Family Matters Part 2
It was Saturday morning at Hogwarts and the Golden Trio were enjoying it, studying at the library- which was not at all Hermione's idea.
Harry sighed looking through yet another potions book. They had been given way too much homework this week. Not to mention Ron had been caught asking Harry what Twilight was in DADA, so now both boys had a detention with their new teacher, Professor Popescu.
Harry shut the book with a groan and turned around, accidentally bumping into Professor Kirkland as he did so.
"Sorry Professor, I wasn't looking where I was going."
"It's quite alright Mr Potter." The Professor said, dusting himself off as he did so. "May I ask what brings you to the library on a Saturday?"
"Homework... and Hermione." Harry answered gesturing behind him to where Hermione was working... and Ron was asleep. "What about you Professor?"
"My brother keeps annoying me with Howlers so I'm looking for some jinxes to get him back."
At this point Harry just noticed that Hermione had approached them and was listening to the conversation.
"Is your brother the one from the Howler Professor Kirkland?" She asked, joining in with the conversation.
"Which one from the Howler?" He muttered under his breath. "No, that was Alfred. This is my eldest Allistor."
But much to Hermione's disappointment, the Professor looked at his watch. "I'm sorry Mr Potter, Miss Granger but I have to go."
Harry turned to Hermione. "Why are you so interested I'm the Professors family?"
She shrugged in response. "He said they hated him, I was curious as to why."
Harry would have persisted the conversation but it seemed Hermione's eye had seen something.
"What's that?" She asked bending down to pick up a piece of paper.
It looked like and old photograph, all together there were four people in the picture. Two men and two young boys who looked like twins. They both had mucky blonde hair, but one's was slightly more blonde than the other. The first twin had a cowlick and blue eyes where the other one had a curl and his eyes were more purple, but apart from that they were identical.
One of the two men had long blonde hair and blue eyes, he also bore a lot of resemblance to the twin on his lap which was the second one. The other twin was on the other mans lap, who Harry recognised as Professor Kirkland. All of the people in the photo were wearing fancy clothes but on closer inspection Harry noticed that they were very old fashioned. To be honest the photo looked really old as well.
"I wonder who they are?" Hermione pondered. "The picture looks very old, that can't be Professor Kirkland, he's much too young."
"His dad, or grandad maybe?" Harry wondered.
"If so the family resemblance is remarkable. They look exactly the same."
The two probably would have continued their deductions but just then a loud crash stopped them.
Re-awaking Ron the Golden Trio dashed out into the corridor where they found a pile of people heaped onto the floor. But only when they got closer they realised who was at the bottom.
"Professor Kirkland!" Hermione cried heading over to him.
"Get, the bloody hell, off me!" The Professor's voice was slightly muffled by the clothing of the man on top of him but he seemed to get the point across when they two men scrambled off him.
"Hahaha, sorry dude. We meant to visit but we didn't mean to literally bump into you like that."
Professor Kirkland sighed and dusted himself off. "What exactly are you doing here Alfred. And why did you have to bring the Frog with you?"
"Hey! I brought Mattie too." The man, who looked strangely familiar (and was American according to his accent) pointed behind him to a man that Harry just noticed. He to looked familiar but one, he couldn't remember where from and two, he was more concerned about the polar bear that was in his arms.
"Hello Arthur." His voice was barely louder than a whisper but Professor Kirkland and Alfred didn't seem to be phased.
"Bonjour Arthur." The last man spoke with an extreme French accent, but as soon as he looked at him Harry knew where he recognised the men from.
"The photo." Hermione gasped.
"What are you doing here Frog?" Professor Kirkland asked with some degree of annoyance in his voice.
"You don't have to be like that Arthur. When Alfred found out where you were me and Matthieu came with him to visit you."
"I honestly wished you didn't. It was bad enough when Mathias and Emil came to visit Lukas, but now that you three are here it's going to be a lot worse."
"How could you say that, after all we've been through! I thought we were friends!"
"I'm pretty sure their from the Howler too." Hermione whispered to Harry.
"But if that photos so old how come all of these guys are in their twenties?" Ron questioned (Hermione had filled him in).
Harry shrugged and turned back to the quartet where Professor Kirkland was arguing with the Frenchman.
Harry was so busy paying attention to the arguing duo that he didn't realise that Hermione had dragged Ron along to talk to Alfred, leaving him alone.
"So Alfred, how do you know Professor Kirkland?"
"Me and Iggy are totally bros." The American let out another obnoxious laugh. "So who are you dudes exactly?"
"We're students of your brothers. I'm Hermione, this is Ron and Harry." Hermione introduced them in turn.
"Alfred F Jones here."
"What exactly does the F stand for?"
"FREEDOM!"
"It stands for Foster." A quiet voice came from Harry's right.
"Hey Mattie! When did you get here?" Alfred shouted (like usual), putting an arm around a figure that Harry was just starting to make out as an actual person.
"But I came here with you, I've been here all along."
"So, if you two are the Professor's brothers how come your from America?"
"I'm Canadian."
"Who are you?"
"The polar bear can talk!" Ron shouted, jumping backwards in shock.
The North American brothers hesitated. "...No he can't."
"Yes he did, he just talked!"
"No he didn't, your just imagining things."
Harry knew the conversation would go on forever, so it was probably a good thing that the Frenchman came along then. However he wasn't quite happy when he went straight to Hermione and kissed her hand.
"Bonjour Mademoiselle. Je m'appelle Francis, is your name as pretty as your face?"
Hermione blushed but Ron's face turned red with anger. "Get the bloody hell away from her! Who the hell do you think you are!?"
"As I said I am Francis, and it seems you, mon ami, are jealous."
"WHAT!?" Ron's face turned even more red, (if that was possible) in anger, but maybe a bit of embarrassment .
Francis shrugged. "I'm the country of love, I can spot it from a mile away." He presented a rose to Hermione that he had got from nowhere. "Especially young love."
Harry gripped the back of Ron's robes to make sure he didn't do anything stupid to the Frenchman-like punch him in the face, but he needn't have worried for in the next moment Professor Kirkland came and slapped Francis around the head.
"Francis, while your here can you please refrain from flirting with my students."
Once again Francis shrugged. "It's not my fault they don't know they're in love." At this statement Harry was compelled to agree with him. Everyone knew that Ron and Hermione fancied each other, except maybe themselves.
"Wait." Hermione interuppted Francis and Professor Kirkland from glaring at each other. "You said that you were the country of love. Don't you mean that your from the country of love?"
Within this statement all of the men turned red. "Um, did I? So how do you say it in English?" Francis stammered.
"But your English is perfect, how do you not know that?" But Hermione's protest was pardoned when Professor Kirkland made an excuse and made his way to what Harry presumed was his office along with the other three men.
"Well that was certainly strange." Harry voiced what everyone was probably thinking.
"I wonder what they're hiding?" Harry recognised the look in Hermione's eye's, the last time he saw it she found out Rita Skeeter was a beetle. Harry could only wonder what she would find out about Professor Kirkland and his friends. Even Harry knew something was up with their new professor, and if anyone could figure it out it would be Hermione.
"You bloody idiots! You had to make them suspicious didn't you. I was doing fine at first, but then you had to send a Howler and things just went down hill from there!" England was frustrated. He had gone to teach at Hogwarts to get a year away from being a country, but no. The stress just had to follow him, I'm the form of other nations!
"We're sorry England, but the other nations want to know where you are." America sighed. "And since Norway and Romania vanished not too long after you did everyone thinks you killed them off."
"What?"
"Somebody started spreading rumours that you were trying to start World War III. And to be perfectly honest no one can fully disprove it." France ran his fingers through his hair. "Believe me we tried, but..."
"Ugh, this is all because of Voldemort, he must be recruiting in other countries. And of course I'm getting blamed too. Okay, next weeks meeting who's hosting it?"
"Moi."
"No your not, not anymore. Allistor is. And it's going to be here."