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batsutousaiTitle: Wand and Dagger
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
batsutousai
Beta:tsuki_no_suzu
Rating: PG-13?
Pairings: undecided, but most likely some form of SLASH
Warnings: OCs, OoC
Summary: The war is coming too quickly for comfort and Harry wonders if it isn't time for him to find a school that will actually teach him what he needs to learn to defeat Voldemort.
Disclaim Her: Yes, John Smith is who you think he is. And I don't own him, he owns himself. (As evidenced by how he managed to write himself into this story.) We're still fighting over whether or not he's allowed a blue police box in his office.
A/N: A few reviewers asked how no one managed to recognize Harry, since there are pictures of him in the Prophet all the time and such, and his black hair and green eyes usually giving him away. The quick answer is that Harry doesn't like pictures, and his picture-self generally avoids staying in the photo if he can, or hiding if he can't. (Please note, at this point in time, these are the only public pictures of Harry. No chocolate frog cards. -wink- ) Also, most people look for the scar, which Harry's disguised – and hidden under the beanie. The same can be said for his hair. Also, while most people – including myself – often make Harry's eyes an unusual shade of green, I don't intend for that to be so in this story. So he just looks like any teen with a muggle beanie, green eyes, and a pair of old glasses. (It also helps, of course, that most people don't expect to see Harry Potter at The Leaky or in Diagon Alley that early in the summer.)
-0-0-0-
Chapter Two – The First Day
-0-0-0-
The dining room was a major change from Hogwarts, Harry realized as soon as he stepped inside. There was one long table, where the students and the professors sat together. Along the back wall, next to a door that Harry assumed led to the kitchens, there was a buffet table, where a couple of the professors were already getting their food.
When Harry had paused for too long, Arcturus grabbed his arm and dragged him over to the buffet. "Get food, then stare, Harry," he ordered, then grabbed a plate. Harry wasn't far behind him and the two managed to fill their plates easily.
Once the two had taken seats away from the professors, Harry commented, "This is nothing like Hogwarts."
"Nor like Durmstrang," Arcturus agreed.
"Not like Beauxbatons, either," the third boy in their years said, sitting across from them. "Jacob Ashe, by the way."
"Harry Barak," Harry offered with a nod.
"Arcturus Longbottom," Arcturus added. "It should be interesting here, at least."
"I know. I mean, first impression includes a professor sliding down the banister," Jacob agreed cheerfully. "I can't wait for Potions."
"Almost makes me wish I'd taken it," Harry commented.
"You had Snape?" Arcturus asked. When Harry nodded, he winced. "I'm sorry. No wonder you decided not to take the class. Aunt Augusta is always complaining about how he treats Nev."
"Yeah, Snape treats him horrible. All of the Gryffindors, really. Drives my best mate nuts."
The other two boys laughed.
One of the girls in their class, the brunette who looked at little off, sat down next to Arcturus. "Longbottom," she said neutrally.
"Carrow," Arcturus replied in the same tone.
The girl looked around at Harry and Jacob, while the other girl from their year sat down next to Jacob. "I'm Kathy Carrow. Pureblood." She flipped her hair a bit in a way that reminded Harry of Pansy Parkinson.
"Harry Barak," Harry replied in introduction.
"And?" Kathy demanded. "Your blood status?"
Harry blinked. "Erm, half?"
Kathy sneered at him, then turned to Jacob and the other girl. "And you two?"
"Jacob Ashe. I suppose I'm muggle-born."
Kathy looked horrified. "They let your kind in here?"
"Oh, give it up, Carrow," Arcturus grumbled. "It's not like they asked your blood status or anything when you applied. Hell, they didn't even ask your species."
Kathy sneered at Arcturus, then turned to the other girl. "Please tell me you're a proper witch?"
The other girl smiled openly, showing a row of razor-sharp teeth. "I'm not even fully human."
Kathy squeaked and hurriedly moved away from the group to sit closer to the teachers.
The three boys grinned at the white-haired girl. "That was brilliant," Harry told her.
She nodded her head faintly. "Thank you. I'm Pearl, by the way."
"What kind of creature are you?" Jacob asked. "If you don't mind. Sorry."
Pearl shook her head. "I'm half glaistig. A water fey. I'm not sure how I feel about being taught elemental magic by an elf, though. My people don't like her kind." She looked rather depressed at that.
"You're taking Elemental Magics?" Arcturus asked. When Pearl nodded, he grinned outright. "Excellent! I am too. I was beginning to think I was the only person in our year taking it."
"Eh? You can use elemental magic?" Jacob asked.
Arcturus nodded. "The Longbottom line has a history of earth elementals. I'm not as strong as my cousin, Neville," he nodded to Harry, who smiled fondly at the mention of the plant-loving Gryffindor, "but I can hold my own with it. Neville even wanted to come here, but he said that he was dreadful at Defence until this past year. Something about a club his friend started?" He glanced over at Harry.
Harry grimaced. "Yeah, Potter started the DA last year, because Umbridge was so bad. It got ended in April when Umbridge found out, though."
"Were you a member?" Jacob asked curiously.
Harry shrugged. "I went to a few meetings."
"Wow. Imagine, right under Umbridge's nose..." Jacob sighed wistfully.
"I sense a lack of fondness for the Creature-Hater," Pearl teased, smiling faintly.
"Anyone who doesn't hate her, is nuts," Harry declared.
The other three laughed at that and they all quickly tucked in to their lunches when they caught Gaunt watching them with a raised eyebrow.
When all the first years were done, and most of the professors had escaped to their offices, Gaunt stood and said, "Excellent. If you five would follow me, we can get this tour under way."
When they left the dining room, Gaunt led them to the professors' offices and private rooms. He showed them where each office was and said, "You're expected to come to your professors during your free time during the week or after dinner for any extra help. You have Fridays free to do any make-up work or ask for help in any of your lessons if you need it. You may come by on weekends for help, if there isn't time on Friday or during the week, but it's generally frowned on."
Gaunt then led them to the, admittedly, amazing library. There were small tables on the first floor for studying, and all of the walls were taken up with bookcases. Rolling ladders sat against each wall, and a spiral staircase went between the two floors next to the door. "Unlike your previous schools," Gaunt told them, "you are allowed to take any book from here and to your room without checking it out. We don't have money to fund a librarian, however, so this listing of where general sections are will have to do." He pointed to a large sign next to the stairs with the various subjects and where they were on it. "We do have a spell to record which student has how many books out, and you are expected to return them all before going home for summer holidays." Harry frowned faintly. He'd thought they didn't have a summer holiday. Or, at least, they weren't expected to go home for it.
Then he led them up the staircase and onto the second floor. There, he walked into the hallway above their rooms, where another hallway was lined with doors. "These are all study rooms. Each room has sound-proofing spells on it. A few of them have wireless radios in them, for those of you who like to listen to music while you work."
He led them next to the hallway above the teachers' wing. "All of these rooms are classrooms. Each room has which class it's for next to it. You will only find your professors in these rooms during class times. Except Professor Smith; he likes to blow things up during his free time." All but Kathy chuckled at that, and she just sniffed. Gaunt grinned at them knowingly.
Gaunt then led them to the huge common room, where they were met by a tiny red dragon, who flew up to Gaunt and demanded attention. Gaunt smiled at the creature and scratched it between its ears. "This is Mokkun. He's a pseudodragon, and the school pet, of a sorts. Professor Ammon brought him back from somewhere a couple years ago. Treat him well, please. He lives here in the common room.
"In here, other than Mokkun, we have muggle and magical games of all sorts. There is also a wireless and a muggle telly, for those who want them. Yes, Miss Carrow?"
Kathy smiled sweetly at Gaunt. "Sir, why are there muggle things in a magical school?" she asked, making muggle sound like a bad word.
Gaunt cocked an eyebrow at her. "Because I like them. Any other questions, Miss Carrow?"
"Yeah," Kathy replied nastily. "Are you a muggleborn?"
"I'm a half-blood," Gaunt replied coldly. "And I warn you now to watch your tongue, Miss Carrow, or I will curse it off."
Harry winced slightly as his scar twinged, and he tugged on his beanie, making sure it covered the disguising rune.
"Yes, sir," Kathy said through gritted teeth.
Gaunt nodded, then led them out of the common room and all the way down the stairs to the basement, which turned out to be a huge open space, rather than having wings. Around the perimeter, was what looked to be a track. On one side of the staircase, there was a bunch of muggle exercise equipment. On the opposite side, were a bunch of mats and what seemed to be a shed. In between the mats and equipment were two duelling platforms, with the stairs between them. Each platform had a magical shield around it and spectator stands on one side.
"Down here is where you will have your Physical Combat sessions each morning," Gaunt continued. "Gaur will have you running laps, then either working with your chosen physical weapon or working on the equipment. When you get to third year, if you choose to take Magical Duelling, your classes will be held down here on the duelling platforms. Now then, let's go outside." He led them back upstairs, then out the door across from the Floo connection, where there was a small pond and some picnic benches. "You may spend your free time out here. There is a magical grill over there, and if you ask at the kitchen, the house elves will happily give you something to cook on it, or a picnic lunch, if you wish. Please don't fish in the pond, but you may swim in it, just try and keep it clean.
"Now," Gaunt continued, leading them back into the school and out the door to the greenhouses. "As I said earlier, these are the greenhouses. You don't have to ever enter foot into them, but we'd all be pleased if you wish to help out with them once and a while. I believe Professor Smith may have his Potions students out here at times, to collect fresh ingredients, but other than that and the occasional Elemental Magics class, you need never set foot out here. Out of curiosity, which of you are likely to come out here and work in the greenhouses?"
Arcturus and Pearl immediately rose their hands and Harry, after some deliberation, joined them. Jacob smiled and shook his head, while Kathy sneered at the greenhouses in disgust.
Gaunt smiled at the three students. "Mr Longbottom and Miss Pearl, I know you're both planning to take Elemental Magics. Mr Barak?"
Harry shrugged, feeling uncomfortable with the attention on him. "I do some of the gardening at home. Didn't much like it at school in Herbology, but I figure I might as well see how it is here. It not being required and all."
"Excellent. I always enjoy having students willing to try things out a bit. Now! On the other side of your wing, there is a small forest. You're allowed to go in there, and if you wish to fly on a broom you may have brought with you, that's where you need to go, as this is a muggle neighbourhood, and we don't have spells up to keep them from seeing flying broomsticks. Alas." Gaunt grinned at them, and received four grins and one scowl back. "Okay! You've got about an hour before the upper years arrive. You can do practically anything you want until then, but you're expected in the atrium when the upper years get here, so you can meet each other."
"Professor?" Jacob asked as Gaunt turned to leave them.
"Yes, Mr Ashe?" Gaunt replied, turning back to the student.
"When will we know the schedules of our classes?"
"Ah, forgive me. The class schedule is posted at the end of your wing, on both floors, as well as at the end of the hallway where the classrooms are. All three years share the same classes, since the classes are so small, so you'll be having classes with second and third years as well as with each other. The older years will be learning different things, of course, but you'll be sharing the same teacher."
"Thanks, sir," Jacob said, smiling.
"That'll take some getting used to," Arcturus commented as Gaunt walked back into the building, Kathy on his heels. "Well, I'm going to take a look at the greenhouses. Harry?"
Harry glanced over and saw Pearl already walking into one of the four greenhouses. "Sure. Jacob?"
Jacob grimaced. "Plants aren't my thing, sorry, guys. I think I might go check out the telly, though."
"Okay. See ya, Jacob!" Harry and Arcturus called, then turned together to look at the greenhouses.
Harry was quite pleased to find that one of the houses had normal fruits and vegetables – Aunt Petunia had a vine of tomatoes and some strawberry plants that occasionally had to be cut back, which Harry had often been able to steal some food from as a kid – and he practically skipped inside. Meanwhile, Arcturus found Pearl in the greenhouse with some minor potions ingredients and joined her at checking the plants over.
After an hour of picking out weeds from the fruits and vegetables, Harry was dragged from the greenhouses by an amused Pearl. Arcturus, looking like he'd also been dragged out, joined them as they walked inside, where they found a haughty Kathy and a grinning Jacob waiting for them next to Gaunt. They all turned to the Floo, where, one at a time, seven students popped out.
Harry thought he might recognize two of the older girls from Hogwarts, and they turned out to be Susan Fawcett, a Ravenclaw a year above him, and Sally-Anne Perks, a Hufflepuff who'd been in his year and transferred the year before.
Among the other students were an angry-looking young woman named Andrea Greyback; a sharp-eyed boy who acted rather like Draco Malfoy, named Rick Rosier; a quiet girl with purple hair named Rosalind Mamo; and two boys who were holding hands and exact opposites in colouring – as well as species, from what Harry could see – named Rai Hirayama and Ren Miyazaki. The older students went to put their things away, while the first years were led into the dining hall by the Headmaster.
-0-
"Who decided it was a good idea to make us get up at the butt-crack of dawn?" Jacob grumbled as he sat down across from Harry and Arcturus, both of whom were morning people. (Though, really, Harry was just an insomniac, but he wasn't going to tell his new friends that.)
"Gaur did," said one of the opposing second year boys from two nights ago; Harry thought it was Ren, since he had the lighter colouring. "From what some of last year's third years were saying, the professor before him held the class in the evening. Gaur likes to use it to wake us up, though. I'm Ren Miyazaki, by the way. I know how the introductions go a little over your head, and since none of us really interacted yesterday..." He grinned winningly.
"Cheers," Jacob said, then put his head down on the table tiredly.
Harry laughed. "I'm Harry Barak. The sleepy one is Jacob Ashe."
"And I'm Arcturus Longbottom," Arcturus added, then popped a piece of banana in his mouth.
The other boy, Rai, sat down next to Ren looking absolutely disgusted with the world. "The pickings this morning are shit, and morning classes suck. Might I go back to bed?" He glanced over at Ren, then seemed to notice the three first years, who were all looking at him oddly. "Ah, hello firsties."
Ren laughed and kissed Rai's cheek, earning him a light swat. "You'll have to excuse him," he told the other three boys. "Rai's part incubus, so he's nocturnal."
"I bet that's fun in bed," Jacob muttered, making Arcturus spit out a second piece of banana into Harry's mostly empty bowl of cereal.
"Jacob!" Arcturus shouted, while Harry and Ren laughed. Rai watched them all through tired eyes, though an amused smile twitched on his lips.
Jacob smiled at Arcturus apologetically, then asked, "What's after lunch? I forgot to look."
"Defensive Magics and Blood Magic," Rai and Arcturus replied as one. Then the two gave each other funny looks while the other three laughed at them.
"Down we go, kiddies!" Gaur called from the head of the table as he stood. The twelve students spread out around the table all groaned, but stood obediently and followed their professor down to the basement, where they were all told to run until they couldn't anymore.
The girls in Harry's year both managed about one circuit, while Harry and Arcturus managed about two and a half. Jacob ran about four circuits, and the upper years just kept going while the first years staggered over to where Gaur was shaking his head at them.
"You two, Stuck-up and Water-Girl, get working on those machines. I expect you both to manage at least two laps by the end of the month. Beanie and Plant-Boy, you two need to make it to four by the end of the month. Get on those machines. And you, Curly–"
"Jacob Ashe, sir," Jacob corrected him.
"If I want to call you Curly, I'll call you Curly. Got it, Curly?"
"Yes, sir," Jacob whispered.
"Good. Curly, I want you running with the second years end of the month. Get to that equipment."
The five first years all picked a piece of muggle equipment and helped each other figure out what it was – except Kathy, who would accept help from no one and simply ignored any of their help. When Gaur went to harp on the upper years, Jacob muttered, "What a jerk."
Pearl, who was listening to Gaur yell at the upper years, commented, "Sounds like he does it to everyone, though."
"Still..."
"Hey, Harry?" Arcturus asked between gasping breaths.
"Yeah?"
"Why do you always wear that beanie?"
Harry grimaced. "It's got a permanent Shield Charm on it, and I'm paranoid. Anyway, my hair's a rat's nest. Always."
"There better not be talking over there, first years!"
The four first years groaned while Kathy smirked and returned to their exercising in silence.
-0-
"Alright, what's he dubbed you, then?" Ren asked as he took his seat next to the three first year boys. Pearl had returned to eating by herself, and Kathy was sitting as far away from her year mates as she could possibly get.
"Well, Arcturus is Plant-Boy, Harry's Beanie, and I'm Curly, for some reason," Jacob supplied.
"Maybe because your hair is curly," Arcturus suggested drily.
"It is?" Jacob looked genuinely surprised and he tugged forward a lock of his long, curly brown hair to check. "Huh. What do you know."
"You honestly don't even know what your own hair looks like?" Ren asked, aghast. When Jacob just shrugged, Ren shook his head. "First years."
"What does he call you, then?" Harry asked curiously as Rai took his normal seat next to Ren.
"Priest-Boy," Ren said with a grimace, holding out the cross he always wore. "Which I'm not. Not even religious."
"They had a long argument about that the first day," Rai commented. "Nearly a fist-fight, but Gaunt showed up and talked them down. Now Gaur calls him that just to see if he can rile him up, I think."
"What about you, Rai?" Arcturus asked. "What's he call you?"
"Claws," Rai said with an evil smirk as he flexed a hand full of wicked claws.
"He was originally going to call him Sex Fiend," Ren told them quietly. "But Gaunt told him that could be viewed as sexual harassment, so he had to pick a new name."
The three first years snickered to themselves and glanced up the table at Gaur, who smiled toothily at them.
"He's not so bad, once you get past the nicknames," Ren commented.
"I guess not," Harry agreed, watching as their teacher turned to Ammon and struck up a cheerful discussion.
-0-
As soon as everyone was in the room, Ambrosi stood from behind his desk. "Right. Third years, ward a section of the room and have an all-out. Last one standing faces me when I'm done with the lower years. Second years, start with basic shield charms and work your way up. First years..." He walked over to where the five first years had clustered to one side. "Let's see. How many of you know you can cast the shield charm accurately?"
Harry and Kathy rose their hands, then glared at each other.
Ambrosi sighed. "How many of you can at least cast it?"
Jacob and Arcturus rose their hands sheepishly.
"Okay, Ashe I can understand, but Longbottom? Didn't you go to Durmstrang?"
"I'm crap with shield charms," Arcturus explained honestly.
"How did you survive that place? No, that was rhetorical. Pearl, do you at least know what a shield charm is?"
"Yes, sir," Pearl said softly. "My people simply don't use them, since invisibility is natural to us. I know the spell and the theory, but I've never tried to cast it."
Ambrosi shook his head. "First years. Okay! You brought paper and writing utensils with you?" When the five students nodded, Ambrosi turned to the board and started writing out notes for them to copy down, while speaking them out loud. It was all basic theory behind the shield charm and the history behind the spell, but the group of students dutifully copied it down.
Suddenly, one of the second year girls shouted, "Heads up!" and a bright orange spell bounced off Harry and dissipated against the wall, just barely missing Kathy's head.
The second years and Ambrosi all turned to give Harry surprised looks, while Jacob and Arcturus cracked up.
"Barak, would you care to explain that little miracle?" Ambrosi said after a long moment.
Harry, blushing madly, pointed at his hat. "It's got a shield charm worked in, sir. Got it from Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes this summer in a moment of paranoia."
"Huh." Ambrosi scratched his head. "Well, don't wearing it while practising spells, but you can wear it while taking notes. Now!" and he returned to his notes.
-0-
"You know, Harry, you look really familiar without that beanie," Arcturus mentioned while the three first year boys were laying about in the common room during their break before dinner.
"I know," Harry said with a heavy sigh. "Like Harry Potter, right?" he asked, having already thought up an excuse in case anyone asked the question.
"Yeah, just a bit. I mean, there aren't any accurate pictures of him or anything, but from what you can see of that picture from the TriWizard Tournament, you look awfully similar."
Harry grimaced. "My aunt says my mum was nutters," he explained, sending a silent apology to Lily. "I already had black hair because of her, and green eyes because of my dad. She just spelled my hair to always stay exactly like Potter's. And tried to give me a lightning bolt scar." He rolled his eyes. "Looked horrible. Got a rune over it a couple of summers ago to cover the bloody thing up." So saying, he pulled off the beanie and showed them the rune.
"Wicked," Jacob crowed. "I want one, too!" So saying, he closed his eyes and suddenly had the same rune in the middle of his forehead.
Harry and Arcturus stared at him. "Jacob, are you a metamorphmagus or something?" Harry asked.
Jacob blinked, then blushed faintly. "Oh, ah, no. I'm a changling."
"What's that?" Harry asked.
"A changling is the ancestor of the metamorphmagus. They can change themselves into practically anything, male or female," Arcturus explained.
"Oh."
"Except it has to be vaguely human-like and have about the same body mass. I can't do a centaur, say, or a dwarf. My father, who's a doppelganger, can do either form without any problems," Jacob added.
"That's kinda cool, you know," Harry commented, noticing the sad glint in Jacob's green eyes. "At least that explains why you didn't know what your hair looked like."
Jacob grinned. "Rather. I think it used to be shorter and straight, but I can't keep track. My hair likes to change in the mornings and I never really care to check it anymore."
"That's like me with this rat's nest," Harry agreed, referring to his own hair. "I don't even bother trying to make it behave anymore, since I know it won't."
"We could probably try and break the spell on your hair, you know," Arcturus commented. "Then you could grow it out with a potion or something. It would make it behave and you'd look less like Potter."
"You know, it doesn't help that you have the same first name," Jacob added cheerfully.
Harry rolled his eyes. "Tell me about it."
Arcturus snorted. "Library?"
Harry let out a quiet groan, but got to his feet. "Yeah, let's go. Might as well see what we can find." Harry considered it might as well be worth a chance, since his hair had never stayed the way his aunt had cut it when he was a kid, anyway. Who knew, maybe there was a spell on his hair.
-0-
Ren found them in the library thirty minutes before dinner. "What's up, you lot?" he asked, looming over their shared patch of floor, where they had a number of books spread out.
"Trying to find a spell to counteract the one on Harry's hair," Arcturus muttered. After a fair bit of searching, they had been able to verify there was a spell on Harry's hair keeping it the way it was, but it was an advanced charm and Harry figured his mum had done it, since she'd been the one good with charms.
"Where's your shadow?" Jacob asked, happy to have an excuse to get away from the books for a moment.
"Blood Magic. What sort of spell's on your hair, Harry?"
"Really advanced charm to keep it from changing. Figure if we can get it off, people will stop mistaking me for Harry Potter," Harry muttered, absorbed in a book about advanced charm work. Most of it was going right over his head, but it was an interesting read.
"What, and that's not a good thing? Think of all the free stuff you can get!"
"Yeah, but who's head does the Dark Lord most want on a silver platter?" Jacob asked drily.
"Albus Dumbledore's, last I heard," Ren replied.
All three boys looked up at that. "Huh? Why Dumbledore?" Harry asked.
"Duh. He's in the way."
"If Dumbledore was out of the way, the Dark Lord could take over both Hogwarts and the Ministry without a single opposition," Arcturus whispered, horrified.
"Without any worrying opposition," Jacob corrected. "There's still that Order of the Whatsit that Dumbledore is in charge of, and any muggleborns or half-bloods that feel like dying to protect their families. But with Dumbledore out of the picture, those will be a piece of cake."
"What about Potter?" Harry asked, morbidly curious.
"What can a sixth year do?" Ren replied. "Hell, what can any student do? It's not like he's all powerful or anything. He's just a normal kid, right?"
Harry nodded, feeling sick. Would he have survived this year if he hadn't chosen to come to Wand and Dagger?
Ren shrugged. "Anyway, dinner's soon. You could ask one of the professors for help, you know. With the hair spell. Not Smith, he's a nutcase, but one of the others."
"I don't know..." Harry said slowly, eyeing their pile of books.
"Oh, come on, Harry," Jacob practically begged. "Asking a professor would be so much faster."
"Not to mention that you'll soon be getting real homework," Ren added helpfully.
"Oh, fine," Harry gave in. "We can ask a professor. But not Lestrange."
"What's wrong with him?" Jacob asked.
"Light wizards," Arcturus helpfully explained. "Lestrange is a known Death Eater. I'm not sure how he got into the school, actually..."
"Last Dark Magics teacher died middle of last year," Ren said brightly. "Gaunt had to hire someone fast, and Lestrange ended up being it. Gaunt's not picky about who or what you are. I mean, Kugan's a phantom, practically an inferi, Ammon some kind of Ancient vampire, and the vote's still out on whether or not Smith's some sort of squib; no one's ever seen him do any actual magic."
"And he let in a half incubus," Arcturus agreed, levitating books back to their shelves with Harry and Jacob's help. "No sane school allows an incubus to attend; not even a half one."
"He went to Durmstrang."
"Like he said, no sane school," Jacob said. Harry and Ren snorted while Arcturus rolled his eyes.
Once all the books were up, the four students made their way over to the dining hall. "So, which professor, then?"Arcturus asked, getting them back on the original subject.
"Ambrosi, maybe?" Jacob suggested. "He seems capable and okay with silly questions. Anyway, he likes you, Harry."
Harry rolled his eyes. "Jacob, just because a professor seems amused by a hat you wear, doesn't automatically make them like you."
"Not Gaur," Arcturus decided. "He might give you a new nickname."
"Gaur does not give nicknames for asking questions!" Ren complained.
"And not Ammon or Kugan," Jacob added. "They're both too dead."
"I don't think Eveningfair could," Ren decided to join in. "And even though she's the healer, Doe's likely to laugh at you and close her door in your face."
"Mmmm.... Gygax looks a little too strict," Harry decided cheerfully as he loaded his plate. "So that leaves... Ambrosi and Gaunt. Is it really okay to bother the Headmaster with something like this?"
"Something like what, Mr Barak?" said Headmaster asked from behind Harry.
Harry yelped and turned around quickly, somehow managing to not drop his food. "Professor Gaunt!"
"Now's your chance to ask, Harry," Jacob said winningly, then he and Arcturus hurried off to the open seats around Rai.
Ren patted Harry on the back, then followed them.
Gaunt rose an eyebrow at Harry. "Do I even want to know?"
Harry grimaced. "Well, we found out my mum cast a spell on my hair, to make it always stay the same, but the charm's too advanced for us to dispel without some serious research. We were discussing which professor to ask for help."
Gaunt blinked and pulled out his wand, which looked oddly familiar to Harry for some reason, but he couldn't quite recall where from. "May I look at the spell?"
"Oh, yeah." Harry tugged off his hat. When Gaunt's eyes narrowed dangerously, Harry quickly looked down at his plate and said, "My mum's idea, sir. She wanted me to look like the famous Harry Potter. S'what my aunt always said, at least."
Gaunt pursed his lips, but simply cast the charm to identify the spell on Harry's head. After a moment, he said, "I can remove this for you, Barak. Would you like me to?"
"If you please, sir," Harry replied. "It's not safe to look like Potter these days."
Gaunt hummed in agreement and cast a quick, wordless spell. Almost immediately, Harry's hair grew about three inches and turned more of a dark auburn, rather than the deep black it had been. Harry tugged a lock of hair down and looked at it cross-eyed, amazed by the change. But, why had his mum hidden his natural colour?
"Thanks, sir," Harry said after a moment of staring at his new hair.
"You're most welcome, Mr Barak," Gaunt replied, seeming quite a bit calmer now that Harry didn't look quite so much like he was supposed to. (And, Merlin, if that wasn't confusing.)
Harry walked over to his friends and took his usual seat between Arcturus and Ren.
"Wicked!" Jacob crowed.
"That's quite a change, Harry," Arcturus commented after a moment of studying the new hair.
"Now you don't have to cover it with that ridiculous beanie!" Ren added, looking quite gleeful.
Harry promptly put his beanie back on. "I like my beanie, thanks."
"But it makes you look so, oh, I don't know. So muggle!" Ren tried.
Harry huffed at him and tucked into his food.
"Well, that's one less thing to look up. But I thought your aunt said you got your black hair from your mum," Arcturus commented.
Harry stared down at his plate. "I know," was all he said, feeling quite confused himself by the new hair colour. He'd just thought it was a charm to keep the length the same. It didn't make any sense.
"Well, no use worrying about it now," Rai commented quietly from the other side of Ren.
Harry glanced around Ren and toasted Rai, which earned him a faint smile. Then he turned back to Jacob and Arcturus and started up a talk about shield charms.
-0-
When Harry got back to his room that night after helping Arcturus and Jacob with their shield charms a bit more, he found Hedwig waiting for him. "Hey, girl. You have something for me?"
Hedwig held out her leg, where three letters were attached. Only one had his assumed name on it – the one from Hermione – while the other two said 'Harry Potter'. Harry shook his head at Ron and Dumbledore, neither of whom had followed his request to address things to Harry Barak.
Harry opened Hermione's letter on his way to his desk to read it and the others.
'Harry!
'I suppose you were right to wait to tell Ron until after you left for Wand and Dagger. Merlin, he's being such a prat about it. I mean, part of his problem is that you waited to tell him, but I've heard him complaining more than once about how you always get special treatment and how you have enough money to do anything and it's not fair. (It didn't help that we went by the twins' new shop and he couldn't afford the things he wanted. Figured you could have.)
'You must tell me about the school! Oh, I'm almost jealous! Have you made any friends? What are your classes like? Are you doing your homework?
'I miss you, and hope to hear from you soon!
' 'Mione'
Harry smiled at Hermione's letter – trust her to ask about his schoolwork! – and he suddenly missed her. He hadn't really wanted to chance sending her too many letters over the summer while he'd been in Diagon Alley – especially, as Sirius had once said, since Hedwig was a rather noticeable bird – so he hadn't spoken to her nearly enough.
Harry wrote up a quick reply, telling her all about the school, especially the library, and his new friends. He also mentioned the teachers he'd already had, and the rumours about some of the ones he was going to have later. He mentioned Professor Smith especially, since he knew she'd be horrified at the professor's lack of decorum for a while before finally realizing how funny it was.
When Harry opened Ron's letter, he sighed. It was all angry and called him a few names, and ranted on about, 'how could you not tell your best friend you were going to a new school', etc, etc. Harry decided the letter didn't deserve a response and promptly tossed it in the bin, where he lit it on fire.
Harry opened Dumbledore's letter next, not really expecting much better than Ron's, considering how much the Headmaster seemed to like to control Harry's life.
'Harry,
'I strongly suggest you return to Hogwarts, for a number of reasons. One, I had intended to give you extra lessons this year in hopes that they would help you defeat Voldemort. Two, the only Gaunts I know of are Tom Riddle's mother's family, which are all dead. I fear you are currently at a school with Voldemort himself. Three, wouldn't you rather be with your friends? I'm sure they miss you.
'I must insist that you return to Hogwarts, my dear boy. Or at least to your aunt's house for a few weeks, so the wards can re-charge; they are dangerously low, and you will shortly find both yourself and your family at the mercy of Voldemort and his people.
'Albus Dumbledore'
Harry huffed at the letter and quickly pulled out a new piece of parchment.
'Headmaster,
'I appreciate your concerns, but I don't see them to be valid. Any extra lessons you could have given me, I will learn here, and probably in more detail. As for Professor Gaunt, I will admit that he does slightly resemble Tom Riddle, but he's far too kind to the students to be Voldemort. Just today, for example, I found out there was a spell on my hair and he removed it for me. He was rather disgusted, I suppose, by my resemblance to Harry Potter, but I've explained that off by my mum being obsessed; the spell on my hair went a long way to proving that theory. (Apparently, I have auburn hair, not black. Any thoughts?)
'While I will admit that I miss my friends, I'm making some new ones here, and I'm still in touch with Hermione. I'll probably start trading owls with Ron again once he's stopped being a jealous prat.
'Both my family and I were quite happy to not have to see anything of each other this summer. I will certainly send them a letter, letting them know that my not staying with them has left them vulnerable, if you think it best, but I won't be returning this summer. If you'd wanted me there, you shouldn't have let Moody, Lupin, Tonks and Mr Weasley threaten them; my uncle didn't take kindly to it. I understand that they were just trying to help, but it only made things worse.
'If you insist on continuing this correspondence, I insist you address me by my assumed name, especially since you seem to think Voldemort is here. I know there are Voldemort supporters among the student body, and the Dark Magics professor is Rodolphus Lestrange.
'Harry Barak'
Feeling rather pleased with his response, and certain of his own observations, Harry handed the two letters over to an impatient Hedwig, then drafted a letter to his aunt, letting her know about the pending danger. He would see about posting it the muggle way in the morning; Ren might know.
Before getting ready for bed, Harry tossed Dumbledore's letter in the bin and burned it like he had Ron's – best not to leave around such connections to his real name.
All told, it had been a good, though odd, first day.
-0-0-0-0-0-
A/N: Okay, a few more questions are answered in this chapter, other than the, admittedly, rather constant question which is answered at the top.
Please, also, keep in mind that while Hogwarts is a private school, it is run by a group of public officials and partially funded by the wizarding government – at least, it is in my world – while Wand and Dagger is not. Rather, W&D is run and funded by an individual, and is therefore outside of Ministry jurisdiction. So Voldie can hire whoever he wants as his staff. (In case anyone thinks Dumbles is going to get a contingent of Aurors to arrest Rodolphus.)
Of course, not that the Ministry knows where W&D is.
Harry's hair: I was exhausted while writing that part and I'm not sure where it came from. I originally intended for it to just be an excuse, but then they found a spell on his hair for real. I meant it to just be there keeping Harry's hair in place – how else do you explain hair that doesn't grow, except when it's been shaved off? I know, supposedly, Harry's hair grew back all at once because he didn't want to be embarrassed, but still, if the only haircuts he'd ever gotten were from Petunia, once she'd stopped, his hair should have continued to grow naturally. By his sixth year, he would no longer have hair like his father's, since it would have grown out so it wasn't quite so wild. (Goodness knows, I have to keep trimming my own hair because if I don't, by the end of a school year, it's shoulder length, even if it was shaved at the beginning of the year.)
At any rate, Harry's hair wasn't supposed to be anything but black. Even said so in my character profiles.
On the potential pairing, since there were a few reviews about this:
I, as always, am leaning towards Harry/Tom, because that's just the way I am. I don't know that I'd pair Harry with any of the OCs, however, no matter how much you or I might like them. (And, trust me, I like most of my OCs, save Kathy – who is named after a woman I abhor – especially Harry's friends. Fans of Abandon and Reclaim might recognize the two second years Harry's made friends with from their brief appearance in Reclaim when Harry got Luna, Ginny, Hermione and Poppy out of the school.)
Because of the way I've set up the OCs surrounding Harry, however, there's no way he's going to date a girl. So this really and truly will be SLASH.
But any pairings won't be for a while. Let him get settled in and finish meeting his professors, yeah?
Here's hoping I can flesh out the OCs a bit more over the next couple of chapters, without them seeming like Gary-Stus or whatever. *winks*
~Bats ^.^x
P.S. – I read every single review I get, but I don't reply to all of them personally because I'm so busy with school work and writing more chapters for you folks. (Anyway, a lot of your questions were asked by more than one person; it just makes more sense to write up a general response in the next chapter, than to reply to the same question five times.)
Your reviews are read, though. And I love them. Honest. They make me all warm and tingly inside, and spur me to write more. (Well, reviews and my girlfriend/beta.)
Chapters:
1 - The Wolves |||2 - The First Day ||| 3 - Shocks and Explosions
4 - Socialising ||| 5 - The Patronus ||| 6 - ??
Incomplete
Author:
batsutousaiBeta:
tsuki_no_suzuRating: PG-13?
Pairings: undecided, but most likely some form of SLASH
Warnings: OCs, OoC
Summary: The war is coming too quickly for comfort and Harry wonders if it isn't time for him to find a school that will actually teach him what he needs to learn to defeat Voldemort.
Disclaim Her: Yes, John Smith is who you think he is. And I don't own him, he owns himself. (As evidenced by how he managed to write himself into this story.) We're still fighting over whether or not he's allowed a blue police box in his office.
A/N: A few reviewers asked how no one managed to recognize Harry, since there are pictures of him in the Prophet all the time and such, and his black hair and green eyes usually giving him away. The quick answer is that Harry doesn't like pictures, and his picture-self generally avoids staying in the photo if he can, or hiding if he can't. (Please note, at this point in time, these are the only public pictures of Harry. No chocolate frog cards. -wink- ) Also, most people look for the scar, which Harry's disguised – and hidden under the beanie. The same can be said for his hair. Also, while most people – including myself – often make Harry's eyes an unusual shade of green, I don't intend for that to be so in this story. So he just looks like any teen with a muggle beanie, green eyes, and a pair of old glasses. (It also helps, of course, that most people don't expect to see Harry Potter at The Leaky or in Diagon Alley that early in the summer.)
Chapter Two – The First Day
-0-0-0-
The dining room was a major change from Hogwarts, Harry realized as soon as he stepped inside. There was one long table, where the students and the professors sat together. Along the back wall, next to a door that Harry assumed led to the kitchens, there was a buffet table, where a couple of the professors were already getting their food.
When Harry had paused for too long, Arcturus grabbed his arm and dragged him over to the buffet. "Get food, then stare, Harry," he ordered, then grabbed a plate. Harry wasn't far behind him and the two managed to fill their plates easily.
Once the two had taken seats away from the professors, Harry commented, "This is nothing like Hogwarts."
"Nor like Durmstrang," Arcturus agreed.
"Not like Beauxbatons, either," the third boy in their years said, sitting across from them. "Jacob Ashe, by the way."
"Harry Barak," Harry offered with a nod.
"Arcturus Longbottom," Arcturus added. "It should be interesting here, at least."
"I know. I mean, first impression includes a professor sliding down the banister," Jacob agreed cheerfully. "I can't wait for Potions."
"Almost makes me wish I'd taken it," Harry commented.
"You had Snape?" Arcturus asked. When Harry nodded, he winced. "I'm sorry. No wonder you decided not to take the class. Aunt Augusta is always complaining about how he treats Nev."
"Yeah, Snape treats him horrible. All of the Gryffindors, really. Drives my best mate nuts."
The other two boys laughed.
One of the girls in their class, the brunette who looked at little off, sat down next to Arcturus. "Longbottom," she said neutrally.
"Carrow," Arcturus replied in the same tone.
The girl looked around at Harry and Jacob, while the other girl from their year sat down next to Jacob. "I'm Kathy Carrow. Pureblood." She flipped her hair a bit in a way that reminded Harry of Pansy Parkinson.
"Harry Barak," Harry replied in introduction.
"And?" Kathy demanded. "Your blood status?"
Harry blinked. "Erm, half?"
Kathy sneered at him, then turned to Jacob and the other girl. "And you two?"
"Jacob Ashe. I suppose I'm muggle-born."
Kathy looked horrified. "They let your kind in here?"
"Oh, give it up, Carrow," Arcturus grumbled. "It's not like they asked your blood status or anything when you applied. Hell, they didn't even ask your species."
Kathy sneered at Arcturus, then turned to the other girl. "Please tell me you're a proper witch?"
The other girl smiled openly, showing a row of razor-sharp teeth. "I'm not even fully human."
Kathy squeaked and hurriedly moved away from the group to sit closer to the teachers.
The three boys grinned at the white-haired girl. "That was brilliant," Harry told her.
She nodded her head faintly. "Thank you. I'm Pearl, by the way."
"What kind of creature are you?" Jacob asked. "If you don't mind. Sorry."
Pearl shook her head. "I'm half glaistig. A water fey. I'm not sure how I feel about being taught elemental magic by an elf, though. My people don't like her kind." She looked rather depressed at that.
"You're taking Elemental Magics?" Arcturus asked. When Pearl nodded, he grinned outright. "Excellent! I am too. I was beginning to think I was the only person in our year taking it."
"Eh? You can use elemental magic?" Jacob asked.
Arcturus nodded. "The Longbottom line has a history of earth elementals. I'm not as strong as my cousin, Neville," he nodded to Harry, who smiled fondly at the mention of the plant-loving Gryffindor, "but I can hold my own with it. Neville even wanted to come here, but he said that he was dreadful at Defence until this past year. Something about a club his friend started?" He glanced over at Harry.
Harry grimaced. "Yeah, Potter started the DA last year, because Umbridge was so bad. It got ended in April when Umbridge found out, though."
"Were you a member?" Jacob asked curiously.
Harry shrugged. "I went to a few meetings."
"Wow. Imagine, right under Umbridge's nose..." Jacob sighed wistfully.
"I sense a lack of fondness for the Creature-Hater," Pearl teased, smiling faintly.
"Anyone who doesn't hate her, is nuts," Harry declared.
The other three laughed at that and they all quickly tucked in to their lunches when they caught Gaunt watching them with a raised eyebrow.
When all the first years were done, and most of the professors had escaped to their offices, Gaunt stood and said, "Excellent. If you five would follow me, we can get this tour under way."
When they left the dining room, Gaunt led them to the professors' offices and private rooms. He showed them where each office was and said, "You're expected to come to your professors during your free time during the week or after dinner for any extra help. You have Fridays free to do any make-up work or ask for help in any of your lessons if you need it. You may come by on weekends for help, if there isn't time on Friday or during the week, but it's generally frowned on."
Gaunt then led them to the, admittedly, amazing library. There were small tables on the first floor for studying, and all of the walls were taken up with bookcases. Rolling ladders sat against each wall, and a spiral staircase went between the two floors next to the door. "Unlike your previous schools," Gaunt told them, "you are allowed to take any book from here and to your room without checking it out. We don't have money to fund a librarian, however, so this listing of where general sections are will have to do." He pointed to a large sign next to the stairs with the various subjects and where they were on it. "We do have a spell to record which student has how many books out, and you are expected to return them all before going home for summer holidays." Harry frowned faintly. He'd thought they didn't have a summer holiday. Or, at least, they weren't expected to go home for it.
Then he led them up the staircase and onto the second floor. There, he walked into the hallway above their rooms, where another hallway was lined with doors. "These are all study rooms. Each room has sound-proofing spells on it. A few of them have wireless radios in them, for those of you who like to listen to music while you work."
He led them next to the hallway above the teachers' wing. "All of these rooms are classrooms. Each room has which class it's for next to it. You will only find your professors in these rooms during class times. Except Professor Smith; he likes to blow things up during his free time." All but Kathy chuckled at that, and she just sniffed. Gaunt grinned at them knowingly.
Gaunt then led them to the huge common room, where they were met by a tiny red dragon, who flew up to Gaunt and demanded attention. Gaunt smiled at the creature and scratched it between its ears. "This is Mokkun. He's a pseudodragon, and the school pet, of a sorts. Professor Ammon brought him back from somewhere a couple years ago. Treat him well, please. He lives here in the common room.
"In here, other than Mokkun, we have muggle and magical games of all sorts. There is also a wireless and a muggle telly, for those who want them. Yes, Miss Carrow?"
Kathy smiled sweetly at Gaunt. "Sir, why are there muggle things in a magical school?" she asked, making muggle sound like a bad word.
Gaunt cocked an eyebrow at her. "Because I like them. Any other questions, Miss Carrow?"
"Yeah," Kathy replied nastily. "Are you a muggleborn?"
"I'm a half-blood," Gaunt replied coldly. "And I warn you now to watch your tongue, Miss Carrow, or I will curse it off."
Harry winced slightly as his scar twinged, and he tugged on his beanie, making sure it covered the disguising rune.
"Yes, sir," Kathy said through gritted teeth.
Gaunt nodded, then led them out of the common room and all the way down the stairs to the basement, which turned out to be a huge open space, rather than having wings. Around the perimeter, was what looked to be a track. On one side of the staircase, there was a bunch of muggle exercise equipment. On the opposite side, were a bunch of mats and what seemed to be a shed. In between the mats and equipment were two duelling platforms, with the stairs between them. Each platform had a magical shield around it and spectator stands on one side.
"Down here is where you will have your Physical Combat sessions each morning," Gaunt continued. "Gaur will have you running laps, then either working with your chosen physical weapon or working on the equipment. When you get to third year, if you choose to take Magical Duelling, your classes will be held down here on the duelling platforms. Now then, let's go outside." He led them back upstairs, then out the door across from the Floo connection, where there was a small pond and some picnic benches. "You may spend your free time out here. There is a magical grill over there, and if you ask at the kitchen, the house elves will happily give you something to cook on it, or a picnic lunch, if you wish. Please don't fish in the pond, but you may swim in it, just try and keep it clean.
"Now," Gaunt continued, leading them back into the school and out the door to the greenhouses. "As I said earlier, these are the greenhouses. You don't have to ever enter foot into them, but we'd all be pleased if you wish to help out with them once and a while. I believe Professor Smith may have his Potions students out here at times, to collect fresh ingredients, but other than that and the occasional Elemental Magics class, you need never set foot out here. Out of curiosity, which of you are likely to come out here and work in the greenhouses?"
Arcturus and Pearl immediately rose their hands and Harry, after some deliberation, joined them. Jacob smiled and shook his head, while Kathy sneered at the greenhouses in disgust.
Gaunt smiled at the three students. "Mr Longbottom and Miss Pearl, I know you're both planning to take Elemental Magics. Mr Barak?"
Harry shrugged, feeling uncomfortable with the attention on him. "I do some of the gardening at home. Didn't much like it at school in Herbology, but I figure I might as well see how it is here. It not being required and all."
"Excellent. I always enjoy having students willing to try things out a bit. Now! On the other side of your wing, there is a small forest. You're allowed to go in there, and if you wish to fly on a broom you may have brought with you, that's where you need to go, as this is a muggle neighbourhood, and we don't have spells up to keep them from seeing flying broomsticks. Alas." Gaunt grinned at them, and received four grins and one scowl back. "Okay! You've got about an hour before the upper years arrive. You can do practically anything you want until then, but you're expected in the atrium when the upper years get here, so you can meet each other."
"Professor?" Jacob asked as Gaunt turned to leave them.
"Yes, Mr Ashe?" Gaunt replied, turning back to the student.
"When will we know the schedules of our classes?"
"Ah, forgive me. The class schedule is posted at the end of your wing, on both floors, as well as at the end of the hallway where the classrooms are. All three years share the same classes, since the classes are so small, so you'll be having classes with second and third years as well as with each other. The older years will be learning different things, of course, but you'll be sharing the same teacher."
"Thanks, sir," Jacob said, smiling.
"That'll take some getting used to," Arcturus commented as Gaunt walked back into the building, Kathy on his heels. "Well, I'm going to take a look at the greenhouses. Harry?"
Harry glanced over and saw Pearl already walking into one of the four greenhouses. "Sure. Jacob?"
Jacob grimaced. "Plants aren't my thing, sorry, guys. I think I might go check out the telly, though."
"Okay. See ya, Jacob!" Harry and Arcturus called, then turned together to look at the greenhouses.
Harry was quite pleased to find that one of the houses had normal fruits and vegetables – Aunt Petunia had a vine of tomatoes and some strawberry plants that occasionally had to be cut back, which Harry had often been able to steal some food from as a kid – and he practically skipped inside. Meanwhile, Arcturus found Pearl in the greenhouse with some minor potions ingredients and joined her at checking the plants over.
After an hour of picking out weeds from the fruits and vegetables, Harry was dragged from the greenhouses by an amused Pearl. Arcturus, looking like he'd also been dragged out, joined them as they walked inside, where they found a haughty Kathy and a grinning Jacob waiting for them next to Gaunt. They all turned to the Floo, where, one at a time, seven students popped out.
Harry thought he might recognize two of the older girls from Hogwarts, and they turned out to be Susan Fawcett, a Ravenclaw a year above him, and Sally-Anne Perks, a Hufflepuff who'd been in his year and transferred the year before.
Among the other students were an angry-looking young woman named Andrea Greyback; a sharp-eyed boy who acted rather like Draco Malfoy, named Rick Rosier; a quiet girl with purple hair named Rosalind Mamo; and two boys who were holding hands and exact opposites in colouring – as well as species, from what Harry could see – named Rai Hirayama and Ren Miyazaki. The older students went to put their things away, while the first years were led into the dining hall by the Headmaster.
"Who decided it was a good idea to make us get up at the butt-crack of dawn?" Jacob grumbled as he sat down across from Harry and Arcturus, both of whom were morning people. (Though, really, Harry was just an insomniac, but he wasn't going to tell his new friends that.)
"Gaur did," said one of the opposing second year boys from two nights ago; Harry thought it was Ren, since he had the lighter colouring. "From what some of last year's third years were saying, the professor before him held the class in the evening. Gaur likes to use it to wake us up, though. I'm Ren Miyazaki, by the way. I know how the introductions go a little over your head, and since none of us really interacted yesterday..." He grinned winningly.
"Cheers," Jacob said, then put his head down on the table tiredly.
Harry laughed. "I'm Harry Barak. The sleepy one is Jacob Ashe."
"And I'm Arcturus Longbottom," Arcturus added, then popped a piece of banana in his mouth.
The other boy, Rai, sat down next to Ren looking absolutely disgusted with the world. "The pickings this morning are shit, and morning classes suck. Might I go back to bed?" He glanced over at Ren, then seemed to notice the three first years, who were all looking at him oddly. "Ah, hello firsties."
Ren laughed and kissed Rai's cheek, earning him a light swat. "You'll have to excuse him," he told the other three boys. "Rai's part incubus, so he's nocturnal."
"I bet that's fun in bed," Jacob muttered, making Arcturus spit out a second piece of banana into Harry's mostly empty bowl of cereal.
"Jacob!" Arcturus shouted, while Harry and Ren laughed. Rai watched them all through tired eyes, though an amused smile twitched on his lips.
Jacob smiled at Arcturus apologetically, then asked, "What's after lunch? I forgot to look."
"Defensive Magics and Blood Magic," Rai and Arcturus replied as one. Then the two gave each other funny looks while the other three laughed at them.
"Down we go, kiddies!" Gaur called from the head of the table as he stood. The twelve students spread out around the table all groaned, but stood obediently and followed their professor down to the basement, where they were all told to run until they couldn't anymore.
The girls in Harry's year both managed about one circuit, while Harry and Arcturus managed about two and a half. Jacob ran about four circuits, and the upper years just kept going while the first years staggered over to where Gaur was shaking his head at them.
"You two, Stuck-up and Water-Girl, get working on those machines. I expect you both to manage at least two laps by the end of the month. Beanie and Plant-Boy, you two need to make it to four by the end of the month. Get on those machines. And you, Curly–"
"Jacob Ashe, sir," Jacob corrected him.
"If I want to call you Curly, I'll call you Curly. Got it, Curly?"
"Yes, sir," Jacob whispered.
"Good. Curly, I want you running with the second years end of the month. Get to that equipment."
The five first years all picked a piece of muggle equipment and helped each other figure out what it was – except Kathy, who would accept help from no one and simply ignored any of their help. When Gaur went to harp on the upper years, Jacob muttered, "What a jerk."
Pearl, who was listening to Gaur yell at the upper years, commented, "Sounds like he does it to everyone, though."
"Still..."
"Hey, Harry?" Arcturus asked between gasping breaths.
"Yeah?"
"Why do you always wear that beanie?"
Harry grimaced. "It's got a permanent Shield Charm on it, and I'm paranoid. Anyway, my hair's a rat's nest. Always."
"There better not be talking over there, first years!"
The four first years groaned while Kathy smirked and returned to their exercising in silence.
"Alright, what's he dubbed you, then?" Ren asked as he took his seat next to the three first year boys. Pearl had returned to eating by herself, and Kathy was sitting as far away from her year mates as she could possibly get.
"Well, Arcturus is Plant-Boy, Harry's Beanie, and I'm Curly, for some reason," Jacob supplied.
"Maybe because your hair is curly," Arcturus suggested drily.
"It is?" Jacob looked genuinely surprised and he tugged forward a lock of his long, curly brown hair to check. "Huh. What do you know."
"You honestly don't even know what your own hair looks like?" Ren asked, aghast. When Jacob just shrugged, Ren shook his head. "First years."
"What does he call you, then?" Harry asked curiously as Rai took his normal seat next to Ren.
"Priest-Boy," Ren said with a grimace, holding out the cross he always wore. "Which I'm not. Not even religious."
"They had a long argument about that the first day," Rai commented. "Nearly a fist-fight, but Gaunt showed up and talked them down. Now Gaur calls him that just to see if he can rile him up, I think."
"What about you, Rai?" Arcturus asked. "What's he call you?"
"Claws," Rai said with an evil smirk as he flexed a hand full of wicked claws.
"He was originally going to call him Sex Fiend," Ren told them quietly. "But Gaunt told him that could be viewed as sexual harassment, so he had to pick a new name."
The three first years snickered to themselves and glanced up the table at Gaur, who smiled toothily at them.
"He's not so bad, once you get past the nicknames," Ren commented.
"I guess not," Harry agreed, watching as their teacher turned to Ammon and struck up a cheerful discussion.
As soon as everyone was in the room, Ambrosi stood from behind his desk. "Right. Third years, ward a section of the room and have an all-out. Last one standing faces me when I'm done with the lower years. Second years, start with basic shield charms and work your way up. First years..." He walked over to where the five first years had clustered to one side. "Let's see. How many of you know you can cast the shield charm accurately?"
Harry and Kathy rose their hands, then glared at each other.
Ambrosi sighed. "How many of you can at least cast it?"
Jacob and Arcturus rose their hands sheepishly.
"Okay, Ashe I can understand, but Longbottom? Didn't you go to Durmstrang?"
"I'm crap with shield charms," Arcturus explained honestly.
"How did you survive that place? No, that was rhetorical. Pearl, do you at least know what a shield charm is?"
"Yes, sir," Pearl said softly. "My people simply don't use them, since invisibility is natural to us. I know the spell and the theory, but I've never tried to cast it."
Ambrosi shook his head. "First years. Okay! You brought paper and writing utensils with you?" When the five students nodded, Ambrosi turned to the board and started writing out notes for them to copy down, while speaking them out loud. It was all basic theory behind the shield charm and the history behind the spell, but the group of students dutifully copied it down.
Suddenly, one of the second year girls shouted, "Heads up!" and a bright orange spell bounced off Harry and dissipated against the wall, just barely missing Kathy's head.
The second years and Ambrosi all turned to give Harry surprised looks, while Jacob and Arcturus cracked up.
"Barak, would you care to explain that little miracle?" Ambrosi said after a long moment.
Harry, blushing madly, pointed at his hat. "It's got a shield charm worked in, sir. Got it from Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes this summer in a moment of paranoia."
"Huh." Ambrosi scratched his head. "Well, don't wearing it while practising spells, but you can wear it while taking notes. Now!" and he returned to his notes.
"You know, Harry, you look really familiar without that beanie," Arcturus mentioned while the three first year boys were laying about in the common room during their break before dinner.
"I know," Harry said with a heavy sigh. "Like Harry Potter, right?" he asked, having already thought up an excuse in case anyone asked the question.
"Yeah, just a bit. I mean, there aren't any accurate pictures of him or anything, but from what you can see of that picture from the TriWizard Tournament, you look awfully similar."
Harry grimaced. "My aunt says my mum was nutters," he explained, sending a silent apology to Lily. "I already had black hair because of her, and green eyes because of my dad. She just spelled my hair to always stay exactly like Potter's. And tried to give me a lightning bolt scar." He rolled his eyes. "Looked horrible. Got a rune over it a couple of summers ago to cover the bloody thing up." So saying, he pulled off the beanie and showed them the rune.
"Wicked," Jacob crowed. "I want one, too!" So saying, he closed his eyes and suddenly had the same rune in the middle of his forehead.
Harry and Arcturus stared at him. "Jacob, are you a metamorphmagus or something?" Harry asked.
Jacob blinked, then blushed faintly. "Oh, ah, no. I'm a changling."
"What's that?" Harry asked.
"A changling is the ancestor of the metamorphmagus. They can change themselves into practically anything, male or female," Arcturus explained.
"Oh."
"Except it has to be vaguely human-like and have about the same body mass. I can't do a centaur, say, or a dwarf. My father, who's a doppelganger, can do either form without any problems," Jacob added.
"That's kinda cool, you know," Harry commented, noticing the sad glint in Jacob's green eyes. "At least that explains why you didn't know what your hair looked like."
Jacob grinned. "Rather. I think it used to be shorter and straight, but I can't keep track. My hair likes to change in the mornings and I never really care to check it anymore."
"That's like me with this rat's nest," Harry agreed, referring to his own hair. "I don't even bother trying to make it behave anymore, since I know it won't."
"We could probably try and break the spell on your hair, you know," Arcturus commented. "Then you could grow it out with a potion or something. It would make it behave and you'd look less like Potter."
"You know, it doesn't help that you have the same first name," Jacob added cheerfully.
Harry rolled his eyes. "Tell me about it."
Arcturus snorted. "Library?"
Harry let out a quiet groan, but got to his feet. "Yeah, let's go. Might as well see what we can find." Harry considered it might as well be worth a chance, since his hair had never stayed the way his aunt had cut it when he was a kid, anyway. Who knew, maybe there was a spell on his hair.
Ren found them in the library thirty minutes before dinner. "What's up, you lot?" he asked, looming over their shared patch of floor, where they had a number of books spread out.
"Trying to find a spell to counteract the one on Harry's hair," Arcturus muttered. After a fair bit of searching, they had been able to verify there was a spell on Harry's hair keeping it the way it was, but it was an advanced charm and Harry figured his mum had done it, since she'd been the one good with charms.
"Where's your shadow?" Jacob asked, happy to have an excuse to get away from the books for a moment.
"Blood Magic. What sort of spell's on your hair, Harry?"
"Really advanced charm to keep it from changing. Figure if we can get it off, people will stop mistaking me for Harry Potter," Harry muttered, absorbed in a book about advanced charm work. Most of it was going right over his head, but it was an interesting read.
"What, and that's not a good thing? Think of all the free stuff you can get!"
"Yeah, but who's head does the Dark Lord most want on a silver platter?" Jacob asked drily.
"Albus Dumbledore's, last I heard," Ren replied.
All three boys looked up at that. "Huh? Why Dumbledore?" Harry asked.
"Duh. He's in the way."
"If Dumbledore was out of the way, the Dark Lord could take over both Hogwarts and the Ministry without a single opposition," Arcturus whispered, horrified.
"Without any worrying opposition," Jacob corrected. "There's still that Order of the Whatsit that Dumbledore is in charge of, and any muggleborns or half-bloods that feel like dying to protect their families. But with Dumbledore out of the picture, those will be a piece of cake."
"What about Potter?" Harry asked, morbidly curious.
"What can a sixth year do?" Ren replied. "Hell, what can any student do? It's not like he's all powerful or anything. He's just a normal kid, right?"
Harry nodded, feeling sick. Would he have survived this year if he hadn't chosen to come to Wand and Dagger?
Ren shrugged. "Anyway, dinner's soon. You could ask one of the professors for help, you know. With the hair spell. Not Smith, he's a nutcase, but one of the others."
"I don't know..." Harry said slowly, eyeing their pile of books.
"Oh, come on, Harry," Jacob practically begged. "Asking a professor would be so much faster."
"Not to mention that you'll soon be getting real homework," Ren added helpfully.
"Oh, fine," Harry gave in. "We can ask a professor. But not Lestrange."
"What's wrong with him?" Jacob asked.
"Light wizards," Arcturus helpfully explained. "Lestrange is a known Death Eater. I'm not sure how he got into the school, actually..."
"Last Dark Magics teacher died middle of last year," Ren said brightly. "Gaunt had to hire someone fast, and Lestrange ended up being it. Gaunt's not picky about who or what you are. I mean, Kugan's a phantom, practically an inferi, Ammon some kind of Ancient vampire, and the vote's still out on whether or not Smith's some sort of squib; no one's ever seen him do any actual magic."
"And he let in a half incubus," Arcturus agreed, levitating books back to their shelves with Harry and Jacob's help. "No sane school allows an incubus to attend; not even a half one."
"He went to Durmstrang."
"Like he said, no sane school," Jacob said. Harry and Ren snorted while Arcturus rolled his eyes.
Once all the books were up, the four students made their way over to the dining hall. "So, which professor, then?"Arcturus asked, getting them back on the original subject.
"Ambrosi, maybe?" Jacob suggested. "He seems capable and okay with silly questions. Anyway, he likes you, Harry."
Harry rolled his eyes. "Jacob, just because a professor seems amused by a hat you wear, doesn't automatically make them like you."
"Not Gaur," Arcturus decided. "He might give you a new nickname."
"Gaur does not give nicknames for asking questions!" Ren complained.
"And not Ammon or Kugan," Jacob added. "They're both too dead."
"I don't think Eveningfair could," Ren decided to join in. "And even though she's the healer, Doe's likely to laugh at you and close her door in your face."
"Mmmm.... Gygax looks a little too strict," Harry decided cheerfully as he loaded his plate. "So that leaves... Ambrosi and Gaunt. Is it really okay to bother the Headmaster with something like this?"
"Something like what, Mr Barak?" said Headmaster asked from behind Harry.
Harry yelped and turned around quickly, somehow managing to not drop his food. "Professor Gaunt!"
"Now's your chance to ask, Harry," Jacob said winningly, then he and Arcturus hurried off to the open seats around Rai.
Ren patted Harry on the back, then followed them.
Gaunt rose an eyebrow at Harry. "Do I even want to know?"
Harry grimaced. "Well, we found out my mum cast a spell on my hair, to make it always stay the same, but the charm's too advanced for us to dispel without some serious research. We were discussing which professor to ask for help."
Gaunt blinked and pulled out his wand, which looked oddly familiar to Harry for some reason, but he couldn't quite recall where from. "May I look at the spell?"
"Oh, yeah." Harry tugged off his hat. When Gaunt's eyes narrowed dangerously, Harry quickly looked down at his plate and said, "My mum's idea, sir. She wanted me to look like the famous Harry Potter. S'what my aunt always said, at least."
Gaunt pursed his lips, but simply cast the charm to identify the spell on Harry's head. After a moment, he said, "I can remove this for you, Barak. Would you like me to?"
"If you please, sir," Harry replied. "It's not safe to look like Potter these days."
Gaunt hummed in agreement and cast a quick, wordless spell. Almost immediately, Harry's hair grew about three inches and turned more of a dark auburn, rather than the deep black it had been. Harry tugged a lock of hair down and looked at it cross-eyed, amazed by the change. But, why had his mum hidden his natural colour?
"Thanks, sir," Harry said after a moment of staring at his new hair.
"You're most welcome, Mr Barak," Gaunt replied, seeming quite a bit calmer now that Harry didn't look quite so much like he was supposed to. (And, Merlin, if that wasn't confusing.)
Harry walked over to his friends and took his usual seat between Arcturus and Ren.
"Wicked!" Jacob crowed.
"That's quite a change, Harry," Arcturus commented after a moment of studying the new hair.
"Now you don't have to cover it with that ridiculous beanie!" Ren added, looking quite gleeful.
Harry promptly put his beanie back on. "I like my beanie, thanks."
"But it makes you look so, oh, I don't know. So muggle!" Ren tried.
Harry huffed at him and tucked into his food.
"Well, that's one less thing to look up. But I thought your aunt said you got your black hair from your mum," Arcturus commented.
Harry stared down at his plate. "I know," was all he said, feeling quite confused himself by the new hair colour. He'd just thought it was a charm to keep the length the same. It didn't make any sense.
"Well, no use worrying about it now," Rai commented quietly from the other side of Ren.
Harry glanced around Ren and toasted Rai, which earned him a faint smile. Then he turned back to Jacob and Arcturus and started up a talk about shield charms.
When Harry got back to his room that night after helping Arcturus and Jacob with their shield charms a bit more, he found Hedwig waiting for him. "Hey, girl. You have something for me?"
Hedwig held out her leg, where three letters were attached. Only one had his assumed name on it – the one from Hermione – while the other two said 'Harry Potter'. Harry shook his head at Ron and Dumbledore, neither of whom had followed his request to address things to Harry Barak.
Harry opened Hermione's letter on his way to his desk to read it and the others.
'Harry!
'I suppose you were right to wait to tell Ron until after you left for Wand and Dagger. Merlin, he's being such a prat about it. I mean, part of his problem is that you waited to tell him, but I've heard him complaining more than once about how you always get special treatment and how you have enough money to do anything and it's not fair. (It didn't help that we went by the twins' new shop and he couldn't afford the things he wanted. Figured you could have.)
'You must tell me about the school! Oh, I'm almost jealous! Have you made any friends? What are your classes like? Are you doing your homework?
'I miss you, and hope to hear from you soon!
' 'Mione'
Harry smiled at Hermione's letter – trust her to ask about his schoolwork! – and he suddenly missed her. He hadn't really wanted to chance sending her too many letters over the summer while he'd been in Diagon Alley – especially, as Sirius had once said, since Hedwig was a rather noticeable bird – so he hadn't spoken to her nearly enough.
Harry wrote up a quick reply, telling her all about the school, especially the library, and his new friends. He also mentioned the teachers he'd already had, and the rumours about some of the ones he was going to have later. He mentioned Professor Smith especially, since he knew she'd be horrified at the professor's lack of decorum for a while before finally realizing how funny it was.
When Harry opened Ron's letter, he sighed. It was all angry and called him a few names, and ranted on about, 'how could you not tell your best friend you were going to a new school', etc, etc. Harry decided the letter didn't deserve a response and promptly tossed it in the bin, where he lit it on fire.
Harry opened Dumbledore's letter next, not really expecting much better than Ron's, considering how much the Headmaster seemed to like to control Harry's life.
'Harry,
'I strongly suggest you return to Hogwarts, for a number of reasons. One, I had intended to give you extra lessons this year in hopes that they would help you defeat Voldemort. Two, the only Gaunts I know of are Tom Riddle's mother's family, which are all dead. I fear you are currently at a school with Voldemort himself. Three, wouldn't you rather be with your friends? I'm sure they miss you.
'I must insist that you return to Hogwarts, my dear boy. Or at least to your aunt's house for a few weeks, so the wards can re-charge; they are dangerously low, and you will shortly find both yourself and your family at the mercy of Voldemort and his people.
'Albus Dumbledore'
Harry huffed at the letter and quickly pulled out a new piece of parchment.
'Headmaster,
'I appreciate your concerns, but I don't see them to be valid. Any extra lessons you could have given me, I will learn here, and probably in more detail. As for Professor Gaunt, I will admit that he does slightly resemble Tom Riddle, but he's far too kind to the students to be Voldemort. Just today, for example, I found out there was a spell on my hair and he removed it for me. He was rather disgusted, I suppose, by my resemblance to Harry Potter, but I've explained that off by my mum being obsessed; the spell on my hair went a long way to proving that theory. (Apparently, I have auburn hair, not black. Any thoughts?)
'While I will admit that I miss my friends, I'm making some new ones here, and I'm still in touch with Hermione. I'll probably start trading owls with Ron again once he's stopped being a jealous prat.
'Both my family and I were quite happy to not have to see anything of each other this summer. I will certainly send them a letter, letting them know that my not staying with them has left them vulnerable, if you think it best, but I won't be returning this summer. If you'd wanted me there, you shouldn't have let Moody, Lupin, Tonks and Mr Weasley threaten them; my uncle didn't take kindly to it. I understand that they were just trying to help, but it only made things worse.
'If you insist on continuing this correspondence, I insist you address me by my assumed name, especially since you seem to think Voldemort is here. I know there are Voldemort supporters among the student body, and the Dark Magics professor is Rodolphus Lestrange.
'Harry Barak'
Feeling rather pleased with his response, and certain of his own observations, Harry handed the two letters over to an impatient Hedwig, then drafted a letter to his aunt, letting her know about the pending danger. He would see about posting it the muggle way in the morning; Ren might know.
Before getting ready for bed, Harry tossed Dumbledore's letter in the bin and burned it like he had Ron's – best not to leave around such connections to his real name.
All told, it had been a good, though odd, first day.
A/N: Okay, a few more questions are answered in this chapter, other than the, admittedly, rather constant question which is answered at the top.
Please, also, keep in mind that while Hogwarts is a private school, it is run by a group of public officials and partially funded by the wizarding government – at least, it is in my world – while Wand and Dagger is not. Rather, W&D is run and funded by an individual, and is therefore outside of Ministry jurisdiction. So Voldie can hire whoever he wants as his staff. (In case anyone thinks Dumbles is going to get a contingent of Aurors to arrest Rodolphus.)
Of course, not that the Ministry knows where W&D is.
Harry's hair: I was exhausted while writing that part and I'm not sure where it came from. I originally intended for it to just be an excuse, but then they found a spell on his hair for real. I meant it to just be there keeping Harry's hair in place – how else do you explain hair that doesn't grow, except when it's been shaved off? I know, supposedly, Harry's hair grew back all at once because he didn't want to be embarrassed, but still, if the only haircuts he'd ever gotten were from Petunia, once she'd stopped, his hair should have continued to grow naturally. By his sixth year, he would no longer have hair like his father's, since it would have grown out so it wasn't quite so wild. (Goodness knows, I have to keep trimming my own hair because if I don't, by the end of a school year, it's shoulder length, even if it was shaved at the beginning of the year.)
At any rate, Harry's hair wasn't supposed to be anything but black. Even said so in my character profiles.
On the potential pairing, since there were a few reviews about this:
I, as always, am leaning towards Harry/Tom, because that's just the way I am. I don't know that I'd pair Harry with any of the OCs, however, no matter how much you or I might like them. (And, trust me, I like most of my OCs, save Kathy – who is named after a woman I abhor – especially Harry's friends. Fans of Abandon and Reclaim might recognize the two second years Harry's made friends with from their brief appearance in Reclaim when Harry got Luna, Ginny, Hermione and Poppy out of the school.)
Because of the way I've set up the OCs surrounding Harry, however, there's no way he's going to date a girl. So this really and truly will be SLASH.
But any pairings won't be for a while. Let him get settled in and finish meeting his professors, yeah?
Here's hoping I can flesh out the OCs a bit more over the next couple of chapters, without them seeming like Gary-Stus or whatever. *winks*
~Bats ^.^x
P.S. – I read every single review I get, but I don't reply to all of them personally because I'm so busy with school work and writing more chapters for you folks. (Anyway, a lot of your questions were asked by more than one person; it just makes more sense to write up a general response in the next chapter, than to reply to the same question five times.)
Your reviews are read, though. And I love them. Honest. They make me all warm and tingly inside, and spur me to write more. (Well, reviews and my girlfriend/beta.)
1 - The Wolves |||
4 - Socialising ||| 5 - The Patronus ||| 6 - ??
Incomplete
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