Hello again!
I know I said this chapter would be up sooner, but I stumbled upon a continuity error that I had to fix, and it took me a little while to work around it. But there it is!
So, this one is lighter in tone, it's basically about... teenagers being teenagers. Hogsmeade... girl talk, boy talk... that kind of things. We'll jump back in the serious stuff later.
Before I go on, I realize I haven't acknowledged my readers as much as I wanted to, so far, and I'd like to rectify that. So, I would like to give a wave and a bow to the people who favourited this story, so far: Angostura, AvidReader159, Bigt1971, BlackAce2137, Dragonflame0213, DragonflameX, Jeronium, Marisa Boza, Mitali2014, Revan Reborn, RiccioBastardo, Sammantha-Jane, Wolf-Redlance (DUH! you had to be in that list didn't you, mate?), jmf32, nesciamema, ohhhdear, theodora 9 and viplovester. I want to thank you all for having read my stuff so far and I'm flattered that you like it. I hope I won't disappoint.
Alright, on to the story!
Quills, Flowers and Tea
So far, the morning had been pretty boring.
With the first week of the term already gone, people had settled back in their usual routine. The regular milestones of the school year were prepared, such as the Quidditch try-outs, the Hogsmeade weekends and, in the long run, the Yule Ball. Ian wondered how the Brotherhood's presence would affect the year. What was Dumbledore's plan regarding his guests? Had he planned exposés with the brothers explaining precisely about their way of life or did he just plan to have them blend into the student body, to simply get acquainted. He hadn't been able to glean the Headmaster's intent from his usual spying methods. Either Alexander was kept out of the loop, or his mentor was truly decided to hold things back from him, for a change.
Well, good luck with that, thought Ian with a smile.
And so, without any specific news, this morning did look like a regular Monday morning to Ian, which was rare enough to be an event in itself, actually.
But that wasn't meant to last, as Ian saw Dumbledore raising from his seat, near the end of breakfast, seeing that the Great Hall was full enough for his announce.
"May I have your attention, please," he said, his voice covering the chatter of the students, which promptly died out. "I would like to take advantage of this morning's meal to announce that a few things will be altered in the regular schedule of the year."
The silence that fell upon the room was now pretty heavy. Many dreaded a cancellation of outings, the postponing of Quidditch Games, even the Cup… but Ian saw the gentle smile on the elderly Headmaster and thought that the news couldn't be that bad.
"As a result of our guests' presence, this term, a few events will take place either sooner or later than the usual date," Dumbledore went on. "For instance, due to a surprise planned by the teaching staff for Halloween, the game pitting Gryffindor against Slytherin will be held a month earlier than last year."
There was a murmur among the students, and the current players of both teams exchanged looks, coming to the realization that the try-outs and first training session would have to be moved up and held quickly.
After the conversation he had overheard about the mysterious 'Sanctuary', Ian had his suspicions about the surprise planned for Halloween. It seemed obvious that the expedition suggested by Dumbledore would happen then. He kept his thoughts to himself, though. He wasn't supposed to have heard about this in the first place, and this clearly was no gossip material.
"Also, in order to adapt to the new schedule, I've decided to open the registration of the teams for the Silver Quill challenge, starting this morning," said Dumbledore. "Those who wish to enter the challenge will have the opportunity to do so as soon as they walk out of the Hall. The urn to deposit the names of your team-mates will be set up at the feet of the grand stairs."
This time, the murmur was more enthusiastic. The Silver Quill challenge had proven to be highly entertaining, last year, and most students now looked forward to either witness or participate in the friendly competition.
"Other events should not be disrupted for the moment," said Dumbledore. "The Yule Ball shall be held right before the Christmas break and the Hogsmeade week-ends should go as planned last year, save for the first, which shall take place the day before the first Quidditch Game. That will be all, thank you."
As he sat back down, a loud chatter erupted, as student immediately began to comment on the various news. Nothing earth-shattering, of course, but that had broken the monotony of breakfast, at least. Ian had a smile and turned to Kieran, with a knowing look. The Silver Quill announce had to be of interest for her.
Kieran was a bright mind and an eager student. Most people knew it, but people hadn't paid attention to it, until last term, when Kieran had made herself famous for more than being Ian's greatest support. Beyond the fact she had participated in a daring rescue mission, which had proven her courage to all, she had also displayed her genius for all to see by being the youngest student to win the Silver Quill ever, even when the challenge was simply among Ravenclaws. And she had done so quite spectacularly, by allying herself to a Ravenclaw and a Gryffindor to do it.
"So what do you have up your sleeve for this year?" he asked.
"What are you talking about?" asked Kieran.
"The Quill," said Ian, as it was obvious. "You're teaming up with Gillian and Wena again?" he asked.
"Ah, no," said Kieran. "I won't be entering the challenge, this year."
"Excuse me?" exclaimed Joel, who was sitting opposite her. "You're… you're last year's winner! Why wouldn't you compete this year?"
Kieran had a shrug.
"I simply don't have the time for it, this year," she said, earnestly. "I mean, between the Fourth year schedule and my lessons with Professor Flitwick and Professor Weasley, I won't be able to dedicate it the time it needs."
"I… I would have thought that…" said Joel, still stunned.
"There's a limit to what I can do, Joel," said Kieran. "I do happen to need some sleep, once in a while," she added sarcastically.
"Sure could have fooled me," noted Gina, "given you spend half your time in our dorm reading instead of sleeping."
"Oh, come off it," laughed Kieran. "I'm not that bad."
"You're worse, darling," said Diana, with a grin.
The atmosphere in the castle in the following days, held little to no surprise. Each year, students, once settled back, would have to work hard, as it was time to catch up with what they may have forgotten during the holiday, which, for some of them, could mean absolutely everything.
The mood was thus very studious. Terry claimed to be in a desperate situation, needing help from Kieran for his homework, now that he was busy with the practice sessions of the Quidditch team.
Indeed, the try-outs had revealed the year's first real shocker, aside from the arrival of the Brotherhood: Terry Longwand had made the position of Seeker for the Gryffindor Team. Not that Ian had had any doubt about his skill, since he knew of his friend's talent on a broom, but the rest of the school clearly hadn't seen it coming, betting on older students to get the job.
Ian somehow suspected Terry to fake his despair over school work, so he could spend more time with Kieran. Since the beginning of last year, Terry's stance toward girls had changed somehow. Not that he was any less friendly… he was more flirty, for lack of a better term. Morag, Alba and a few girls in his House had been the 'targets' of his new behaviour. Aside from his usual jokes, Terry had begun to offer compliments, make suggestive remarks… It was all in good fun, Ian had to admit it, but when it came to be directed at Kieran, Ian found he didn't like it. The feeling was unclear, And Ian didn't want to get to the bottom of it.
First, it wasn't his place to say anything about Kieran's life or her choice to flirt with Terry, and second, to truly examine the reasons of his weird jealousy would complicate things too much.
The first month of school seemed to flee like sand through an open hand. The first Quidditch Game was closing in, to Terry's utter despair, his panic rising with each passing day, but to everyone else's delight.
Ian hadn't seen the time pass, either. He had been very busy, from the very start of term. Since the OWLs were next year, he had to start worrying about them, the only student of his acquaintance who didn't worry about homework was, predictably, Kieran. As usual, she had already mapped out her entire year of studies.
But she had found a new subject of passion: her private lessons with Flitwick and Weasley. The things she discovered in those fascinated her beyond anything Ian had seen before in his best friend.
Apart from studies, another thing keeping Ian busy was his work with the Odinson twins.
The two Chaoticians were gifted and fast learners and their power was now developing quickly, since the two kids have discovered the way to use it on a conscious level. So Ian, as their instructor, had to teach them the reflexes he had mastered over the last three years. Alexander was convinced that his experience would be a good way for the twins to understand what they were going through.
Of course, he was always there to watch over their progress and rectify any mistake on Ian's part, but it was no small amount of pride for Ian that his mentor didn't need to interfere too much. He wasn't sharing this with anyone. He refused to show off with his gifts. The only one he talked about this was Kieran, who among his friends he knew the best and trusted the most.
They had come to share that special part of their respective schedules, in long talks that Ian enjoyed very much.
She was telling him about her progress with Flitwick and how she was very close to creating her own spells. Spell Writing was a very tricky discipline, which consisted in knowing the exact effect of each wave, and of each word. It was a huge work that was destined to make Kieran able to devise her own magic, which was by all means, no small achievement.
In return, Ian was telling her how he felt about being the one teaching, this time.
Ian had the subtle impression that they were sharing something very special with these conversations and it felt just great.
Of course, he wasn't so busy he could stop keeping informed of anything going on in the castle. He had still his network of sources, from teachers (most of them against their will) to students (most of them quite willingly), and any rumour created in the castle, at some point, passed by him. He was keeping the network in place both out of habit and necessity. He had given up the hobby of creating false rumours to see who was stupid enough to fall for it, but the network helped him, in case he would need to put a stop to a particularly sensitive piece of gossip. For example, he had conscientiously muted the rumours that were closing too much on the real reason of the Brotherhood's presence.
And as he was aware of most things, he was quite aware of what was going on between Kenneth and Julie. He didn't need his network for this. He only needed his eyes. He still didn't understand the way they behaved toward each other. Whenever they were in the same space, the temperature felt like dropping a few degrees and, usually, Julie would walk away quickly, joining her boyfriend or one of her friends, but basically heading anywhere Kenneth was not. That was a puzzle in itself. What Ian could also feel was Kenneth's resentment toward the French girl. And that was far more than puzzling.
He told Kieran so, one day.
"I mean, the way they acted around each other last year," he said, "I was sure they would be together by now. There was something going on, especially with Kenneth. He was completely hooked on her."
"Yes," said Kieran. "But you mustn't underestimate how easily these feeling can be confused. I can tell something has happened, but unlike others, I don't think it's quite as simple as everyone thinks. Julie and Kenneth share something different than most teenagers. They've been through battle and danger together. But, they're still young, so they need time to realise their true feelings for each other…"
"You do realize we're talking about people who are two years older than us, don't you?" commented Ian, wryly.
"We're still in the age of lucidity," said Kieran, seriously. "As soon as we'll start to worry about girls and boys, we'll lose it completely. And later we'll get experience, like grown-ups, which is to say we learn again what we lost."
"Where would you get an idea like that?" asked Ian, smiling.
"Professor Flitwick," said Kieran, with a serene grin. "He has curious notions sometimes."
There was no particular meaning for the first Hogsmeade outing of the year, except for marking the first Quiditch game of the season. It would take place on the Sunday afternoon, when a fine weather was forecast. Whatever Dumbledore had in mind for Halloween, it would turn over the whole week end, in a month time.
Nevertheless, it didn't have only good sides. Terry's panic was now bordering on epic. He had thought to have more time to prepare for his first game with the Gryffindor team. This time, Ian was quite sure that his need for help for his homework was real, as Riana, the Gryffindor Captain had tripled the number of practice sessions.
"She's going to kill us," moaned Terry one night, as he was entering the Great Hall along with his friends. "It doesn't matter anymore if the Game has been pushed earlier. We will all be dead before this."
"I'm sure you'll be fine," said Kieran, only half-rising her nose from a parchment.
It was pure trust in her friends to act like this. She was walking and reading at the same time. She was studying some parchment from Flitwick, relying entirely on her friends to prevent her from hitting anyone, or bumping into a wall. Up to now, there hadn't been any accident.
"At least you can count on Julie and Will to score while you're looking for the snitch," she said.
"Good point," said Terry, completely well-disposed to recognize his chasers' skill.
"Stop worrying like this," said Ian. "You'll only end up making me mad at you."
"Wow, that's comforting," commented Joel with a smile.
Someone suddenly patted Joel on the shoulder. He turned to find himself facing Gina Ribizzi. She was smiling but she was redder than Terry's Quidditch robes.
"Could I talk to you, Joel?" she asked, blushing even harder.
Ian exchanged one long meaningful look with Terry and they both grabbed Kieran by the shoulders and strode away.
"See you later, Joel," Ian said over his shoulder before he could even protest.
"What are you doing?" asked Kieran, realizing what was going on.
"We're giving the two of them some space so they can talk a little," said Ian, grinning.
"The two of them?" said Kieran, puzzled.
She shot a look behind her and saw Joel and Gina standing in the middle of the Hall.
"Oh, she's going for it, after all," she commented, smiling.
"For what?" asked Terry.
"Well, I guess she's finally asking Joel out for Hogsmeade, you know, like a date," said Ian.
"Oh," said Terry. "I did know Joel liked her but I had no idea that Gina was…"
"Who do you think sent that letter he found on his bed on the last day, back in June?" said Ian, with a smug grin.
"What!?" exclaimed Kieran. "You knew who sent it?"
"Of course I knew," said Ian. "You should have seen Gina's hopeful face when she asked me to leave the letter somewhere he would find it."
"You did that?" said Kieran in complete disbelief.
"Why is it so surprising?" asked Ian.
"You actually showed some sensibility, Ian," said Kieran, with a mocking grin. "I thought I'd never see the day… That needs some reward."
She leant close to him and kissed his cheek.
"Hey, I'm getting jealous here," said Terry.
"Did you set Gina and Joel up?" asked Kieran.
"Well… no," said Terry, glumly.
"Then, no reward," said Kieran, playfully.
"Unfair," muttered Terry.
"I disagree," said Ian.
"Of course you would," said Terry. "Alright, enjoy your dinner," he said, heading to the Gryffindor table. "Still say it's unfair," he added under his breath.
Kieran chuckled. Ian made extravagant move to walk her to her seat, and bowed deeply.
"Milady, I'm so flattered by your reward, that I don't know what to say," he said on a very precious tone.
"Shut up, then," said Kieran.
"Okay," he groaned before to laugh.
The dinner began, and they soon were too busy commenting the next week end to worry about Terry's potential exhaustion or Joel's love life. But it seemed to Ian that when Gina and Joel had finally taken their seats, they were both smiling shyly and blushing seriously. The invitation was made. It was official: Joel Andrews and Gina were dating. The girls seemed pretty excited about that, as they whispered endlessly on their side of the table.
As often in his school years, Ian made a mental comment that was quite a sum-up of his incomprehension of the female population.
Girls, he thought, rolling his eyes.
The eve of the Hogsmeade week-end was here. Unbelievably, Terry had made it to this night alive, and had even quit his whining about the training schedule. He was now focused on the upcoming game, his determination pretty solid. If one thing could be said about Riana Walborough as a captain, it was that she was pretty good at motivating her squad. The entire Gryffindor Quidditch team was tense and sharp. The Slytherin team was just as prepared, but they had, in Ian's opinion, a vicious glint in the eye.
During the feast, while dessert was being served, there was some movement at the teacher's table.
"I think this is it," said Alba, as she saw Dumbledore and Flitwick stand up to gather attention.
Ian nodded, as it was probably the time to announce the teams that were entering the Silver Quill Challenge, this year. He cast an insistent look to Kieran, who merely smiled and shrugged.
"So you maintain that you will sit this one out?" he said.
"What's wrong, Ian? You already bet on me?" noted Kieran.
"You know I don't do that," said Ian.
"What, bet on your friends? I recall you betting on Kenneth," said Gina.
"No, I don't bet when the odds are too random," grinned Ian. "I did bet on Gillian and Alwena, though."
"I guess that's a good move," said Kieran.
"But you would have been expected to defend your title, Kieran," said Alba, seriously.
"Alwena and Gillian will be there for that, I guess," said Kieran. "I meant it when I said I didn't have the time."
Ian was still reeling from the notion that his best friend would not be competing, something he hadn't entirely ruled, given her taste for surprises, sometimes, when Dumbledore summoned the blackboard where the names of the teams would be appearing.
"Excellent," he said, as an opening. "I can tell by the urn that we have more candidates, this year, to enter the Silver Quill challenge. So, without any ado whatsoever, I give you our teams for the year. Registration is now closed. Good luck to all participants and may the smartest… or the luckiest win."
There was a general chuckle at that. Dumbledore began pulling out the sheets of paper, each bearing three names, and spoke them aloud, to general applause as the name were magically written down on the black board. Soon, it became clear that the teams usually resulted from previously connected students. Study partners, prefects, notoriously old friends… the groups held no real surprise, except for the fact they would decide to enter the challenge.
At some point, though, Dumbledore read out the name of Nate Willis, this year's Head Boy, who was entering alongside Jim Lockwood, a fellow Ravenclaw and Janet Spencer, from Slytherin. This, as much as it surprised many students and caused a commotion, wasn't a shock for Ian. Throughout last year and the beginning of this term, Nate and Janet had been obviously growing closer. An invitation to the Yule Ball may or may not have been extended, yet, but that was only a matter of time, really.
As the teams were revealed, it seemed that Kieran hadn't been bluffing, and that she would truly not enter. The biggest surprise so far had come from a team out of the Brotherhood: Alan Colville, with Jeremy Wats and Morag McGregor.
But Dumbledore knew quite well how to entertain his students, and once more, Ian suspected that he kept the most surprising team for last, like the previous year. The old man certainly liked his theatrics. When he picked the last sheet of paper, his eyes were twinkling, telling Ian that he was right.
"Aha! I was wondering what the title holders had in store for us," he commented, good-naturedly. "Well, it appears that Miss McDougall will not be entering the contest, this year, but Miss Crawley and Miss Silverleaf certainly have found an interesting replacement. They have, once more taking my goal for this contest to heart, invited Miss Di Angelo to join their team."
Everyone stared as Alwena, Gillian and Raphaella, standing out in her Brotherhood robes, stood up to nod at the Headmaster. Wena was looking around, rather pleased by the sensation she was creating.
Soon, applause began as the students began to see the possibilities of such an alliance. The Brothers of Merlin had demonstrated their knowledge and it was a pretty smart move from Alwena and Gillian to partner with one of them. Ian saw that most people were surprised. But he caught a look from the Gryffindor table that made him pause.
Thierry seemed very glad of that last team's registration.
"What are smiling about like that?" asked Kenneth, noticing his new friend's grin, as he was clapping for Alwena's team.
"It's good to see Raphi getting some attention," he said.
"I thought you people weren't supposed to draw attention," commented Kenneth. "Doesn't Anselme want his students to behave and stay out of trouble?"
"A contest of wits and science in magic?" said Thierry. "Master Walter will laugh right in his face if Anselme protests this. Besides, you can be sure that if Colville entered, he had a full blessing of Anselme."
"Hmmm, teacher's pet?" offered Mandy from across the table.
"Colville has been sucking up to Anselme from the moment he has put on the robes," said Thierry, nodding. "It's quite impressive, really. Given how short-tempered that old bastard is, it take skills to stay on his good side all the time. But, of course, that makes Colville quite the git, too."
Kenneth grinned at that.
"So you and Raphaella are close, then?" asked Will, meaningfully.
"Not if you mean romantically close," said Thierry, with a shrug. "Raphi, Orlando, Werner and I… we've all been raised into the Order, taken in as orphans. I mean, I never knew my real parents, and neither has Orlando, for example. Raphi lost hers, but she was pretty young. We all grew up together. In all aspects, we're brothers and sisters. It would be weird to start dating the girl I was raised with, out of sudden."
"Yeah, I get that," said Will, nodding.
"So what did you mean by 'getting attention'?" asked Kenneth.
"Well, as I mentioned Colville masterful sucking up, it also implies that he's grabbing as much of the spotlight as he can with the Masters, always putting himself first. Raphi is a kind, smart witch, smarter than Colville, anyway, but she has no chance of showing it. I knew a team was to enter the challenge. Of course, Colville would have been at the lead, which meant that Raphaella wouldn't be given a chance to participate. They don't like each other that much. So I'm glad Alwena did this. It will be good for her to get some credit for her smarts."
"Trust Alwena to make a year interesting," commented Rob.
"I live for your appreciation, Rob," said Alwena from where she was sitting, grinning widely.
"You just had to make a fuss again, right?" chuckled Rob.
"I aim to make things interesting," said Alwena with an unrepentant grin. "Also, I happen to be a good judge of talent. If I'm to win this thing twice in a row, I need some brains, and Raphi certainly has that. Plus it will give people something to talk about, when they're out in Hogsmeade, tomorrow."
Students over the second year were gathering at the courtyard, handing out their permission form to be allowed down the path leaving to Hogsmeade. Today, Flitwick was collecting the forms from the third year students and checking that the older students were still registered among those who were allowed to visit the Wizarding village.
Kalindra was leading a small gang of Gryffindors that included Jennifer, Thierry, Rob, and Kenneth. Mandy was supposed to join them later, and Will was already at the Gates, to check on things as a prefect. Teddy came after them, running to catch up with them.
"Where's Fields?" asked Kenneth.
"I don't know," said Teddy. "He said something about an errand to run, before he would meet us at the Three Broomsticks."
"Alright," said Kalindra, decidedly. "Let's get going, then."
"Does anybody know where Julie is?" asked Jennifer.
"What do you think?" said Rob, with a doubtful wince. "Probably out with her 'dashing escort'."
"Oh," said Jennifer. "Too bad. I needed to talk to her about something."
"Is there an unspoken rule that prevents us to talk to Julie whenever she's around her boyfriend?" asked Thierry, curious.
"You mean apart the fact he's a total jerk?" asked Rob, with a grin.
"Oh, come on," said Jennifer. "Robert is not that bad."
"Why won't you go find Julie, then?" asked Rob.
"Well..." said Jennifer.
"Exactly, you still prefer Julie when she's not around him," said Kalindra, before to turn to Kenneth and speak under her breath. "I mean, the way he hovers over her like she's his property makes me physically ill."
"I don't think I want to hear he fluffy details of that courting of his," said Kenneth, darkly, but just as hushed up.
"Well, that is if you want to call it that way," said Kalindra, with a wince. "I mean, the way he goes about this…"
"Did you or did you not just hear me say that I didn't want to hear about it?" Kenneth cut her.
"Oops, sorry," she said, with a sheepish smile.
The group skipped down the path, chatting joyfully. As the gates of the Grounds were coming into view, they heard a commotion behind them, and they saw Morag Monaghan, one of Ian's classmates, and Terry Longwand, hurry down the path.
"I can't believe you've made me late, Longwand," Morag said, furious, as they caught up with them.
"Late?" said Terry. "It's Saturday, how can we be late? What's the hurry?"
"I have to meet with Diana and Alba to get stuff for the Ball," said Morag.
"Already?" said Terry, astounded at the idea. "It's barely October!"
"Ah, my dear Master Longwand," said Kalindra, piping in their conversation. "You have much to learn about the Ways of the Girl. For a ball that is due to take place in December, shopping in October is cutting it pretty close."
"Is it?" said Terry. "Wow, that's... Wait a second, does that mean that the girls pick up their dress and stuff before to actually be invited?"
"Who says that I haven't been invited, yet?" asked Morag, with a smug grin.
"Have you?" asked Terry.
"Why? Were you planning of asking me?" asked Morag.
"Er..." said Terry, unsettled.
"You still fall for that, after all these years," laughed Morag. "Do you even learn anything, Terry?"
"She has a point, there," said Rob. "That one was obviously a trap."
"Yeah, well, no need to rub it in," said Terry. "Why are you constantly picking on me, Morag?"
"It's one thing to do," said Morag, with a shrug. "Honestly, Terry, does it bother you that much?"
"I can't say it does," he replied. "I mean, it's nice to have a girl around that can deliver a good one whenever it's needed. It keeps one's wits sharp."
"And we wouldn't want you to lose that sharpness of, wit, would we, Terry?" said Kalindra with a smile.
The sixth year shared a laugh at Terry's feigned dark look.
"So, more seriously, do you have a date for the Ball?" Terry asked Morag.
"I have a pretty solid prospect, yeah," said Morag.
"Cool," said Terry. "I wouldn't want you to be alone for the Ball, just because you couldn't go there with your dream date."
"Oh, and that 'dream date' would be you, right?" scoffed Morag. "Does that mean you have a date?"
"Not yet," said Terry, seriously. "But I have my sights on someone."
"Let us all commiserate to the coming woes of that poor girl," grinned Morag.
"What? You don't dream of going with me to the first Ball? I'm crushed," said Terry, with a wide smile. "And here I was, thinking you spent your nights dreaming about snogging me."
Morag looked a little taken aback by that, but she still tried to come up with a come-back.
"Keep dreaming, Gryffinboy," she said. "I..."
Kalindra noticed that Rob and Teddy had exchanged a long look, before to smile. She was puzzled by their attitude. Rob seemed to take pity on Morag.
"Let me guess," he said, helpfully, bending over Morag's shoulder. "You'd rather kiss a wookie?"
"Huh?" said Morag, puzzled.
Rob bent to her ear and whispered a few words quickly, as an explanation. Her face lit up with a cunning smile.
"Right," she said. "I'd rather kiss a wookie."
"What's a wookie?" asked Terry, dumbfounded.
"I'll explain later, buddy," said Teddy, grinning. "Suffice to say you've been shot down in flames."
"Oh, right," said Terry. "Whatever," he said, with a feigned huff as he stalked away, muttering about the cleverness of girls and muggleborns.
Morag turned to the boys and grinned.
"Thanks for that," she said. "I was lacking inspiration on this one."
"Any time," said Rob, with a dismissive wave of hand that said it had been nothing at all.
Morag walked away, with a smile that was still a little relieved. Kalindra wasn't sure what the two boys found so amusing, but they seemed to share some silent joke until Teddy spoke up.
"What did you tell her?" he asked.
"That Wookies were space bear-monkeys with a lot of hair and foul breath, and that it was meant as a very stingy comeback," said Rob, casually.
"Is she aware that the girl who says that in the movie is actually falling for the guy?" asked Teddy.
"Of course not," said Rob.
"Still, I assume you did that on purpose, didn't you? Subtext included?" Teddy went on.
"Of course," said Rob, with an energetic nod.
Teddy held up his fist.
"Nice," he said.
"Thanks, I liked it very much myself," said Rob, smugly, as he bumped his fist with his.
"What are you guys talking about?" asked Kalindra.
"I'll explain it later, Kallie," said Rob. "Muggleborn thing."
"No, I got it," said Kalindra. "You used some Muggle reference to allude to the fact that Terry and Morag are into each other. But where would you get such an idea?" she asked.
"I wouldn't say that they are into each other," said Teddy, smiling. "But, the way they are acting, right now, we have a strong possibility that it could head in that direction in the years to come."
"Or they could rip each other's eyes out, if they keep teasing each other like that," said Jennifer, flatly.
"Coming from you that's rich," said Rob, with a grin. "Explain to me why you go at Will's throat each chance you get, again? Terry and Morag are not there, yet, but in time, they could. That's obvious for anyone to see."
And on that note, he walked on with Teddy, soon followed by the rest of the group. Kalindra was glued on the spot. She looked at him walk away. She noticed that Kenneth was waiting for her, an expectant look on his face. He seemed puzzled by her state of shock.
"He... he sees that kind of stuff? About Terry freaking Longwand? And he doesn't get a hint about me?" she said, once she was sure that Rob was out of earshot. "You've got to be kidding me!"
Kenneth only laughed. The look she sent him would have killed him dead, if her eyes had been daggers.
"Come one, Kallie, admit this is funny," he said, passing his arm over her shoulder.
"I hate you sometimes," she simply said, as he was stirring her toward Hogsmeade.
"Er... guys," asked Kalindra, puzzled. "Wasn't Marion supposed to be with a 'Puff? Some guy named Jasper, out of sixth year?"
Kenneth followed her gaze and saw Marion Sweeney walk arm-in-arm with a guy that wore a Ravenclaw cloak over his Muggle casual attire. The shocking thing wasn't really the House the guy was from, in Kenneth's opinion. The real shock came from the ease with which Marion acted around him. When compared to the shy, reserved girl he had known last term, the contrast was striking.
Will, who had joined them shortly after they had entered the village, only shrugged at that, as if nothing was really amiss.
"It's kinda hard to keep up with Marion, these days," he simply said. "I'm still getting over the fact that she's flirting around, so don't expect me to keep a count running."
"A count?" exclaimed Kalindra. "Is it that much?"
"Nah," he replied. "But that's three blokes she dated already since the start of term, so..."
"Three? When did that happen?" exploded Kalindra.
"She's your bloody room-mate, Kallie," said Will. "How come you're asking me? Didn't she tell you?"
"Well, she certainly didn't boast about it!" grumbled Kalindra.
"I'll admit it's quite the change for our little Marion, but it's not like it's a big deal," said Will. "I mean, from what I know, it's just a bit of flirting, a snog here and there, and no one gets hurt."
"Oh, is that right?" said Kalindra, dryly. "How would you know about it?"
Kenneth and Will had a snicker at that.
"We've made some serious checking before we let any guy approach a Gryffindor girl," said Will, as Kenneth nodded.
"What?" asked Kenneth, at Kalindra's astounded face. "You thought that we would let just any guy mess around with girls we've known since we're eleven?"
"And in some cases, longer," said Will, before to go on. "There is this thing the whole male population of the school knows as "The Big Brothers' Brigade of Gryffindor"," he explained. "Despite it sounding like a diction exercise, it's a proud group and we've joyfully joined their ranks as early as third year. 'If you mess with a Lioness, we'll waste your face' is the motto."
"And who died to make you our bloody chaperones?" said Kalindra, frowning.
"That'd be Godric," said Kenneth, with a grin. "It's an honoured tradition of Gryffindor. Of course we didn't have much to do, so far, since you girls clearly can take care of yourself. But Marion's case certainly raised our interest and so we met and interviewed the three blokes I mentioned earlier. By 'we' I mean Rob, Teddy and me. It turns out that with each flirt, Marion was the one to start it, and the one to end it, and the guys kept no hard feelings, saying this was all in good fun and pretty innocent. Given the loud cracking sound from Teddy's knuckles at the time, there's a pretty solid chance they were truthful. Jasper did mention she is a pretty good kisser, incidentally."
Kalindra looked floored by what she was hearing. Kenneth had an interrogative look for her.
"Well, isn't that something?" she said. "So guys do talk, after all."
"If only to keep up with you girls," said Will, with a vicious grin.
"So, you can tell me why Marion is so suddenly popular, then," said Kalindra.
"She's a new catch in a year that doesn't offer many opportunities in terms of dating," said Will.
"Excuse me? Not many opportunities? Are you implying that we're ugly, or something?"
Kalindra's tone had a threat that Kenneth could feel, so he came to Will's rescue. He had heard Will's theory about that before, after all.
"Let him explain before you maul him, Kallie," he said. "It's actually a good one."
"My thanks to my Lord and Master," joked Will. "So, the sixth year, beyond any notion of attractiveness, is pretty much a barren field for a guy in search of a date. The girls from Hufflepuff are all with a steady boyfriend, so they're out. Most of the Ravenclaws are also hitched with seventh years, save for Gillian, but no one knows how to approach Gillian."
"Why?" asked Kenneth, genuinely curious about that.
"Well, she's hot and smart," said Will. "Plus, she's famous, now, because of the Quill thing, so she's exposed. One can't ask her out discretely, any more. And, in general, guys suck at dealing with girls with brains. That's a fact of life."
Kalindra laughed openly at that. Kenneth joined her. Will's view of life was pretty funny, and Kenneth did enjoy the way he dissected the inner workings of the school, during their evening talks in their dorm.
"What about the Slytherins?" asked Kalindra.
"Well, Janet is obviously into Nate, and one does not cross the Head Boy," said Will. "The rest is irrelevant... arrogant bunch of bitches."
"Will!" Kalindra protested, outraged by his tone.
"I'm serious, Kallie," said Will. "If they do consent at looking at you, they do look like you've got a nasty, smelly skin disease. Plus, most of them are just bitter because they couldn't catch Donahue before Julie did."
"Alright, moving on," said Kalindra with a look at Kenneth that she hoped was discrete, but that was not.
Kenneth only smiled at that. His best friend was still doing her best to keep the conversation off the subject of Donahue, Julie or anything remotely related to those two. It was nice, or at least she meant well.
"And then we get to the pack of lionesses, which is more complex," Will went on, oblivious of Kalindra's efforts to cheer Kenneth up. "First, Julie's out, for reasons explained earlier. Mandy is a mystery. Once she had been asked by Lucas to the ball, everyone expected her to be courted from all around, but she seems to manage to keep everyone at bay. And guys don't like mysteries. Jennifer has made it clear that she has no time for nonsense, silliness and dating, so... that leaves us with you and Marion. And you intimidate people."
"Oh, I intimidate people, do I?" she retorted hotly, making Kenneth chuckle at Will slight flinch at her tone.
"Well, for the same reason I gave for Gillian," he explained. "Guys suck at dealing with witty girls, especially when they're hot and famous, now, like you are."
"Nice save," said Kenneth.
"Knew you'd like it," said Will. "Anyway, guys think you're out of their league."
"You can't be serious," said Kalindra.
"Oh, he is," said Kenneth. "He has given this a very long thought."
"So Marion is... what, fresh meat?" tried Kalindra.
"Gross," laughed Will. "No, she's just shown that she's interested in dating, so guys start to consider her as an option. They didn't before, because she didn't act interested. She's playing it smart, too, by taking the initiative. That way she gets her pick, and that deters creepy blokes."
"Nice thinking," commented Kalindra. "Keep your eye out, though," she said. "I wouldn't want Marion to get hurt because of one misstep."
"Don't worry," said Will, on a more discrete tone, so that only Kenneth and Kalindra would her him. "Everyone knows that hurting Marion will earn anyone the wrath of our dear Keeper. He's grumpy enough about Marion flirting around."
"What? Does Teddy have a thing for Marion?" replied Kalindra on the same tone
"Been infatuated with her for years, now," said Will, as if it was obvious. "Only he figured she wasn't interested in boys, least of all him, so he thought he'd give her time to show interest. Now, he feels he's missed his shot, so he's acting protective."
"And stating his feelings was just not possible?" asked Kalindra, sarcastically.
"Not to steal Rob's line, but 'coming from you, that's rich'," snorted Kenneth. "How many times did I tell you to ask Rob out?"
"Well, you wouldn't have to if he only acted!" Kalindra shot back. "I mean, what is wrong with you guys?"
"By 'you guys', you mean 'the male population', the 'male population of Hogwarts' or just 'the five idiots in Gryffindor sixth year'?" asked Will, pleasantly.
"Start with the five idiots, we'll work up from there," said Kalindra, with narrowed eyes.
"Here goes, then," said Will, with a smile. "I guess Kenneth's issues don't need explaining, since you know them better than I do."
"You know it," said Kalindra, with a toothy grin for Kenneth, who only smiled.
"So, on to Teddy, who, as I said, so far, was waiting for the right time and got suckered by Marion's shift in attitude, beyond that, he's pretty lucid on his feelings, so he can't be blamed. Then you've got Fields... Well, Fields feels he's undeserving."
"What the hell?" asked Kalindra.
"I said that's how he feels, now how it is," said Will. "Let me explain. When Fields looks at the year, he sees Teddy, the perfect Quidditch star, Rob, the teddy bear turned hunk who makes half the girls swoon over him."
Kenneth elbowed Will when he saw the fire rise in Kalindra's eyes. Will only smiled wider.
"Don't worry, Kallie, the boy is yours," he said.
Kenneth laughed at the way she stammered in protest, and Will went on.
"Then he sees me, the dashing prefect, and Eamon, the dashing, more dignified prefect, and Donahue, the very dashing and very dignified jackass," he exposed as a list.
Kalindra and Kenneth exchanged a look and a chuckle at that.
"And finally, he sees Kenneth, bad-ass, confident, gifted and heroic..."
"You really want me to kill you, like, right now, don't you?" said Kenneth, impatiently.
"Oh, come off it, Lionheart," Will said, mercilessly. "Whether you like it or not, you're not playing in the 'regular student' category, any more. You saved lives, last year. By the dozen if we consider what you did during the attack on the Quidditch pitch. That's not remotely close to Quidditch level fame, that's straight into 'Harry Potter' territory."
"Moving on," grumbled Kenneth.
"So, Fields, confronted to all this, feels he doesn't measure up and so he steps back," said Will. "Which is idiotic, if you ask me, but hey, no one does ask me."
"Idiotic?" said Kalindra, curious.
"Fields is far better than he gives himself credit for," said Kenneth.
"Agreed," said Will. "He's mostly at the same level of grades as me, outdoing me in some areas. He's better at potions and better at Defence. In honesty, Dumbledore only gave me the prefect badge because he felt I was more of a leader in the year, that's all."
"Better at Defence?" asked Kalindra.
"Way better," confirmed Kenneth. "No offence, Will."
"None taken," said Will, grinning. "In the ranks in terms of Defence, you get Kenneth," Will said, by placing his hand high, then lowering it as he enumerated names, "then everybody believes it to be Donahue, Julie, you, Kallie, me, Janet, Eamon and Gillian."
"Yes," said Kalindra. "What of it?"
"In truth," said Kenneth. "It's me," he placed his hand where Will had placed it, "then Fields, then you, Donahue, Julie, Will, and so on... Given what you've done in the Maze, you clearly outdo Donahue. But Fields has a huge potential. Potter's words, not mine."
"Wow," said Kalindra. "He doesn't show any of that."
"True," said Kenneth. "But Potter brought him up, during one of our sessions. He says he's got the best theoretical scores, and that he only lacks a little practice and confidence."
"So that's Teddy, Kenneth, Fields done, what's your problem, then?" asked Kalindra.
Will shrugged.
"Mine? It's simple," he said. "The girl I'm interested in hates my guts for some reason, so..."
"Oh, for the love of... Will, Jennifer doesn't hate your guts," said Kalindra, impatiently. "She's... You unnerve her! You guys have been friends for so long, and then she started fancying you and she can't make the transition, so she gets angry at you for not being serious!"
"Nah, Kallie, I hear that, but I don't buy it," said Will. "She's having a go at me any chance she gets."
"I never said she was doing a good job," said Kalindra. "Anyway, don't take it the wrong way. Just get past it."
"We'll see," said Will. "Now, for the one you really care about, we come to Rob. Rob, who is so blindsided, that he simply cannot get the signals."
"Signals?!" said Kalindra. "We're so far past the signals, now. Short of throwing myself at him, I don't see what I can do!"
"Then maybe consider throwing yourself at him," said Will. "I mean, fear not, fair lady. The heart of Rob Drakefang is yours. He's so into you that he just can't imagine you would be interested, which is why I'm begging you to put an end to our collective misery and make your move already."
Kenneth had another grin at that. That was a refreshing change to hear his own plea echoed by Will's words. Maybe Kalindra would accept them better if they came from someone else than her best friend.
"So what do we have here?" asked Timothy Macke, in the distance. "Look out, people, the freak is out!"
Ian and his friends were strolling the streets of Hogsmeade, without looking for any trouble, when they had walked into a group of Slytherins. Almost out of habit, Macke had started taunting Ian, from a distance, which was actually as pathetic as it was annoying. He had no real reason, no particular issue to bring up. He just wanted to play tough in front of his little court. Ian refused to rise for that bait. It wasn't really worth the trouble.
"Do you think this guy can get any dumber?" asked Terry, on a light tone, as they simply passed by Macke, without gracing his taunts by a response.
"That'd be a tough challenge, but I'm sure he's saving resources, somewhere deep inside himself," said Kieran, with a smirk.
"Hey, Malcolm, where is the rest of your fan-club?" called Macke after them.
Ian didn't even bother to respond.
"He'll get tired of that," said Terry. "Even the stupidest creatures are bound to take a hint, eventually."
"Since he is the stupidest thing we've encountered, so far," said Kieran, "we still need to see how far he will go to be sure of that."
Terry chuckled, conceding the point.
"Alright," said Ian, pushing Macke away from his thoughts. "Where do you want to go first?"
"Well, we could get to Honeydukes," offered Terry.
"Again?" groaned Kieran. "That's where we go every time we set foot in the village."
"The three Broomsticks, then?" said Mark.
"Did we ever check the Shop of the Weasley Brothers?" asked Diana Jones-Stickley.
"Yes, we went there last year," said Ian. "But, next to them, there's Flora's Shop."
"What?" protested Terry and Mark in unison.
"Flora's shop?" asked Kieran. "What is it?"
"It's a little shop where the owner grows and bewitches precious flowers. People say wizards come from all around the world to buy her flower charms, and her compositions," Ian explained.
"Who is this guy?" muttered Terry, in disgust.
"Now, Look, guys," said Ian. "Every time we get a visit here, we end up seeing the same places. Maybe we should let the girls decide for once."
"That's a brilliant idea, Ian," said Kieran, smiling.
Diana nodded enthusiastically.
"How come we never saw that shop before?" she asked.
Terry and Mark sighed in defeat.
"Oh, go to Honeydukes if you want," said Kieran. "We'll meet in the Three Broomsticks."
Terry and Mark sprang back to life in a second. But Ian was not focusing on them anymore. He wasn't even focusing on Kieran and the fact that she looked so delighted with his idea. He was looking in the distance, where he could see Macke and his cronies walk to a spot where Gina and Joel were talking discreetly.
"Huho, trouble," he said.
Everyone turned to see what he was talking about. Ian didn't wait and he was off to join Joel in a second.
When he reached them he could hear Macke talk on his usual unbearable tone.
"Honestly, Gina, we've known each other for years, before we came to Hogwarts," he was saying. "Did you forget that?"
"Unfortunately I didn't, Timothy," said Gina, sighing.
"My point is that our families are very close, you know what they would say if they knew you're dating a Mudblood," insisted Macke.
"Oh, do shut your mouth," spat Gina. "I'm dating whoever I want. This is none of your business."
"This is a disgrace," said Macke. "Look at him! He's not even standing up for himself!"
"I'm saving the trouble, Macke," said Joel, coolly. "You're simply not worth it."
"I just called you a Mudblood," said Macke, hatefully.
"I'm stoical, not deaf," said Joel. "Anyway, I just don't figure it's such an insult, coming from the likes of you."
"Oh, you think you're so much better than me?" said Macke, his face reddening violently.
"I don't even feel the need to compare myself to you, Macke," said Joel. "The fact you seem to always want to prove you're better than me… Jealous, maybe?"
"Jealous? Of you?" exclaimed Macke, outraged.
"Well, he's got a point, doesn't he?" said Ian. "Why else would you want to bring down the Muggleborn so much?"
"Coming to your friend's help, Malcolm?" said Venansius, harshly.
"I don't think he needs much of my help," commented Ian, quite coolly. "You lot don't seem to scare him, do you?"
"He just too scared to defend himself," said Macke, without turning to Ian.
"I don't have to defend myself," said Joel, shrugging. "First, I don't give a damn about your opinion of me. Second the fact you call me a Mudblood, because you despise those who are born from Muggles is just idiotic. As far as I know, Rowena Ravenclaw was a half-blood. Half the teaching staff in Hogwarts are half-blood. The brightest teacher we have is a Muggle-born. Harry Potter's mom was a muggle-born…"
"You call them examples?" mocked Macke.
"Why wouldn't we?" asked Joel, still not rising his tone.
"All they did was to oppose the biggest opportunity of our time to get rid of your pathetic breed of whining little disgraces to the name of wizards," said Macke with hatred in his voice.
"You're the only one whining, Macke," said Ian. "The Muggleborn this, the Muggleborn that… Here's some news, Tim. The Muggleborn don't care about your opinion. Why can't you just try and do something of your life instead of trying to put down the rest of the world?"
"One day, you scum will be wiped from our world," hissed Macke.
"You are insane," said Gina, disgust obvious in her tone.
"Am I?" commented Macke. "Someday, you'll see, someone will carry on the work that your precious Potter interrupted. And I hope I'm here to see it."
Ian rolled his eyes.
"Forget it, guys, he's hopeless," he said. "And you should be careful," he told the Slytherins that were surrounding Macke. "You guys are supposed to be ambitious so you should make sure never to associate with someone who speaks like a Death Eater. Not the best track to get ahead, these days."
"Keep your advice, Freak," said Macke. "My pals know how to recognize their chance to get ahead in their future life. And when you and those of your kind will be chased from our world, they'll know that I was right."
"And where do you suppose we should go?" asked Ian.
"I don't care, as long as you don't mix your filthy blood with ours!" spat the Slytherin. "You're all the same, the mudbloods, the half-bloods and the freaks. You spoil the purity of our bloodlines, with your filth."
"He just has to be drunk," said Mark, raising his eyebrows, taking the others as witness.
"I'm perfectly lucid, dunghead!" Macke shot back. "And if you want to date this loser, Gina, you just go on and wait until your family finds out that you're a s…"
Joel had punched his face before he could finish his sentence. Now, he was furious. Gina caught his arm.
"No, Joel, please, he's not worth it!" she pleaded with him.
"Don't you ever dare speak to her like that again!" Joel shouted.
Macke wiped a thin trace of blood from his lip, and smiled. He had his wand in his hand, and was pointing it to them.
"Or what?" he said, threateningly.
Ian reacted in a second. Macke was thrown away, and let go of his wand, just before he hit one of the trees. Ian stopped the flow of his power. He didn't need it to maul this bastard! But he was caught by someone before he could get to him.
Kieran's eyes met his.
"Ian, you're playing his game, here," she said, seriously.
"You think your pity will save your boyfriend, Bookworm?" said Macke, who was getting on his feet.
Slowly, deliberately, Kieran turned to face him.
"He doesn't need me to be saved," she said, coldly. "That was actually for your benefit, before you really get hurt."
"As if he could do anything to me," said Macke. "Your so-called power is a hoax, Malcolm! You play with your little lights and telekinesis, but we never see you do those things they say you do."
The complete absurdity of this accusation brought Ian back to his senses. For whatever reason, Macke was only trying to goad him into a fight, to land him in trouble, most likely. He had nothing else in store for him. Ian shook his head.
"You know, Macke, your life must be very sad, if your only source of entertainment is trying to get beat up by me," he stated, on a clinical tone. "You should find yourself a girlfriend."
Terry was about to say something, but finally he gave up. Ian and his friends walked away from the group of Slytherins, who were looking at them with daggers in their eyes.
"What were you about to say, Terry?" asked Kieran, once they were out of sight and earshot from the gits.
"That he may have found a girlfriend already," said Terry, with a broad smile. "But since only a heartless bitch would consent to date such a slimy bastard could explain his constant foul mood. They would work each other up. But I thought it wasn't a good idea to further inflame the situation."
"Good thinking," said Diana, still a little shaken by the dispute. "Do you think he really meant all that he said? I mean about Muggleborns and all…"
"I don't know, but that wouldn't surprise me. The death of Voldemort and his servants didn't make the real issue go away just like that," said Ian.
"The real issue?" asked Terry.
"Blood purity," said Ian, darkly. "The fact remains that some wizards still think that pure blood has to pass before mixed blood," said Ian darkly. "It's easy to blame Voldemort, but the truth is, his belief found an echo among wizards. If everyone was thinking like Potter and Dumbledore, Voldemort would never have gotten followers in the first place. And no matter how powerful he was, one lone wizard wouldn't have caused such a disaster."
"Wow," said Kieran. "First you show comprehension, and then you take care of us girls' wishes for the visit. Terry finally learns when to zip it, and you show political lucidity. This week is full of surprise."
"Touché," said Ian, grinning.
"So, we're heading for Honeydukes," said Terry. "You go on buying your flowers!"
"Flowers?" asked Gina. "What flowers?"
"Well, Ian suggested that we have a look on Flora's shop," said Diana, smiling again now.
"Well, if that doesn't bother you, Joel…" said Gina, seeming very interested.
"Sure, why not?" said Joel, with a shrug and a smile.
Good thinking, thought Ian.
Ian was maybe clueless about many things regarding girls, but he was sure that if someone wanted to have a nice date with one, he had to let her take the lead, at some point. Joel seemed to have gotten this rule right.
Ian quickly forgot about Macke's behaviour even if he took a mental note to speak about this to Alexander; this kind of opinion could be dangerous, back in the Castle.
"It's nice to see you in the Castle, Remus," said Harry, pouring tea in a mug on his desk.
"I had to discuss with Dumbledore about some details of security regarding the Brotherhood's presence," said Remus Lupin, taking the mug with a grateful smile.
"You think that there could be problems?" asked Harry.
"From the Brotherhood, no," said the older man. "But despite the assurances of Master Amanio, we cannot dismiss the possibility that their enemies may consider striking at Hogwarts."
"What do you know about the Brotherhood?" asked Harry.
"They have an excellent reputation among wizards who value knowledge," said Remus. "On a personal level, I crossed their path once or twice, while I was travelling," said Remus. "I know they're trustworthy, but that's a general statement. I know for a fact that Amanio is a good man, and his students aren't a threat for the school. But I wouldn't blindly testify just for any of the member of the Order. You've got to understand we're talking about a large community that spreads all over the world, even as far as Japan. So that's a lot of people to vouch for."
"That's reassuring," said Harry, with an ironic grin.
"But as a group, they're good people," said Remus. "At least, their goals are clear, not like these Entwistle twins."
"Any leads on their whereabouts?" asked Harry.
The Entwistle twins, the two mysterious fellows that Harry had met the previous year, were one of the main preoccupations of Remus. He felt responsible for their involvement in the whole case with the Warlocks of Atlantis, since he had recommended their expertise to Harry in the first place. Harry wasn't sure that without Remus' recommendation, the twins wouldn't have been involved anyway, but Remus was adamant about this. Since the beginning of summer, he had done his best to find out who they were in reality and also what they were after, as it still wasn't really clear.
"No, still nothing," said Remus, "except I can tell you that Entwistle isn't even their real name. It has been forged, through a process that I didn't know could be used in the Ministry archives. So we, in fact, know less than before."
"Perfect," said Harry. "As I said before and often, I hate wild cards."
"Yes," said Remus with a smile. "That's something I remember you saying once or twice. If they're in England, we'll find them, eventually."
"I hope so," said Harry. "I have enough problems with the students in here to have to worry about Warlocks, sneaky twins and all that mess. I'll already consider myself lucky if I go through this year without mauling Timothy Macke."
"Macke? Is he related to Terrence Macke?" asked Remus, raising his eyebrows.
"I believe he's his son," said Harry. "Why?"
"Macke is one of the rising stars in the political landscape," said Remus. "He's gathered quite a lot of supporters around him. If the way you talk about his son is any indication, I doubt you will like his political stance."
"Another pureblood supremacist?" said Harry, disgusted. "I thought we would have run out of those, by now. What is he after?"
"Nothing as politically touchy as blood supremacy," said Remus, wryly. "So far he's only running to take Ambrosius' succession when he will retire. He's not openly attacking his position, which was Stiller's mistake, but he's becoming more and more influent in the Wizengamot."
"Where does he come from?" asked Harry.
"He's more or less always been around," said Remus. "He's a little older than my generation and he's a cousin of Devin Stiller. He was his main financial support. Now that Devin has failed in his bid for the Ministry, Macke has felt his time has come."
"Let me guess," said Harry, "another Slytherin?"
"I guess," said Remus. "Is his son there, too?"
"Where else?" said Harry. "What House in Hogwarts admits people who call their schoolmates 'freaks' and 'disgraces'. This kid reminds me way too much of Malfoy for my peace of mind. His Dad seems to have said that Alexander shouldn't be teaching freaks in the school."
"This is ridiculous," said Remus. "But sadly, he is in the board of governors."
"Of course he is," said Harry, rolling his eyes. "How do they even select the guys on that board? I mean… Statements like that should be raising a few eyebrows at least, right? Anyway, is he meeting any kind of opposition?"
"Well, he has a few adversaries, one of the most vocal being Troy Jenkins. You remember Troy?" said Remus, and Harry nodded. "Since he was a young Auror during the War, he has an aura, given by his experience in the Order of the Phoenix. It made him a figurehead of a movement in the Wizengamot that aims at unifying Muggle-born and pure-bloods. He's the one who caught Goyle, by the way. He's married to Sonia Lionheart."
"Lancelot's Cousin?" asked Harry.
"Yes," said Remus. "Speaking of which, how is young Kenneth?"
"Fine," said Harry. "But I think that something's troubling him, these days."
"Something serious?" asked Remus. "I like this kid. He's got a good heart."
"Well, when it comes to girls, this is always serious, isn't it?" said Harry, with a smile.
"I guess you're right," said Remus, smiling back.
"Are you alright, Little Lion?" called the voice of Gareth Lionheart behind Kenneth.
Kenneth turned on his heels, and smiled widely. Still clad in his usual scarlet robes, his older cousin walked toward him and his friends, right in the middle of the street of Hogsmeade.
"What are you doing here?" asked Kenneth, grabbing Gareth's arm and pulling him into a hug.
Gareth slapped his back cheerfully, and smiled.
"I had some business with the Goblins of Gringotts, in their office here," said Gareth. "Aren't you lot supposed to be at school? It seems like the place is crowded with Hogwarts students."
"Dumbledore moved the first Hogsmeade week-end. I think he wants to set up a surprise for Halloween. You remember my friends?" he asked.
"Well, mostly, but if you want to repeat their names, that would be helpful. I know this beauty is called Kalindra, and that Will is over there…"
Kalindra blushed slightly and giggled. Rob, at her side, threw Gareth a dark look. Kenneth hid a smile.
"This is Rob, and Jennifer is over here," he said. "Mandy's out with some friends, and there you have Thierry De Vannes."
"Curious name," said Gareth. "Français?"
"Oui," said Thierry.
"Thierry, this is my cousin Gareth Lionheart," said Kenneth.
Thierry shook hands with Gareth.
"So, a Wandmaster as well?" he asked.
Gareth raised his eyebrows, surprised.
"Thierry is from a group of French wizards. They keep record of everything," explained Kenneth. "They will spend the year with us."
"Cool," said Gareth. "French Wizards? With a uniform like this, you can't be from Beaubâtons, can you?"
"No I'm not," said Thierry. "We're a little group of student. We're all following the same Master."
Kenneth noticed that Thierry wasn't saying too much on the Brotherhood. Maybe he wanted to be discreet. All his friends seemed to notice it, but none chose to comment. It was his business after all.
"Come on, guys, I'm buying you all a drink," said Gareth, meeting some warm support from Rob and Will.
"You'll tell me what you've done since we've met," said Kenneth.
"I may be busy," said Gareth. "Rosmerta is always so delighted to see me, each time I show up."
"Madam Rosmerta?" said Kenneth. "Gareth, she could be your Mum!"
"Nope," said Gareth. "She could be Aunt Vivian. And you can't deny she's an attractive lady," he added with a grin. "She just loves to play with me. She pretends to be flattered, I pretend to be insistent, and we all have a good laugh."
"Why do you guys always have to play complicated games," asked Kalindra.
"Training," said Gareth, winking. "So that later, we can keep up with yours, ladies."
"He got you there, Kallie," said Jennifer, with a smile.
Kalindra rolled her eyes and they all followed Gareth to the Three Broomsticks.
"Tell me, Little Lion," said Gareth. "You never introduced me to that girl you rescued, last year? Is she around? I'd like to know if she is as beautiful as I imagine."
"Huh?" said Rob, as Kenneth was purposefully ignoring the question.
"Well, Kenneth did rush to her rescue without much hesitation, didn't he?" said Gareth, with a wink. "She has to be something."
"Well, the jury is still out on that," said Kalindra, almost whispering, but Kenneth still caught it.
It didn't help his mood one bit.
Ian was looking around him, clearly impressed. And he was quite surprised to be impressed. He wouldn't have thought that a flower shop would have this impact on him.
Flora Daffodil (the name had to be a pun, honestly) was a tall, slender witch, with dreamy eyes and clear blonde hair. She had a kind of aura around her. This kind of impression left on anyone she would cross that she was one of the most serene persons on earth. And when she looked at you, you almost felt like she was reading your very soul. That was impressive on its own.
But, while she could worked as a judge, an Auror, a Seer, or any other job in which this impression was needed, she was a florist. More exactly, she was a Flower bewitcher, which was different, indeed from a simple florist.
All around the little greenhouse that was the shop, there were flowers that were moving, dancing slightly. Some were glowing, some were emitting a soft music that was incredibly appeasing. This whole shop seemed more magical to Ian than the Weasleys'. It was generating an atmosphere of… he struggled for the word, it was… enchanting. That was it. It was an enchanting shop.
If Ian was impressed, as Joel was, too, the girls were almost ecstatic. They were looking at the wonderful flowers with eyes that were shining. Ian took some mental note of that. Girls liked flowers. Interesting fact. He had always known that, but now he had a solid proof under his eyes. The girls he was sharing his classes with looked almost in heaven just by looking at these flowers. The look on Kieran's face was kind of moving.
Miss Daffodil drew near him.
"You seem pretty busy thinking, young Mister," she said on a very low voice.
Ian gave a little start, though. He tried to find an excuse, instead of admitting he was looking at Kieran.
"Well, I was wondering how you did that," he managed to say.
The tall witch smiled slightly.
"It's simple, really," she said. "The flower spells are easy to do in themselves, and flowers are easy to get. But the effect is so powerful on people, that I found out that it was a precious gift, and very lucrative business."
"But it's not changing anything in the flower, is it?" asked Ian, this time really interested.
"Well, it depends on the spell," said Miss Daffodil. "Some affect living plants in a pot, like this orchid, which is lighting the corner there."
Ian took a long look at the delicate petals of the long the flower. It was radiating a pale blue light around itself. It was beautiful.
"Or you can bewitch a single flower," said Miss Daffodil.
She opened a little drawer and Ian saw roses that were floating in the air, peacefully sending light particles around in the air. He was amazed by the beauty of it.
"Wow," he whispered. "But it can't last," he said. "The flower must die sooner or later."
"Actually, plants are easy to protect from the effects of time," said Miss Daffodil. "You can basically bewitch a rose forever."
"It's incredible," said Ian. "That must be worth a fortune."
"Actually, it's not," said Miss Daffodil with an indulgent smile. "As I said, flowers aren't rare, and the spells are easy to pull off. So it's not such a costly work. It only requires a bit of creativity. But I've got many clients, so I can make a profit out of it, without setting my prices too high. There are, of course, some delicate pieces, that are more expensive, as I cherish them very much. But mostly, my prices are even affordable for a Hogwarts Student."
She winked at him, and made discreet nod toward Kieran, who was absorbed by the contemplation of the biggest fig tree from the leaves of which a little silvery snow was falling with the moves of the breeze.
Ian felt his face suddenly grow hot. The witch's smile widened a little, and then she joined the girls to show how when you were blowing slightly on it, the snow from the leaves turned to gold.
Ian looked around the shop. Maybe when he would get a girlfriend, he would buy her something from this place. As he had this thought, he had another which followed, and which confused him a little, when he took in its full meaning.
Kieran would love this kind of gift.
"All that is very good, Remus," said Harry. "But as much as I enjoy your company, I can see in your eyes that you didn't drop by just to fill me in with your meeting with Dumbledore or for my tea."
"You do make a great tea, Harry," said Remus, smiling awkwardly.
"Remus," said Harry on a patient tone.
"Alright," sighed the older man. "You're right. I need some advice."
"Advice? From me?" said Harry, in disbelief. "Remus, you're literally old enough to be my dad! And from what I've heard, you were the one giving out advice to my father. How could I give you advice? Clearly, the opposite is more likely to happen."
"Well, it's not like I have a lot of people left to talk to, in my generation," said Remus, seriously. "You do remind me enough of both James and Sirius for me to relate. Furthermore, your age would exactly what I need in this case."
A sudden intuition rushed through Harry's mind.
"No way," he whispered, his eyes as wide as his grindylow fishbowl. "Remus, are you coming to me about girl trouble?"
Remus had a half smile.
"Is that such a shocker?" he asked.
"Well, it certainly shows a lack of judgement on your part," laughed Harry. "Remus, my track record with girls is nothing short of abysmal. I'm the last guy you'd want advice from."
"I had heard you were quite the ladies' man, before to settle down with Ginny," said Remus.
"Yeah, a high number of conquests with a dramatically short average in duration for the relationships," smirked Harry. "That's not the kind of advice you want, trust me."
Remus seemed to sober up a little.
"I was hoping you'd have insight," said mumbled.
Harry had a smile. Beyond his lucidity on his own merits as an advisor in romance, he had an inkling of what this was about.
"Is this about Tonks?" he asked.
Remus' eyes shot up to Harry's eyes, sharper in a second.
"What do you know about it?" he asked pointedly.
"Well, I know the way she's mere inches from throwing herself at you, in the hopes you'll notice her," said Harry.
"Well, I have noticed," said Remus, grimly. "That's what troubles me."
"What do you mean?" asked Harry, curious.
"I... I don't think it can happen," said Remus, darkly.
"Let us clear up any misconceptions from the start," said Harry. "You do find her attractive, don't you? I mean, I think Tonks is a beautiful girl, but I'm not so sure what she looks like in reality, so..."
"She is beautiful," said Remus. "I've seen her natural form. She is, but it's not possible."
"Remus," said Harry. "She is very interested. You admit she's beautiful, and I've seen the way you two are flirting. Why wouldn't it be possible?"
"It can't go any further than flirting," said Remus.
"Why is that?" Harry replied.
"Well, I'm her boss, for one," began Remus. "And I'm older..."
"Hold on," Harry cut him. "You're forty-five, she's thirty-three. It would hardly be frowned upon in the Muggle world, and from what I heard, it's even less shocking among wizards."
"Well, it's not shocking when you don't know her parents from school," said Remus, dryly. "And it doesn't help that I've seen her as a little girl, back in the day."
"Again, nothing unheard of," said Harry. "Molly told me my grandparents had quite an age difference and that my grandfather had met his wife's father in school."
"Well, Alan Potter was the heir to a prestigious estate," said Remus. "That tends to open a few doors."
"Remus, is this all about your social status?" asked Harry. "That's preposterous. You're one of the leaders of the Order of the Phoenix. You're a war hero, for Merlin's sake! And I know for a fact that Sirius has left you enough to be well established."
"I'm still a marked man," said Remus.
Harry realized that it was the true salient point.
"Remus, "he said. "Your lycanthropy is cured."
"My symptoms are cured," countered Remus. "The wolf is still inside me. And it could be passed on to..."
"It's far from certain," offered Harry.
"It's a chance I'm not willing to take," said Remus.
"So, if you've made up your mind, what kind of advice would you need?" asked Harry.
"How can I tell her?" asked Remus.
Harry gave it a long thought.
"Honestly," said he said. "If you try to hand out a couple clichés, she'll be hurt. Tell her the truth. She's smart and tough. She'll understand, but you have to be honest, and make sure she understands that it's not about anything wrong with her. Give her your true reasons."
"Thanks, Harry, I had to talk about this to someone," said Remus.
"Anytime,' said Harry.
But he was sure that soon he would hear again from this. He just hoped that those two were not about to lose the friendship that they shared. Harry knew Tonks. Maybe it was just a crush. He hoped it was, because as there was more in Tonks than met the eye, she was deeper in her feelings than many could think her to be. And she could hurt, real bad.
Okay, that's done, now!
Like I said, I know this one didn't hold much in terms of major plot, but it has its importance.
About Remus and Tonks... the way I handle their romance is a nod to JKR's decision to pair them up in canon, obviously. but it is tampered with a few elements of the continuity I use, which placed Andromeda, Tonk's Mum, in Hogwarts with the Marauders, though she was older than them. I have had trouble making my mind about them, because when I started writing the Hogwarts series, the first time, HBP hadn't come out, yet, and I had no idea she would go there, though the fanfics around me did show a lot of Remus/Tonks. So, my stance on the both of them kept shifting from a working couple to a doom-to-fail relationship as I kept writing. In the first draft (in case anyone beside Wolf-Redlance has ever read that), they chose to give it up. We'll see where they're headed, now.
And I know I didn't dwell too much on Kenneth and Julie, but there is a reason for that. At this point, aside from the fact they're avoiding each other and the way Kenneth feels about that, there isn't much to tell.
Revealing the whole truth of what is really going on with Julie is important to the main story... and will happen in next chapter! Bear with me just a little.
See you next time! That should be soon enough.