"Rita Skeeter is such a pest." Edmund grimaced as he closed the paper that just came in the mail. She had written about the culprits apprehended by his father, stating that his father was just having a meeting with his old pals. It infuriated Edmund how she always writes into the heads of people, sewing doubt. His father had won that trial and was finally named innocent.
"Who's Rita Skeeter?" Harry asked from the couch. Edmund looked over at his new brother and cringed.
"A journalist," Edmund answered, "She always writes on false information and misreported interviews, you have no clue how many people have been lured by her. What respected journalists write about rumours?" Harry just raised his eyebrow and nodded slowly.
His mentor, Albus Dumbledore had many unsavoury moments with the journalist. The man had even gone out of his way to say that if Edmund ever came in contact with her, that the boy had to keep short answers, as one cannot just escape from Rita Skeeter.
The door opened and Edmund looked up at his father who put two trunks on the floor. "Have you boys prepared yet?" The unworn trunk was Edmund's as he didn't have to use it very often, unlike Harry who would go between houses during the summer vacations. "It says here that you must have a dress robe, but I have not gone out yet and bought one for you two."
"It'll be fine, father. We'll find a place." Edmund said and nudged the paper to the otherside. He knew that his father despises Rita Skeeter, especially since she was closely following the trial.
"Nonsense, I'll contact a store in Hogsmeade, he has been making dress clothing for all the Black's for years." His father said, "But for the rest you've got everything?"
The two boys nodded and before they knew it, the first day of school came on a rainy day. They stood there, dressed, walking around the station. Their father had said goodbye already by the house since they knew that him being there would just gain negative attention.
Edmund waved at some familiar faces with the usual smile on his face but it faltered when some didn't wave back. He just took a deep breath and continued down the perron of 9 ¾. His step especially faltered when Harry casted him a concerned look, then it meant that Harry saw it too.
The moment the two of them landed their eyes on the Weasley's they walked over to them. Edmund smiled at Molly and greeted the rest of the family, everyone of the family was happy to see him except for Ron, who he greeted Edmund with an eyeroll.
They happily chatted before Edmund started to hurry Harry onto the train, he couldn't ignore the sound of pistons hissing loudly. "We'll find out eventually!" Edmund said, "If your family knows everyone their parents will know as well." He helped each one get up on the train and Fred even tried one last attempt to get information out of his mother.
He was kept in the dark as well, figuring with Edmund being Dumbledore's apprentice would get him more information. It made his mind go wild. "Oof." he let out a breath as someone hastily bumped into him.
"Excuse me Edmund. That wasn't on purpose." Edmund raised his eyebrows at Lavender. "Have you seen-"
"He has already gone with Harry and Hermione into a compartment." Edmund said and smiled at her.
"Why don't you join me?" She offered him an invite.
Edmund smiled politely, "No thank you. I'm going to look for Neville."
Lavender nodded, "Where Neville is, is Susan and Padma." She hummed, "I saw Padma near the end of the train." She said.
Edmund smiled and nodded at her. "Thank you, Lavender. I'll see you at school, yeah?"
"Of course!" The girl waved and by the looks of it, she was already skipping down the corridor to get to the hot-headed Weasley. Edmund just let out a breath of amusement and continued down the train, occasionally helping out a first year with a tie with the same skills that Hermione had taught him.
He knocked on the glass and opened the door with a smile on his face. "Good morning." He greeted them. At an instant his friends shot up to give him a hug, Neville was just muttering that he was happy to see him alive after what had happened at the World Cup. Padma was firing off questions about who casted the mark up into the air.
"Oh Paddy, let him sit." Susan hastened and pulled Edmund down to sit next to her. "We'll interrogate him later." And by that he was lured into a false security. There was no way out by the looks of it, Susan had a hand on his shoulder and Padma stood by the door.
They all looked up at the origin of the knocking. A boy with blonde hair poked his head inside, "Edmund." Draco greeted him, his eyes straying off of the male Hufflepuff and onto the female one. "How have you been, after?"
Edmund gave him a small smile, "Well, I believe that my training has been coming in handy lately." Draco snorted and got the message, Edmund was alright and unharmed. "Thank you for asking."
"No problem." Draco said, "Mother wanted me to give you this." The Slytherin handed over a book. "She was worried." Edmund opened the leatherbound book and his fingertips ghosted over the saying that was written down with an elegant handwriting. 'Toujours pur.'
"Tell your mother I said 'thank you' for her concern, and I appreciate the gift." Edmund closed the book and held it up. "I'll see you around, Draco." The Slytherin glanced one more time at Susan before he closed the doors and walked away.
Edmund grinned and slowly took Susan's hand from his shoulder. She had let him because he was the only one who had noticed the stolen glances at one another, Edmund had the upper hand. "Would you lot happen to know what is going to happen at Hogwarts?"
"No clue." Padma and Neville muttered.
"My aunt has been too busy to say anything at all." Susan pouted.
Edmund nodded and sunk deeper into his seat. As the afternoon progressed, Edmund had been greeted by many, but less than last year. It was weird how one phoney journalist could write about his father once and now some people are wary of him. He was already known to be a lot more assertive than his fellow Badgers but being a Black doesn't change him how he is, he is kind and he helps anyone out.
For the last half hour of the trip, Edmund had found Cedric who was sitting with an interesting mix of students. Never before had he seen the captains of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw sit together.
Edmund happily joined them to talk about the Slytherin playing style and how it wasn't just, the Ravenclaws argued that it was clever and that they admired it as it was ambitious. They debated the playing style some more before they finally landed on the subject of there not being any Quidditch this year.
"What do you mean, there won't be any quidditch?" Edmund questioned a Ravenclaw who sat besides Cho. Edmund recognized them as he was acquaintances with her father who worked at the justice department of the Ministry.
"There won't be any." Edgecombe repeated. "Father said there will be something big happening, he hadn't told me anything." She grumbled. "Wanted to keep it a surprise."
Edmund got off of the train along with Susan and Neville. Together they found the last carriage to sit in and Edmund deliberately lagged behind a bit so that he could pet the horses. "Edmund! Come on, we've got to get going." Susan called out.
Edmund stopped petting the glossy coat and climbed into the carriage, but he held the door open seeing that he caught a glimpse of a person carrying their luggage. "Hold on." Edmund said to his friends and stepped out. He walked over to the person and picked up a bag. "You're lucky." He hummed, "Our carriage was the last one."
The girl looked as if she wasn't on earth with them but she nodded, "Thank you for helping." Edmund strapped in the bag at the back of the carriage along with the rest of her luggage.
"It is no problem." He said, "You're Luna Lovegood, right?" He asked, recognizing her from the time she had helped them into the Ravenclaw common room. It was when he was still friends with Ron.
The carriage was a bumpy ride as Luna nodded, "Yes I am. You're Edmund Black."
"Black-Lupin." Edmund corrected her, most forget that he was still a Lupin. Considering that Rita Skeeter only wrote down Black in her paper, it really told Edmund who read her bogus article on his father.
The girl just hummed and stayed quiet. Edmund pursed his lips and just continued to mind his business, looking outside at the weather. "It's really coming down." He muttered as he opened the door of the carriage. With a wand in his hand he casted a spell for the rain. "Just follow the path." He smiled at his friends and helped Luna with her luggage inside of the castle.
"Good evening, Professor McGonagall." He greeted the old professor as if she was a friend of his. The old professor just gave him a small smile.
"Good evening to you too, Edmund." She replied. "As helpful as ever, I see."
Edmund bashfully shrugged, "I'm just trying to be nice."
"Your niceness has gotten you quite far." She said and motioned over to the group of third-years who had a bunch of luggage in front of them. When he looked over, each of them held up a hand and waved, asking for his help.
He blushed and looked back at her. "If you'll excuse me, professor."
"Of course, Edmund." She said, amused as she watched Edmund walk over to the group of girls and help them with putting their luggage in the right aisle, for the house-elves to take them down to their dorm rooms.
Edmund combed his wet hair back as he walked into the Great Hall, it seemed like Peeves wanted to get his first prank in while Edmund was distracted. It was a classic move of Peeves to do, the only difference that this year had was that his Uncle Lupin had taught him the spell that had put Peeves in his place.
"Edmund!" Colin Creevey had his go-lucky smile on his face, per usual, along with his camera around his neck. "Guess what? My brother's starting! My brother Dennis!"
Edmund smiled at the infectious happiness. "Oh really?" He raised his eyebrows, "I'm sure he'll be in your house."
Colin nodded, "Harry is keeping his fingers crossed!" He chatted, "And Edmund."
"Yes."
"I don't mind that your father is Sirius Black." The Gryffindor said, "He is innocent and your father!"
Edmund chuckled, "He is my father, yes." Edmund turned to look at the staff table. "You'd better get back to your seat, Colin. I believe that we're beginning."
"Are you keeping your fingers crossed as well, Edmund?"
"Of course I am, Colin." Edmund said and held up a crossed finger. "You never had to ask." The Gryffindor beamed at him before he ran back to his table. The doors opened and first years walked between the tables of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, all leaving behind soaking wet shoes.
Subtly, Edmund pulled out his wand and waved it. Hot air came out and shook off some of the water from their clothes. He purposely avoided Dumbledore's twinkling eyes. "What spell was that?" Susan gushed as she noticed his wand.
Edmund whispered the incantation and explained the wand movement in hushed whispers. When names and houses were called, students clapped and when the name Hufflepuff was called from the hat, everyone roared out an applause and made the new badger feel welcomed.
"Tuck in." Dumbledore's eyes were directed at Edmund when he announced the only two words he had. Edmund frowned and was taken back to reality when Susan started loading his plate, the two had a chaotic sort of sibling feeling to them, even though they are as different as once can be.
After the feast, Dumbledore stood up and went over the usual, which toys are banned. The Weasley twins looked quite smug. That the forest on the ground was out of bounds and that Hogsmeade wasn't available to students below the third year. But the Hufflepuffs murmured amongst them when it was announced that there would be no Inter-House Quidditch cup.
The Hufflepuff Quidditch Team just looked at each other with mournful looks on their faces. Edmund was sure if they hadn't known earlier, they would have partnered up with Gryffindor to do the just thing, riot for quidditch. Edmund had to pace himself for a moment, he was starting to think like former Gryffindor captain, Wood.
A deafening rumble of thunder sounded and once again, the doors of the Great Hall were thrown open. Edmund was concerned if they would ever break because of the times they were thrown open.
Edmund's breath hitched as he saw the man that was in many pictures in his house. "Mad-Eye." He said under his breath. His mother and Uncle Moony had mentioned him before. In a few memories his mother told him about the gentlemen who helped them put up protective barriers and that he was the one to contact incase of an emergency. He was a trusted person in the Potter family. Uncle Moony rather liked to talk about how ruthless he was with magic, and that was the person who he had observed during battle.
Mad-Eye was the reason Edmund's spell usage was completely unpredictable just like his uncle had taught him. With every step the man took sounded a dull clunk, Edmund looked at the scars with wide eyes, "That's sick." He whispered out in awe.
"May I introduce our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Moody." Only Edmund, Dumbledore and Hagrid clapped for the new teacher. The man continued to eat at the staff table and professor Dumbledore continued his speech. "This year will be different, we have the honour of hosting an event over the coming months, an event not held for over a century. I hereby announce to you, the Triwizard Tournament."
Fred shouted out his disbelief and nearly everyone chuckled, a laughter needed after the sudden arrival of their DADA professor. Edmund had read about the Triwizard Tournament before, it was a dangerous event that made many parents nervous.
Dumbledore continued to explain the event and Edmund's ears perked up when he heard which schools would be contenting. "The Heads of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving with their shortlisted contenders in October, the selection of four champions will take place at Halloween. Impartial judge will decide which students are worthy to compete for the Triwizard Cup, for the glory of their school, and a thousand Galleons personal prize money."
Excited whispers went through the Great Hall, everyone was talking about it.
"The Triwizard Tournament." The students stopped whispering and continued to listen. "I know you all will be eager to bring the Triwizard Cup to Hogwarts, the Heads of the participating schools, along with the Ministry of Magic have agreed to impose a couple of rules." The man cleared his throat and looked in the direction of the Hufflepuff table, "Contenders must be seventeen years or older," Fred started complaining to his brother George. "This rule is excluded from the apprentice that every head has."
Edmund's cup fell through his hands and blinked at the headmaster. Curious murmurs sounded and Susan just put a tissue over the spilled water. "Edmund," She hissed, "Are you alright?"
He snapped out of it and started to help clean, "Yeah, I will be." He responded to her. His uncle Severus was looking at him curiously.
"The apprentice of each headmaster's name will be put in thrice, making the chance even greater to get picked." Dumbledore said and Edmund choked on his spit. "It is a measure we feel is necessary, a student at seventeen and an apprentice have more experience, given that the tournament tasks will be difficult and dangerous." The man had an amused look on his face as his eyes flickered over Fred and George. "I therefore beg you not to waste your time submitting yourself if you are under seventeen."
Students were asking questions to one another, asking who Dumbledore's apprentice is. "Delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang arrive in October and remain with us for the greater part of this year. You all will extend every courtesy to our foreign guests while they are here, and will give your whole-hearted support to the Hogwarts champion when he or she is selected. I know it is late, and how important it is to be alert and rest when you a-enter your lessons tomorrow morning. Bedtime! Chop chop!" The man didn't leave any room for questions.
The students each went to their house and Edmund had to be dragged by Susan and Neville back to the Hufflepuff Common Room because the boy kept turning back to see if Dumbledore was kidding. He was required to put his name in thrice, or Dumbledore would have to. The two sat him down on the couch and a few of the first years walked up to him and thanked Edmund for the warm air. "It's no problem at all." Edmund smiled at them, "I wouldn't want to have it freezing cold for when I had my sorting."
––
At breakfast the students examined their new course schedules. Something new fell into Edmund's lap from an owl he recognized as the Malfoy's. He turned around and raised an eyebrow at the Slytherin. The boy just shrugged and Edmund opened the sweets and read the letter attached. 'Family takes care of one another.' He shrugged off the weird feeling he got and an owl that he did recognize flew down and dropped a letter.
'Made a reservation at Elegant and Royal for you and Harry. Saturday 14h00 you'll be expected by Edison, he will send me the bill.' He read, "I've got to get something to Harry, I'll see you in class?" He asked his friends who just nodded at him. He gave them a smile before heading off to the Gryffindor table.
"Glad you're eating Hermione." He said and patted Harry's shoulder. "Father got us a reservation for our fancy new clothes." Harry nodded, "Saturday at 14."
"Why are you two acting as if you're family?" Ron grimaced.
Edmund raised an eyebrow at Harry before looking at Ron. "Because we are family, Ron." He said, "We're cousins by blood and Harry is father's godson. Did you not know this Ron?" The ginger just sneered and looked over at Lavender with his heart eyes, when the bell rang the four of them made their way to greenhouse three.
The class went well, as much as Edmund wanted to puke in an empty plant pot he didn't, something which he patted his own back for. Eventually came Care of Magical Creatures where they had to start raising a Niffler. Edmund had read about them, he adored their cuteness and mischievousness.
He sat alone with only a few students in their double period of Arithmancy where Hermione was pitching an idea to him. "So I was thinking of starting an organisation." She whispered to him. He had a suspicion of what it was already but Edmund decided to further question her on it. "Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare." She whispered to him.
"Hermione. I mean this, with nothing against your organisation." He whispered back to her, "But the elves have a social hierarchy, they don't like those who divert from the norm. I rather believe Dobby was being excluded from many last year." She pursed her lips in what looked like annoyance. "Anyway, Winky works in the kitchen now, she's happy to have a boss."
"But she-"
"She was against Dobby trying to get paid, how do you think the rest of them feel?" The bell rang once again and Edmund closed his book. "I'm just trying to say that the elves will take it as an insult, I know Kreacher would-"
"Kreacher, the house-elf who has been in your family for how long?"
"A long time." Edmund said, "But if he wanted to quit he could have asked me a long time ago." Hermione just huffed once before walking besides Edmund out to the entrance hall, filled with people wanting to get dinner. Edmund saw the familiar blonde shouting out for the Weasley the both of them didn't have a particular fondness of.
"Your dad's in the paper, Wealsey!" Malfoy said, holding up a paper. The moment Draco started to read the paper Edmund put a hand on the edge and pulled it down so Draco could look at his face.
"Could you quit antagonising the Weasleys?" Edmund asked. "They've done nothing wrong."
"Nothing wrong?" Draco whispered at Edmund, "They're blood tr-"
"Watch your words, Draco." Edmund raised his eyebrows and he could hear the faint clinking of hollow wood. "Professor Moody is doing his rounds, don't get on a professor's bad side before we even have class from them, would you?" Draco shrugged Edmund's hand from his paper and walked into the Great Hall.
Before Edmund could even sit down a letter was shoved in his hands by Professor McGonagall who walked between the benches to get to the staff table. He raised his eyebrow and excused himself from his friends, saying that he needed to do something. He walked besides Hermione until she was off into the library, doing research on elves.
"Toujours pur." Edmund said as per usual the gargoyle nodded and let him in. He entered the office with his nose in the air, smelling the great food that was made by the house-elves in the kitchen. "Professor Dumbledore." He greeted.
"Edmund, sit." The man hummed cheerfully, "I believe we have quite a lot to talk about." Edmund nodded and sat down by the table with his favourite foods. "I apologise for letting you know about the tournament just now."
"It came as quite the shock." Edmund nodded. "I thought that this apprenticeship was kept hidden."
"It was kept under wraps, especially with the threat being kept at large. Tom Riddle won't be held at bay for long." The man bemused. "Your name as apprentice will only be revealed if you were chosen to participate in the Triwizard Tournament." Edmund nodded and the man leaned a bit forward, as if telling him a secret. "I have taught you many things so far. It is time to use those things."
Edmund clenched his throat and nodded. After a short conversation the two ate the food that was plated in front of them and talked about some business, how the World Cup made the fear in people shoot up, they even talked about Professor Moody. "I think that you will appreciate his teaching style."
