Author's note (long one, this time):
Hello, everyone! I am truly, very sorry for the long wait for an update, there, but I have a legitimate, very real excuse for this. For the last two months, I have been in the process of selling my old flat, and moving into a house with my family in tow (it's awesome, BTW). So, really, I had literally no time to give to my stories. I did do some backstory work in the train that takes me to work and back home every day, but that never was enough to allow me to pull up an update.
BUT, now, I have regained control over my life somewhat, and I've returned to work on Staff of Merlin. Corrected a few glitches in the story, typed a few scenes, rearranged a few plot elements, and I'm ready to start publishing chapters again!
I need to thanks Marisa Boza for her kind review, and I'm taking her words at heart by issuing a call: should anyone be interested in betaing that story, I'd appreciate the help of someone whose mother tongue is English. I have received a few notices that my English could be improved here and there. So I'm open to any help. Don't hesitate to PM me!
That being said, we're heading back to the story. Two major storylines are being introduced in that chapter. I'll go into it at the closing comments.
Hope you'll enjoy it!
The mysterious guests of Albus Dumbledore
Kalindra Johnson considered herself a simple person. She always tried to be straightforward, honest and she prided herself to be speaking her mind, with the glorious exception of anything relating to Rob Drakefang, in which case, she was unable to form a coherent sentence, let alone get it out of her throat. About that, though, she had taken a vow this year, that she would finally manage to get Rob to ask her out, or, failing that, she would ask him out for the Ball, again, and snog him on the spot. That would make her point brilliantly. Simple.
So whenever something simple presented itself, she liked to see it resolved simply. Simple fact: her best friend Kenneth was in love with her friend Julie Carteret. There was no denial accepted, no twist around the truth. It was a fact. He had jumped into a death trap to save her, the point was made; it was SIMPLE.
Simple fact: Julie, though she was still conflicted about it, loved Kenneth as well. Kalindra had little doubt of that. The looks she had sent him at the end of last year, the way she seemed to skip a beat, whenever he looked at her… it was SIMPLE!
So the simple, and only acceptable, way this situation would be resolved, in Kalindra's eyes was this: Julie had to dump her Slytherin boyfriend and start dating Kenneth after he would have asked her out… it was SIMPLE!
So what the hex was happening, right now? Kalindra was confused and she didn't like that. Kenneth had left the compartment, clearly in search of Julie, and had returned, minutes later, looking like his owl had died. That didn't bode well, but Kalindra failed to understand what could have possibly happened in the short time he had been gone.
And now, as they were all getting down from the Hogwarts Express onto the Hogsmeade platform, something equally as puzzling was going on. Julie was there, holding hands with Donahue, making her way up to them, with a smile on her face. She was… Kalindra had trouble wrapping her mind around the notion. She was holding hands with Robert freaking Donahue!
The shock of seeing that left Kalindra nearly speechless, as she went through the motions of greeting her friend with a hug and make a show of being polite to the Slytherin prefect. As the couple went on, she stayed behind, still reeling from the shock. Mandy saw her expression and decided to wait for her, frowning in expectation. Kalindra looked again at Julie and Donahue walking away together as a… as a happy couple, there was no other word for it, and that made no damn sense!
Kalindra made sure that she was out of earshot of Julie, who seemed lost away in fluffy world, and of Kenneth, who had joined Rob, Will, Fields and Teddy in a carriage, before to finally voice her frustration over the whole conundrum.
"What the hell was that?" she asked aloud.
"Can you elaborate?" asked Mandy.
"I mean, you saw that, right? I'm not hallucinating, here?" said Kalindra, a little agitated. "That was Julie and Donahue, acting like they are a couple, right?"
"Yeah," said Mandy, on a drawling tone. "I'm bummed out as well. Why is she still with that jerk?"
"I… I don't get it," said Kalindra. "What the hell happened? Last time I saw her, she was inches from dumping his sorry arse and declare her love for Kenneth."
"Speaking of the Wandmaster, have you seen his face, back on the train?" said Mandy. "You don't suppose he saw them together, do you?"
"Oh, hell, that would be bad," said Kalindra.
"Come on," said Mandy. "We don't want to be late."
Kalindra absently followed Mandy and jumped into a carriage, where they found Marion Sweeney, in a cosy little conversation with a guy from Hufflepuff. The first thing they noticed was the jump the two teens made away from each other as soon as Mandy had come into view. The second thing they noticed was that if the Hufflepuff bloke seemed a little awkward with being caught inches from a good snog, Marion didn't seem bothered that much, and kept sending him looks that were pretty explicit. Third thing Kalindra and Mandy noticed was the way Marion was dressed.
"Wow," said Kalindra. "Are these new robes?"
"Yeah," said Marion, with a smile. "Why?"
"Nice cut," noted Mandy, with an approving nod. "Err… did we interrupt something?"
"Actually, you kinda did," said Marion. "I was explaining to Jasper, over here, what it meant to 'put his money where his mouth was'."
"Ooh," said Kalindra, with a smile. "You want us to hitch another ride?"
"Nah, it's okay," said Marion. "I think he got the idea, didn't you, Jasper? I'll be seeing you later."
"O… okay," said the guy, before to slip out of the carriage, under the amused look of Kalindra and Mandy, who then turned right back at Marion.
"Okay, what was that?" asked Mandy, eagerly. "You have a thing for this guy?"
Marion shrugged.
"He's cute," she said. "He's a decent bloke, so I thought 'what the hell'. I realised over the summer that I'm sixteen, and that so far, no one beside you girls has gone as far as holding my hand, in this school. I thought that teenage years were about having fun just as much as they were about studies."
"Amen to that," said Mandy.
"Also, I thought: I'm not ugly," said Marion. "I'm even really cute, according to my friends, so I might as well get out there and have fun before Hogwarts passes by me. Hence new sets of robes and I had them fitted so that they flatter me a little more."
Kalindra was impressed by the resolve in Marion. She had always been the shy one, since their first year, though she had no reason to be. Granted, most of the girls of their year were actually pretty, but each girl was pretty in her own way. Jennifer had poise and grace, and she was elegant, which helped enhance her classic beauty. Mandy was eccentric just as much as Kalindra was exotic. Julie was more classic, a little like Jennifer, but she had a little more spice to it, with a livelier attitude, which explained that she had caught the eye of so many boys, upon arriving in school, last year. Marion wasn't like that. She usually stayed out of sight, feeling a little outmatched when it came to looks, with, in her own words, her "nerdy glasses and baggy clothes". But when you considered her objectively, she was a pretty girl, as well. In fact, she was more feminine than Mandy and Jennifer, as she had very nice curves that these new robes underlined more than they hid. And these glasses...
"The glasses!" exclaimed Kalindra, realising the main change she couldn't place in Marion. "You changed your glasses!"
"Yes," said Marion, with a bright smile. "Thanks for noticing."
"Yeah, they're nice!" said Mandy. "Well, good for you, girl! I say you'll turn everyone's head, looking like that."
"Sure," said Kalindra. "Oh, Marion?"
"Yes, Kallie?" asked Marion.
"Hands off Rob, right?" she said. "Just being cautious, there."
"You got it," said Marion. "Rob's a teddy bear, but he's not really my type. Besides, he's completely into you."
"You tell him that," said Kalindra. "Apart from waving a red flag under his nose…"
"He'll come around," said Mandy with a pat on her back.
"So where are Julie and Jennifer?" asked Marion, as their carriage finally started.
"I think Jen got in the carriage with the boys," said Mandy. "As for Julie…"
"She's with Donahue," said Kalindra, darkly.
"Ah, yes," said Marion. "I saw them on the train. They looked cosy in the prefect compartment. Is that a problem, Kallie?"
"I can't believe she's still with him," said Kalindra. "And what the hell is up with Kenneth?"
"I don't know," said Mandy. "But between that and our little Marion going on a hunt for boys, I think the year just got a lot more interesting."
"Yeah, tell me about it," said Kalindra, almost for herself.
Kalindra was a simple person. She liked to keep it simple. And so far, nothing she had seen since boarding that train was simple. In fact, things looked like they would get complicated very, very soon.
And Kalindra hated complicated stuff.
The feeling of homecoming that came over Ian when he passed the doors of the castle was very enjoyable. He started to look around for any trace of change in the Halls. But nothing had changed at all. It seemed that the castle would stay the same, whatever may happen.
Kieran was chatting excitedly with Gina about something. Terry was talking with Joel, and the group was in a very good mood, until they met the most unpleasant person in the castle. And in spite of what most of students said, it was neither Mr Filch the Caretaker nor Professor Snape, the Potions Master.
It was Timothy Macke. He was a Slytherin fourth year, and he was, let's not shy away from the word, Ian's Nemesis in Hogwarts. From the moment, they had met, Macke had done everything he could to land Ian into trouble.
The previous year, along with his friend Wilfrid Venansius, he had even pushed things far enough to poison Ian during one potions lesson. The effect had been terrible for Ian, as he had lost control over his power, creating several accidents, including one where Kieran, Joel and Terry had been nearly hurt.
The fact that Ian had taken revenge on him didn't matter at all. Ian still hated Macke and Venansius more than anyone in the school.
And the jerk was facing him, sneering slightly.
"So, the freak is back, huh?" said Macke.
"Apparently, they haven't realised that they're putting the school at risk by keeping him here," said Venansius.
"You were the cause of all this," retorted Kieran, angrily.
"Hey, her comes the bookworm queen!" exclaimed Macke, laughing. "Thing is, nerd girl, that we can still be the cause of big trouble for you in here," he said with an unbearable confidence. "As long as this monstrous excuse for a wizard isn't out of Hogwarts, we will never stop."
"I would know a way to stop you for good, Macke," said Ian between his teeth.
"Really?" mocked the Slytherin boy. "What? You'd kill me?"
"I considered the thought," said Ian.
"Oh but that would be so wrong," said Venansius. "That would go against your little rules and how do you call your excuses?"
"They are called 'ethics', Mr Venansius," said Alexander, from behind the two Slytherins.
Ian succeeded in not smiling. That would show that he needed Alexander too much.
"You really want to be careful, you two," Alexander went on, as the two fourth years were slowly turning to him, "because I already have my eyes on you. The slightest step out of line and you'll be out of this school before you can even realise it."
Macke held his gaze in insolence.
"With all due respect, Sir," he said, openly sarcastic, "you're no real teacher in this school. So I don't see why you could handle discipline."
"Who ever said that he's not a real teacher?" said the voice of Professor Potter, who came down the stairs to meet them.
He was frowning. Miss Weasley was at his side, looking a little shocked by Macke's insolence. Ian was about to punch the Slytherin, for his part.
Professor Potter stared at Macke, who finally lowered his eyes.
"I've asked a question, Mr Macke," he said. "Who said that?"
"My father," said Macke. "He's on the board. He says that since he only teaches one student, it's not a real speciality. He's just the coach of some…"
"Be quiet!" said Potter, sharply. "Alright, let me be very clear about it. Professor Lockenburn is a teacher of this school. He is to be addressed as a teacher and his word is to be respected. And for you information, from now on, he will have more than one student. Two new pupils will join his lessons, this year. Your father, since he's on the board, as you never fail to remind us, is more than aware of this fact, so you would be well inspired to tell him it'd be smart of him not to divulge false facts."
Ian raised his eyes in surprise.
"So now, you'll get to your table," said Potter coldly. "And I don't want to hear a single word about you, this year, Mister Macke. I already have my personal goal to throw you out of Hogwarts at the first excuse you'll give me."
Macke and Venansius strode to their table, looking down all the way. Ian was sure that this little speech wouldn't be enough.
"Welcome back, Ian," said Alexander, drawing his attention back.
"Thanks," said Ian, grinning. "Did I heard right? You have new pupils?"
"Two of them," said Alexander, nodding, "Twins, as a matter of fact. They're called Susan and Sven Odinson. Since you are my first student, you'll be their guide in the beginning. You'll handle most of the practical exercises with them. And I would like you to greet them when they will be sorted. They don't seem to be at ease with their gifts, so I thought it would be good to show them they are not alone. Can I count on you, Ian?"
"Sure you can!" said Ian. "That will be cool not to be the only freak out here," he added, shooting a dark look toward Macke and Venansius who were looking at them furtively from the Hall.
"That little asp," said Potter.
"Tell me about it," said Ian, smiling.
"Anyway, I hope you'll have a good term," said Potter. "We mustn't be late, Alex."
Alexander nodded to Ian, his friends and then followed Professor Potter to the teacher's table. Ian then led his friends to their own, and they all took seats. Ian gave himself the luxury to throw a killing look to Macke, who glared back.
Ian was now even more anxious to see the Sorting. He wanted to know where his brother would end. But now, he was concerned with the fate of the Odinson twins, his new fellow students. Ian felt really good to know that he wouldn't be the only Chaotician studying in the school. There had been sometimes, in his school years and before, when he had felt isolated from the other students. Meeting Alexander had been a relief. And now they were three in Hogwarts, to learn how to master these gifts.
They weren't freaks any more. They were a new kind of wizards.
As Kenneth and his friends were making their way into in the Great Hall, Kenneth's eye was once again caught by Donahue, and he saw Julie, sitting at the Gryffindor table, waiting for them. There was a look shared between the two, and they were smiling to each other. When they broke eye contact, Donahue's eye fell on Kenneth and he had another smug smile, and a little wave of hand.
You blasted son of a…
Kenneth's thought was interrupted as he walked into someone, nearly pushing them on the floor. He hastily caught a hand to prevent a fall, and his eyes fell on someone familiar.
"Sorry," he said, with a wince, recognizing the girl at once.
"No problem," said Gillian Crawley.
"It's my fault, I was lost in my thoughts," Kenneth explained. "I hope I didn't hurt you."
"I think I'll live," said Gillian, with a smile. "How was that summer, Kenneth?"
"Not bad," said Kenneth, with a shrug. "I got to hang out with my father. Since he's pretty busy, it doesn't happen too often."
"That's nice," said Gillian. "I wish I could say that much. My summer was boring to tears. I'm delighted to be back."
"Yeah, most of us are," said Kenneth.
He then noticed she was still wearing the Silver Quill brooch she had won the year prior. It reminded him of what she had accomplished, back then
"You're running for the Quill again, this year?" he asked.
"I don't know," said Gillian. "I will see. I'm thinking of trying to form a regular team, instead of relying on Kieran, this time. It did seem to be a little unfair to the others, didn't it?"
"Well, good luck, if you decide to go for it," said Kenneth.
"What about you?" said Gillian. "You found a way to distinguish yourself aside from saving the day on a weekly basis?"
Kenneth smiled at that. At least, she didn't seem to be in awe of his so-called reputation. That was refreshing to see that in someone else than a Gryffindor girl.
"Well, I was planning on a low-profile kind of thing," said Kenneth. "I mean, I suck at Quidditch, and if I can avoid the whole 'distinguishing myself' bit this year, I'll be glad."
"I guess you would be," said Gillian. "Between what I know of you and what I read about Wandmasters, I think you can be labelled as a fame-allergic, but, you know, for me, you'll always be the 'one who wiped the floor with Robert Donahue's arse'. You'll take that glory title to your grave."
She was being ironic, he could tell, so he smiled, but he had a quick look to Donahue's table before to reply.
"I think I could live with that thought. So, what NEWTs have you picked out?" he asked.
"The usual," said Gillian. "I've specialized in Charms and Potions. I'm aiming at the Healer career, so, it was compulsory. Not that I will enjoy seeing Snape more often…"
"I hear you on that," said Kenneth, smiling. "We'll see each other in Charms and Potions, then," he said. "I've picked the Auror track, so, all Wand subjects and Potions."
"Good," said Gillian. "I've kept transfiguration, too, so I'll see you there."
Kenneth nodded. So far, up to the OWLs, he hadn't shared many lessons with the Ravenclaws. His classes had been shared with mostly Hufflepuff and Slytherin. He knew that it was a shifting pattern, but it would be nice to see new faces in class.
"Well, I'll see you around, Gillian," said Kenneth. "Have a nice feast."
"You too," said Gillian, with a smile, before to walk away.
As Kenneth was joining the Gryffindor table, Kalindra was sending quick looks between him and Julie. Julie looked a little shocked and Kenneth was acting pretty casually. The French girl had looked unsettled by seeing him talk with a girl that wasn't from their House. Mandy had commented by saying that it was meant to be. Kenneth was simply too good to stay out of the sights of the rest of the school's girls.
Kalindra agreed with this, even if she didn't care, for her personal use. But it seemed strange that Kenneth would forget so easily about his feelings for Julie. Kalindra knew they were strong, strong enough to push him to risk his life to save her. That wasn't something you would forget like that. Mandy may have some doubts, but Kalindra was sure that Kenneth was still in love with Julie, so she wondered what had happened with Gillian, over there.
Kenneth took his usual seat next to her. She turned to him, with a pointed look, until he grew uncomfortable.
"What?" he asked.
"What was that all about?" she muttered.
"What do you mean by 'that'?" asked Kenneth.
"You, bumping into a girl," said Kalindra, under her breath. "That's a classic manoeuvre. Was it really an accident?"
"Of course it was," said Kenneth, shaking his head. "I got distracted, so I nearly ran into her. Why do you ask me that?"
"Just wondering," said Kalindra. "Gillian's nice."
"Yes," said Kenneth, distractedly.
Kalindra looked intensely at him, almost expecting to see him look over to the Ravenclaw table, but his eyes were once again fixed on Julie. And there was a sad, angry resignation in them. She then knew for sure that something had happened on the train, something that had made Kenneth shift his attitude. One moment, he was eager to see Julie, the next, he acted like he had given up on her. Kalindra wondered what it could have been. She just hoped that Kenneth hadn't simply witnessed a kiss between Donahue and Julie, because that would have been a rotten way to begin the year. She really had to talk to him about this, but not here, in the middle of the Great Hall, with all their friends surrounding them. She would have to wait a little and bring it up as soon as possible.
But now, she was sure she was right. Despite the hurt she saw in his eyes, he was still in love with Julie. So much for Mandy's idea of a new Kenneth! Kenneth was nothing if not consistent. He was brave beyond measure, modest beyond reason, goofy with girls as a rule, and in love with Julie.
Sometimes, it was relief to be always right, she thought, chuckling.
Back on the teacher's table, Harry was telling his friends of his day. And the wonderful event he had witnessed.
"So Neville's parents are cured?" said Alexander, bewildered. "That's… unexpected, but that's brilliant."
"Yes," said Hermione. "That was a very beautiful moment."
"Did I hear you correctly?" Dumbledore suddenly asked. "Are Frank and Alice Longbottom cured?"
"Yes, Sir," said Harry, grinning. "You remember all that time Hermione spent working on that book she retrieved from the Maze of Era? Well, she translated the rituals taken from the Warlocks, and she found out how to use one of those to cure the Longbottoms. I heard that the Healers intend to use it on a wide scale, as they were many victims of torture who have lost their sanity because of it."
"That's wonderful news, indeed," said Dumbledore, truly moved. "I'll admit I've always been worried about Frank and Alice. I'll have to pay a visit soon."
"A visit?" asked Professor Flitwick, who was joining them. "Good evening, Harry, Ginevra, Hermione."
Harry and his friends greeted the Head of Ravenclaw, while Ginny rolled her eyes at the use of her full name, which Flitwick wouldn't let go of. The tiny teacher took his seat.
"You mentioned a visit," he said.
"To our dear friends the Longbottoms," confirmed Dumbledore. "Thanks to Hermione, they are now recovering from their madness"
"Fully?" said Flitwick, incredulous.
"Yes, "said Hermione. "Healers will keep them under watch, of course, and it will take some work to fully restore them, but they are lucid, by now, and the healers don't foresee any kind of problem."
"Oh, my goodness!" said Flitwick. "This is great news! The old guard of the Order will want to celebrate over this."
"I'm sure we will," said Dumbledore. "Just wait until Minerva finds out about this. They were both in Gryffindor with Lily, James, and the others. She always liked that group, even if she had to play hard on some of them. They were trouble makers, but great children. She had never really got over the fact that there had been so many tragedies in their lives."
"Where's Ron?" asked Alexander.
"He's putting Lily to bed," said Hermione brightly.
Suddenly, two people came running in the Great Hall, drawing all the eyes to them. It was Ron and Phyllis. They were looking pretty excited about something.
"You won't believe what just happened," said Ron, panting, when they stopped near their seats.
"Try me," said Alexander.
"Christine," said Phyllis, excitedly. "She floated!"
"She's done that before, honey," said Alexander, bemused.
"Yep, but not across half the castle to reach Lily's bed," said Ron, smugly.
"WHAT?" exclaimed Hermione.
"She basically began to fly," explained Phyllis. "I followed her, to prevent her from falling. But she didn't. She flew out of our apartment and she went up to yours. And there, she just landed into Lily's bed."
"What happened, then?" asked Alexander.
"Lily began to glow!" said Ron.
"To GLOW!?" exclaimed Hermione, standing up.
"Don't worry, hon'," said Ron. "She's alright. She's sleeping like an angel. And so does Christine. They're staying in Lily's bed."
"You left them alone?" said Hermione, accusingly. "After that?"
"Relax, Hermione darling," said Phyllis, smiling. "I have Waldo watching over them."
Waldo was a strange Creature, called a Dragonet, some kind of miniature dragon, which would never grow to the same size of its illustrious cousin. The little beast was also far less savage, with instincts closer to those of a dog. One could stand on anyone's shoulder, fly, breath fire in small amount, and usually act as a warden. It was a gift Dumbledore had offered Phyllis. He had promised to find another one for Hermione. Dragonets made excellent protection for kids, and great play pals, too.
Hermione relaxed a little and sat back.
"Ah, quite marvelous," said Dumbledore. "It seems that both your children are in possession of some measure of Chaos Magic, to manifest at that age. I'd say it isn't very surprising, after all."
"I don't understand why, Professor," said Harry, earnestly.
"Well, the blood of Alexander carries Chaos Magic in itself, and Phyllis' blood is strong thanks to her temper. Christine has inherited this strength in her. The same can be said about the strength of Magic in both Hermione and Ronald. Add to this the fact you have all been exposed to Primal Magic when the Seal of Chaos was broken, and it's not unreasonable to think that it had an impact on you all, and then on your children to come."
"Is it dangerous?" asked Hermione.
"I would not think so," said Dumbledore, serenely. "I guess we must prepare ourselves to welcome very special wizards in the years to come."
"Well, that won't change us from these days, will it?" said Harry, with a grin.
"I wonder what will be your reaction when your son or daughter will be flying around the Castle," said Hermione, gloomily.
Harry didn't say anything, but bent to kiss his best friend on the cheek.
"I can't wait to see that," he said.
"And the worst is that it's probably true," sighed Ginny.
"Well, as long as our child looks like you, I don't care what kind of demigod he or she becomes," said Harry.
Ginny blushed, and smiled to her fiancé, grasping his hand tenderly. Ron sat beside Hermione, who put her head on his shoulder.
"See, Honey? The daughter of the worthless Weasel doesn't seem to be doing so bad, does she?" he said, laughing.
"I never doubted that, dear," said Hermione. "Otherwise I wouldn't have married you."
They all turned to the doors, as they were opening widely, to let the flow of First Year pass, led inside the Hall by Minerva.
Professor McGonagall made her entrance, followed by the lines of the first years. Ian, Kieran and Joel, waved discreetly at Ewan, who grinned and waved back. He was looking pretty relaxed, although Ian had made sure that he didn't know what was coming for him as a Sorting ritual.
McGonagall explained shortly what the Sorting Hat was, and the Hat then opened the tear that served as its mouth to sing his traditional song.
May I ask your attention, please, dear younglings
'though you wouldn't want me in your belongings
Your next seven years rest with my choice
Your House is to be named through my voice
I'll read in you, and you'll hear me
Say where you really ought to be
Hear my story, such as it is
To hear of the possibilities
When the Founders chose a disciple,
For them, the choice was quite simple
Hufflepuff, sweet and kind lady
Wouldn't care for the lazy
She'd want her followers to work hard
The best they could, with a loyal heart.
Ravenclaw, the brilliant Searcher
Cared not much for the hard worker.
She wanted and would only teach
wizards whose mind was wise and rich
Slytherin, cunning and ambitious
Wouldn't teach brilliant or cautious
He wanted his disciples to be
Just as ambitious and sly as he.
Gryffindor, the heart of a lion
Had only disdain for ambition
For him, the most important quality
Of a wizard should be bravery
Now that they're gone, the choice is mine.
Just put me on, you will be fine
I can read in your heart as if it was mine
Your House, for me, is easy to find
Thanks for your attention, dear younglings
'though you wouldn't want me in your belongings
Your next seven years rest with my choice
Let your House now be named through my voice!
The Great Hall exploded in applause and the hat saluted for the four tables. Professor McGonagall then took the roll of parchment stating the name of the new students.
And the Sorting began. Ian had some time before Ewan got to be sorted, so he lost some of his interest for the ceremony, as he was looking for familiar faces across the Hall. At the Gryffindor table, he spotted Kenneth who was looking at the first years. There was something strange in his eyes, like some undefined anger. What was wrong with him? Ian followed his eyes, and spotted Julie's back. And facing her, at the Slytherin table, there was Donahue, eyeing her like some bird of prey.
Aw, come on, Julie! Don't tell me you're still with that jerk! he thought.
Ian felt sorry for Kenneth. But there was nothing he could do for them.
A name suddenly caught back his attention to the stool.
"Malcolm, Ewan," said McGonagall, and Ewan walked to the stool.
Ian smiled encouragingly to his brother when the teacher put the Hat on his head. The Sorting Hat twisted a little on his head, and then came to a decision.
"Gryffindor!" he shouted.
Ian applauded loudly, even if he was alone at his table to do so. His friends turned puzzled looks to him.
"What?" said Ian. "He didn't get in Slytherin. You know my brother, Joel," he said to Joel, who was looking awkwardly to him. "You imagined him being in Ravenclaw?"
"No, that's right," said Joel with a smile.
And the Sorting went on. The Hat placed many students in Hufflepuff, much to Professor Sprout's delight. The little plump witch enjoyed new faces in her House, and the latest years had been a little low on new students.
Then a name that Ian was expecting echoed under the bewitched ceiling.
"Odinson, Susan," called McGonagall.
Ian shot an intense look to the stool. A little girl, with strange dark grey hair was walking to it, a little awkwardly. Ian saw that many people were now looking at her. She was offering a striking outlook, with her strange hair and, when she settled on the stool, Ian saw that she had very curious eyes, of a clear green, almost unreal. Ian spotted a little boy with short hair that was nearly identical to his sister.
McGonagall put the Sorting Hat on her head, under the eyes of Alexander, who was very interested in the Sorting of the twins.
The Hat seemed to try to sort out many things in the little girl's mind. Then, suddenly, it shouted its decision.
"Gryffindor!" it said.
The Gryffindor table exploded in cheers. Ian was expecting the little girl to get up her stool, but she didn't move.
"Wait a second," said the Hat.
The Hat suddenly looked strangely frozen. Then it suddenly began to float. And it flew to the head of the young boy with the same grey hair.
"I knew there was something fishy," it said out loud, stunning the entire audience. "Thoughts coming from this head into the other. Let me see this one…"
Everyone was now looking at the Hat with eyes like galleons. Dumbledore was looking very surprised, which was rare enough to shock many people. The Hat then flew back on Susan's head.
"Okay, Now I can see clearly your mind, little one. Yes, I maintain it! GRYFFINDOR for this one!" he shouted again.
Professor McGonagall, looking very bemused, took back the Hat. Susan, who was blushing lightly, ran to the Gryffindor Table.
"Odinson, Sven," called McGonagall.
As Susan's brother was walking to the stool, the Hat suddenly began to talk in McGonagall's grasp.
"No need to put me on this one's head," it said. "He goes to Gryffindor as well."
"But…" began McGonagall, turning to Dumbledore, in search for a support.
"Oh, alright!" said the Hat, quite grumpily. "If you really insist…"
Sven, hesitating, got on the stool, and his pale green eyes disappeared under the edge of the Hat.
"Yes, Just like I said!" said the Hat, triumphant. "They're so tied together that they just can't be separated, so this one goes to Gryffindor!"
Puzzled, McGonagall took off the hat from Sven's head and the young boy ran to join his sister at the Gryffindor's table, which cheered wildly to greet them. Ian was astonished. Never had he seen the Sorting Hat behave like that. The whole Great Hall was now looking at the twins, who were doing their best to disappear under the table.
Ian shared a look with Alexander. The Entropist smiled lightly. Ian smiled back.
Interesting start, he thought.
The Sorting went on, and ended when a young boy named Chris Wagner was sent in Gryffindor, where he took a seat next to Ewan. He was looking really pleased to be in Gryffindor.
Ian then stood up and headed to the Gryffindor table, drawing all the looks on him again. Dumbledore turned to McGonagall, frowning, but the tall witch nodded toward Alexander, who exchanged with the Headmaster a significant look.
Ian bent over the table to the twins, who were now looking at him, very surprised.
"Hello, mates," he said. "My name is Ian Malcolm. I am Professor Lockenburn's Apprentice. I'm here to tell you two that you will have special lessons with him from now on to master this special gift that you have."
"To what gift are you referring to, exactly?" asked Susan, suspiciously, her voice carrying a marked accent.
Ian smiled, and his eyes turned to the glass in front of her, which then began to levitate, and fly around the head of Susan. Ian clearly heard Terry mutter 'show-off', from the other side of the table, but he only smiled. Susan and Sven were now watching at him in awe.
"Yes, we know all about that," said Ian. "Don't worry, it's not a problem. You will just have more lessons to focus on these powers. Alexander will help you with that. But in the meantime, if you need any help at all in anything, you just come to me, okay?"
The twins nodded, smiling. Then Ian turned to Ewan.
"I told you that you'd never make Ravenclaw," he said. "It's just about character."
Ewan stuck out his tongue to his brother.
"Well, as your first task as a Gryffindor, I would like you to look out for the twins, here," Ian said.
"Sure, you got it," said Ewan, enthusiastically.
"That means make sure they don't get into too much trouble," insisted Ian.
"I knooow," said Ewan, looking disappointed.
Ian stood up and turned to Terry.
"And make sure my brother doesn't get in too much trouble, Longwand," he said.
Ewan let out a groan, while Terry was giving Ian toothy smile and a thumb up.
"No problem," he said.
Ian then quickly got back to his seat, next to Kieran. Dumbledore stood up, calling attention back to him. The Sorting Hat was still resting on his stool in front of everyone, which was puzzling in itself. It usually was taken out of the Hall once the first years were sorted.
"Alright, now that Mr Malcolm has greeted his new fellow chaoticians, may I have your attention?"
Ian had a toothy smile for the Headmaster, that mirrored the one Terry had earlier, and many people chuckled.
"Now that we are all gathered and, for the younger ones among us, sorted," Dumbledore went on. "I would like to announce something important for the year to come. As you already know, I've always been in favour of exchanges between cultures, and I've always pushed for open-mindedness in the ways of education. Miss Carteret, who we are glad to welcome again among us, is a perfect example of that. This year, I have the pleasure of welcoming a very old friend of mine among us. He's a great, talented wizard, and in a way that you probably haven't heard of yet. He has to come to this school with his own pupils. They will share the year with us and live among us, finding a place in our different Houses."
An excited whisper ran among the students. Kenneth shot an intense look to Dumbledore, who acted as if nothing unusual was happening. The old wizard seemed to have this habit, to always look like he wasn't worrying about anything.
"So I'm sure you'll join me to welcome my dear friend Walter Amanio, and his disciples, from the Forest of Brocéliande."
The doors of the Great Hall opened with a loud click and everyone turned to see who was coming in. And what looked like a long procession of hooded monks entered the Hall, walking in a single line on the same pace. That was an impressive sight.
The silhouettes were all dressed in long robes with hoods, that were sewed in gold and brown, and that were hiding their faces. The line of Monks was led by a tall, stocky man, who was walking with the help of a great staff. The staff was made of wood, engraved with many ancient symbols. Kenneth wondered in what kind of Magic he was so gifted. He assumed that the man was Walter Amanio.
Following the tall man, walked what looked like two more adults. The others looked smaller and clearly younger. Kenneth was sure that this was the group of students Dumbledore had mentioned.
The procession stopped in front of the teacher's table, with the stool before them. The first three wizards were standing in the front, and the students formed a line behind them.
The tall man took off his hood and revealed a face that reminded Kenneth of Professor Armstrong, the former Defence teacher. He had grey, long hair, and a silvery beard. His face seemed made of sculpted rock, like the statues of the Ancient Time. The tall man smiled and age suddenly seemed to desert his face.
"Albus, my friend, I'm glad to see you once more," he said.
"So am I, Walter," said Dumbledore. "I welcome you and your students to Hogwarts," said Dumbledore. "Shall we sort your students into their Houses?"
"As you wish," said Amanio, smiling.
Professor McGonagall walked back to the stool and exchanged some words with Amanio, who nodded.
"My first assistant, Hector Anselme," he said. "He will call out the names of our students."
The monk to his right took off his hood and joined McGonagall next to the stool. He had a thin, cold face, with bright blond hair. His look was so hard and cold that it seemed to be able to turn anyone to stone. Kenneth had the curious feeling that if Amanio seemed to be out of the same mould as Dumbledore, Anselme was clearly out of the same as Snape's. That wasn't a very cheery thought. The assistant didn't seem very friendly.
"When Master Anselme will call out your name," McGonagall told the students, "You'll walk to this stool. I shall place the Sorting Hat in your head and you will be sorted into your Houses."
Kenneth was now all ears.
"Anton Krasnovitch," called Anselme, and a small young boy revealed his round face and walked to the stool.
McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on his head.
"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the Hat.
Anselme slightly frowned. Dumbledore had stood up and joined Amanio. They were commenting the Sorting.
"Hufflepuff is the House for the Loyal and the hard working," said Dumbledore, high enough to be heard on the other end of the Hall.
"That fits Anton," said Amanio, smiling in approval.
Anton blushed slightly and gave back the Hat to Professor McGonagall.
"You will join the second years," said McGonagall, with an encouraging nod.
The young boy walked to his table, greeted by his new Housemates. He took a seat between two girls who greeted him warmly. A boy bent over the table to shake hands with him.
"Orlando Giannetti," called Anselme.
A slightly older boy was standing next in line. He took off his hood and walked to the stool.
"Orlando is a very brilliant mind," said Amanio, while the boy was settling on the stool.
The Hat didn't need more than one second to shout.
"RAVENCLAW!"
"I can believe that," commented Dumbledore with a smile, while the Ravenclaw students cheered.
The rest of the Hall chuckled to the Headmaster's remark.
Ian saw Orlando get off the stool and walk to the table, after McGonagall pointed him to the fourth years. He had very delicate features, and clear blue eyes.
Diana sighed, next to Kieran.
"How cute is the monk," she said.
"We don't even know if he's a monk," said Gina.
"I sure hope he's not," said Diana, looking dreamily at Amanio's student.
She seemed totally lost. Ian rolled his eyes. Girls, he thought, disgusted.
Orlando joined them. Joel pushed Ian to free some space for him. The "monk" took his seat with a grateful smile.
"Well," said Joel, as a plate was appearing magically in front of Orlando, "welcome to Ravenclaw. I'm Joel Andrews. This is Mark Jevons, Edwin Ryan and Gina Ribizzi. There, you have Ian Malcolm, Kieran McDougall facing him, and then Mary Walburg, Morag Monaghan and Alba Vincent. And when she'll be back among us, I may be able to introduce you to Diana Jones-Stickley."
The brown skinned girl gave a start, and the whole year laughed. Orlando nodded to everyone, and even to some older students that were waving at him. He was smiling broadly.
"I'm glad to be here," he said, with a heavy Italian accent. "I heard this is the best place to learn."
"I'd say it is," said Ian. "If you ever need help in studies, you go to Kieran. She's our local genius, so…"
"Ian!" protested Kieran, blushing.
"Am I exaggerating?" Ian asked around, taking his whole table as a witness.
Everyone confirmed this by a discouraged groan. Kieran went even redder and Orlando chuckled.
"Excuse me, but I want to see where my brothers are sorted," he said, turning back to the stool.
"Brothers?" noticed Edwin, on a low tone.
"He must be a monk," moaned Diana under her breath.
"Hufflepuff!" announced the Hat over the head of another disciple, named Corentin Martens.
"What's the exact meaning of this House?" asked Orlando.
"Well, as Dumbledore said, Hufflepuff is for the loyal and the hard working," said Joel.
"I guess Corentin belongs there, then," said Orlando with a smile.
"Ravenclaw is for the savant, and the eager to learn," Joel went on. "Slytherin is for the ambitious and crafty and Gryffindor is for the brave. Are you all in line by age?" he then asked.
"Yes, except for the last of the line," replied Orlando. "He's being punished then he's at the left side, the place of dishonour. So he will come in last. He's sixteen."
"Why he's he being punished?" asked Ian.
"He's been behaving against our traditions," said Orlando, a note of sadness in his voice. "Master Anselme is very strict with that."
He seemed to feel some sympathy for the punished disciple. Ian sent a look to his figure standing in the end of the line. He was wearing the same robes as the others except that his hood was sewed in black, instead of gold and brown. He was standing in some kind of penitent attitude, with his hands in his sleeves, his face lost in the darkness of the hood.
The next students were sent in Ravenclaw, in fifth year. They were named Raphaella Di Angelo and Werner Heinzbrück.
Kenneth looked at the Sorting with interest. The least of his reasons was that it was a good excuse not to look at Julie. Most of the disciples were now sorted, between Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. There were nine disciples in total. And there were only four remaining. The figures were saying a lot about the group. Discipline and erudition seemed to be the most important parts of their education. When the next one, Jeremy Wats took off his hood, Mandy couldn't help but gasp a little.
"Oh my, I hope he comes our way," she said. "He's absolutely gorgeous."
"Well, I must agree with you," said Jennifer.
Will shot a very dark look to the guy on the stool, which made Kenneth laugh a little.
"RAVENCLAW!" said the Hat, to Mandy's dismay.
"Oh, no!" she wept, as the tall young man was heading to the Ravenclaw seventh years, looking very pleased with himself.
"Tough break, girl," said Kenneth with a sympathetic smile.
"Why do all the neat guys around here need to get out of reach as soon as you see them?" Mandy grumbled.
"Because if they didn't, they would come too easily, and we would forget their value, and settle for the less worthy ones," said Jennifer, with a pointed look at Will.
"And what a tragedy it would be," said Will, with a toothy grin.
The next one, named Morag McGregor, was also sent to Ravenclaw.
"Alan Colville," called Anselme.
There were only two disciples left, and the tallest one walked to the stool with confidence. He had sand hair and black eyes. He was quite handsome, too, according to Kalindra. However, Kenneth wasn't sure that she hadn't said this only to tease Rob a little, which seemed to work quite well, given the sombre glare Rob dedicated to the robed fellow.
The Hat was placed on Colville's Head and took a long time to decide.
"RAVENCLAW!" he shouted.
Colville had a very satisfied look on his face that Kenneth found very unpleasant. He walked to join the Ravenclaw table, in seventh year. Kenneth had the very distinct impression that he threw a disdainful look toward the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables that was very meaningful.
"Well, this one has very high standards, it seems," said Kalindra. "We're not good enough for him."
"I guess we won't have any student, then," said Will, with some sincere regret in his voice. "Ravenclaw seems to be their standard, and Hufflepuff the secondary choice."
Anselme then turned to the last student. Kenneth noticed that he had a different hood, which was sewed in black. Was it some sign? Anselme stiffened a little and Kenneth could tell by his look that he profoundly disliked the disciple that was facing him.
"De Vannes," he said between his teeth. "Don't make us wait for you."
The disciple quickly walked to the stool; without even taking off his hood. He only did so when he sat on the wooden stool. He then revealed a face that was surrounded by raven long hair that reached his shoulders. It was darkening his face. And that was drawing attention to his eyes that were like sapphires. The boy shot Anselme a rebellious look, but turned it away from him when McGonagall placed the Hat on his head.
"Doesn't seem the easy type, does he?" said Rob.
"He looks so angry," said Julie, almost whispering.
The Hat seemed to think a lot about his decision.
"GRYFFINDOR!" he finally shouted.
Kenneth and his friends applauded as 'De Vannes' was getting of the stool. The whole table cheered. The way they saw it, they were getting the most interesting person of the lot. But the cheer died down when the Gryffindors saw that there was another tense look between De Vannes and Anselme. Amanio's assistant looked furious. McGonagall exchanged some quick words with him and then turned to De Vannes.
"You will join the sixth years," she said, on a tone that showed that she was almost expecting resistance.
But De Vannes only nodded and bowed before her, before to walk to the table. Kenneth moved aside to make some room for him. The sombre looking monk sat next to him, with a tense smile. All eyes were fixed on him, especially the ones of his fellow disciples. They were looking at him in shock. Only two people didn't look outraged: Amanio himself, who was now looking at Anselme with a severe look, and the young boy who had joined Ian's group, at the Ravenclaw Table.
Dumbledore clapped his hands, as the teachers were now settling back at the table, Amanio at Dumbledore's right, next to McGonagall.
"Now that all is well, let the feast begin," he said, clearly willing to disarm any tension in the Hall.
The plates the magically filled and all students plunged into them. Soon, there was a happy chatting over the table, between old friends, new faces, and guests.
After some time, the disciples ceased to glare at De Vannes and they turned their look to their neighbours at the tables. De Vannes let out a sigh of relief, before to turn to Kenneth and the others. He smiled, a far friendlier smile than the one he had showed upon sitting down.
"Sorry about that. I didn't mean to be rude," he said, in flawless, if only slightly accented English. "But it seems, yet again, that I shocked my brothers with my difference."
"Difference?" asked Mandy, who seemed fascinated by the young man.
"Well, in our Order, our Masters praise Knowledge, Wisdom and Discipline above all," said De Vannes, smiling to her. "It seems like I lack the last two. Master Anselme was expecting us to all get in Ravenclaw, he said so before we got here. So I guess I got set apart once more. I don't even know what Gryffindor means. It seems like I lack also some attention to what he says. What's the object of the disgrace, then?" he asked with irony.
"I don't know what he complains about," said Mandy. "Gryffindor is for Bravery and Courage. Well, that also can mean a little carelessness, but I don't think it's really blameworthy."
They all nodded around the table. De Vannes had a curious twisted smile.
"Bravery and Courage?" he said. "Well, how about that? I like the idea. My name is Thierry, by the way. Thierry De Vannes."
Before anyone could reply, Kenneth saw that their newest Prefect, out of fifth year, was getting up from her bench and came to bend over Thierry's shoulder. Alwena Silverleaf had a bright smile.
"Ben, alors, on dit plus bonjour*?" she said in her native tongue.
Thierry looked at her, astonished when he recognized her.
"Wena? C'est toi? Mais qu'est-ce que tu fiches ici?" he said with a bright smile.
"A ton avis, crétin?" said Alwena, on a laughing tone. "Mes études, évidemment."
"Ah, alors, c'est ici que tu passes ton année? Je pensais que tu étais à Beauxbâtons," said Thierry.
"Beauxbâtons, c'est pour les snobs," said Alwena.
"Hey!" protested Julie, with a smile. "Je te permets pas."
Thierry turned to look at Julie, realising she was French, too.
"How about we switch back to English?" offered Alwena. "So that everyone else can understand us."
"So kind of you," said Rob.
He held out his hand for Thierry, who was facing him. Thierry took it and shook it firmly.
"I'm Rob Drakefang," he said. "I take it you know Alwena. Let me introduce you to the sixth year. You'll meet the others soon enough. This is Kalindra Johnson, Jennifer Windhill, William Tyler and Theodore Cage."
"Teddy," corrected the tall, and wide Keeper of the Quidditch team, with a wave.
"There you have Anthony Fields," Rob went on. "We usually call him Fields. And on the right, you have Mandy Williams, Marion Sweeney and Julie Carteret."
"Tu vas te plaire, ici **," said Julie, with a smile.
"I had no idea that so many French people attended Hogwarts!" said Thierry, grinning. "Where are you from?"
"Paris, originally," said Julie. "I didn't know there was a school of wizards left in Brocéliande."
"We live really apart from the rest of the world," said Thierry, switching back to English. "Brocéliande is a vast forest and it was easy to hide our school."
"Where is Brocéliande?" asked Mandy.
"Somewhere in Brittany," said Kenneth, "the most western region of France."
"I know where Brittany is, thank you," countered Mandy, sticking her tongue out to Kenneth.
"We call it Bretagne," said Thierry. "You are…?" he asked Kenneth, whose turn to be introduced had been skipped.
"Kenneth Lionheart," said Kenneth, shaking hands with him.
Thierry paused at his name, and Kenneth caught him sending a quick look to his ponytail and his wand sheath. Was he familiar with his family name? That was a surprise.
"So how come you know our new pal, Wena?" asked Rob.
"I know the whole bunch of them, actually," said Alwena, with a shrug. "My family's house is near Brocéliande. I see these guys each summer I go home, though I hadn't seen Thierry, here, in a while. I didn't expect you to show up, here, to be honest," she added for Thierry.
"Well, Master Amanio said it would be good for us to see what was beyond the Sanctuary," he said. "I guess he wants us to get acquainted with the outside world."
"Now that idea must have flown well with Anselme," said Alwena with a wince. "Is he still such a stuck-up git?"
"You have no idea," said Thierry, with a dark look to the man sitting next to Professor Hagrid, at the teacher's table.
"So none of you have gone to Beauxbâtons, then?" asked Jennifer. "How come? You have your own teachers?"
"Well our sanctuary is a place of study in itself," said Thierry, "so I guess the need to go to another school wasn't obvious, to our founders. With that many scholars in the same place…"
"Scholars? Sanctuary?" asked Will, curious.
"You never heard of the Sanctuary of Brocéliande?" asked Alwena, surprised.
Everyone shook their heads.
"Oh," said Wena, sheepishly. "I don't know, since you guys are my neighbours, I always assume everyone knows you," she told Thierry.
"You don't' know who we are?" said Thierry, looking around in surprise.
"No," said Kenneth. "We only know that your master Amanio is a friend of Dumbledore."
"Yes, he is," said Thierry. "We are the Brotherhood of Merlin."
The dialogues in French:
(*)Alwena and Thierry
"So what, you don't say hello?" she said in her native tongue.
Thierry looked at her, astonished when he recognized her.
"Wena? Is that you? But what are you doing here?" he said with a bright smile.
"What do you think, stupid?" said Alwena. "Studies, obviously."
"Oh, that's here you spend your year, then? I thought you were in Beauxbâtons," said Thierry.
"Beauxbâtons is for snobs," said Alwena.
"Hey," protested Julie with a smile. "How dare you?"
(**)Later Julie goes
"You'll like it in here," said Julie, with a smile.
And that's done!
I need to clear up a few things about this chapter:
Susan and Sven Odinson are Chaoticians. That's it. The name Odinson has NO other meaning. I'm speaking to all the people who might be Marvel comics fans (and therefore know the name Thor Odinson very well) or well versed in Norse mythology (and therefore know the name Thor Odinson very well!). They ARE NOT RELATED TO ODIN, and they are NOT demigods! I just struggled for so long to find a name for them, and I finally gave up, calling them that way. The Hogwarts series will never deal with ancient pantheons like Greek or Norse Gods. They have enough on their plates already.
As for the Brotherhood, they had different nationalities, but, yes, they all speak English, because they have been taught so, and unlike other students coming from France (I'm speaking in the real world, here), they have paid attention and learned! That's just a little jab at the abysmal level of teaching foreign languages that can be met in our schools.
I know we haven't seen Julie's side of things, for now… that's intentional *evil grin*
Well, hope it was worth the wait. Hopefully, the next chapter should be up next week.