the case.
"Luna. Did you find Harry?"
"No just Garion. He's real nice," Luna said in her dreamy voice as Garion stood with a hand on the neck of his guitar, extending his free hand. "Garion Williams."
"Neville Longbottom," Neville said, accepting the hand in friendship.
The three made themselves comfortable as Garion returned to his music, Luna to her upside-down reading and Neville to coddling the small potted plant he had in his hands.
"Illinois Central Monday morning rail Fifteen cars and fifteen restless riders,
Three conductors and twenty-five sacks of mail.
All along the southbound odyssey
The train pulls out at Kankakee
Rolls along past houses, farms and fields.
Passin' trains that have no names,
Freight yards full of old black men
And the graveyards of the rusted automobiles.
Garion's voice echoed in the compartment. Outside students stopped what they were doing to listen.
"Good morning America how are you?
Don't you know me I'm your native son,
I'm the train they call The City of New Orleans,
I'll be gone five hundred miles when the day is done."
A small crowd gathered outside only to be pushed away by a tall blonde with two ape-like companions. The door slid open as Garion finished the last refrain.
"That doesn't sound like a wizarding song," the blonde sneered. "Why look. It's the Looney Ravenclaw and the Squib Gryffindor. Where's Potty? To cowardly to show this year? And who's this?"
Garion stood, blocking Neville from doing anything as Luna shrank back in her seat and said, "Sir. Is this how you always enter a room? With insults and sneers? I was told that the students of Hogwarts were the elite of magic."
The blonde straightened. " The name's Draco Malfoy. And you are quite right, but there are some exceptions." His gaze slipped past the standing teen to the pair behind him.
"Garion Williams and in my experience, 'In nature there's no blemish but the mind; none can be called deformed but the unkind'," Garion quoted, disdainfully.
Draco paused for a moment as the words sank into his mind. A bewildered look on his face slowly turned to rage as he comprehended the insult. "You'll pay for this. My father. . . "
"Will do nothing," Garion said, brushing a bit of lint off his sleeve. "What are you a man or a small child hiding behind daddy's coat tails? Surely we aren't going to play the 'my father's more influential than your father' game? How quaint."
Draco stomped his foot. "How dare you!"
Garion narrowed his eyes, arched one eyebrow in disgust and leaned forward. "Oh I dare plenty." He flicked his wrist in dismissal. "Run along little boy, when you grow up, come back and we'll settle this. Without your shadows."
Draco stormed out amongst the laughter and giggles from the listening students. Luna's tinkling laughter echoed behind him.
0o0o0o0
Hermione Granger watched as Draco Malfoy and his goons stormed past her in the corridor. She couldn't find Harry and Ron Weasley was off somewhere. She never had felt so alone than she did at that moment.
She paused in front of the compartment that everyone was gathered around. A tall teen with shaggy, coiffed hair wearing a silk poet's shirt and designer jeans stood the doorway.
"Thank you everyone for your appreciation," the teen said with a bow. "However, I am sure the prefects would wish the corridor to be cleared for safety reasons."
Hermione spied Neville and Luna in the compartment behind him and waited until the crowd cleared. "Neville? Luna? Have you seen Harry?" she asked, as she turned to the strange teen. "Oh sorry. I'm Hermione Granger, you are?"
"Garion Williams, at your service, milady," he said bowing once more with a florish. "I am but a humble minstrel on my way to Scotland. You are welcome to enter and join us."
"Hermione, you really need to listen to him," Neville said. "He really put one over on ol' Malfoy."
"Don't worry about Harry," Luna said, dreamily. "The wrackspurts are taking good care of him."
Garion sat back in his seat and started another tune.
"I'm a travelin' man
I've made a lot of stops all over the world
And in every port I own the heart
Of at least one lovely girl
I've a pretty Seniorita waiting for me
Down in old Mexico
If you're ever in Alaska stop and see
My cute little Eskimo. . . "
The day wore on and as the Hogwarts Express pulled into the station, Hermione huffed as her new friend refused to get into Hogwart robes. His only comment was he wasn't a student so wasn't bound by the rules yet.
"Besides, as everyone knows, some rules are made to be broken and I plan to break as many as I can possibly get away with," Garion said with a smirk as he packed away his guitar and swinging the case over his shoulder, he stepped from the train.
Hermione huffed again as Neville and Luna giggled at her.
"Oh come now," Garion laughed as he ushered them into a waiting carriage. "Rules are only guidelines on how to live, they are not set in stone and they should never be taken as gospel. Life is to be lived and enjoyed. 'Why then 'tis none to you; for there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so. To me it is a prison'. "
Professor Snape was waiting at the Entrance when the trio exited the carriages. Garion was ushered away and into a small alcove while Neville and Hermione were ordered into the Great Hall.
0o0o0o0
The gossip at the table wasn't on the upcoming year, or where is Potter, but rather on the strange young man from the train and the music he played.
Many of the muggleborns had recognized the songs and were explaining them to many of the pure bloods.
Albus Dumbledore looked over the sea of students that had filled the Great Hall. Another year has started but he felt no joy. Harry Potter wasn't among the sea of faces before him. He felt like he had somehow failed the lad and by extension, his parents. This past summer he had undergone many moments of reflection. He was still convinced he had been right in what he had done, all for the sake of the Greater Good, but it hadn't brought him any peace.
'Where ever you are Harry, my boy, come back to us safe,' he thought as he glanced around the Hall until his aged eyes rested upon his potions master.
'To think Severus took on an apprentice without consulting me,' he mused, a tad worriedly. 'For all I know the child is using Severus to get to Tom. Well, we'll know soon enough. The lad is now in the castle.' Albus frowned. The castle seemed a little out of sorts and Albus wasn't too sure but felt that the castle was in awe of the young lad. Just who was he?
When the Sorting of the First Years was over, Albus stood to make his announcements. "It has been many years since one of our staff took on an apprentice. This year, Professor Severus Snape has done so. We have with us a young man who has taken the position. He is from the United States and has been home-schooled. As he isn't a student, he isn't part of the House system, so any concerns must be taken to Professor Snape directly. So without further adieu, let us welcome Mr. Garion Williams."
The doors to the Great Hall opened and the young man from the train strode through, cloak billowing out around him.
"Blimey! It's another Snape!" exclaimed Ronald Weasley.
0o0o0o0
Yes, we are alive and yes, we are trying to continue writing but life hit. Frau is doing a lot better. Thanks everyone for the concerns and well wishes.
The Shakespearean quotes were from: "Twelve Night," Act 3, scene 4 and "Hamlet," Act 2, scene 2.
Until next time. GF and The Frau