Chapter Five

[Koalingo Academy]

Chapter Five

The glowworms gradually lost their intensity and the hall racket fell to a dim rumble of anticipation. Godric knew it was time for the Sorting Sword’s routine and like most everyone else, this was one of his favourite first day traditions. Godric knew that once upon time, or seven years ago to put it more precisely, the house head teachers carried the swords into the Golden Hall. Though now the four founders were all back again the swords merrily dance themselves out of the swording chamber, their gemstone boulders hovering inches from the ground below them. There was also much more magic flying about then their used to be flashes of blue, red, green, purple and gold across the ceiling, the sprinkles of which landed on people whom caught it in piles before it faded away.
They did a lap of the Golden Hall spraying sparkles of gold everywhere until they stopped at the head of the hall, and their blades faced upwards into the air, as a conductor would his baton. The staff all rose from their seats, Godric stood as well along with the rest of the school, it was time to sing the Australian National Anthem;

Australians all let us rejoice
For we are young and free
We've golden soil and wealth for toil,
Our home is girt by sea:
Our land abounds in nature's gifts
Of beauty rich and rare,
In history's page let every stage
Advance Australia fair,
In joyful strains then let us sing
Advance Australia fair.

Beneath our radiant Southern Cross,
We'll toil with hearts and hands,
To make this Commonwealth of ours
Renowned of all the lands,
For those who've come across the seas
We've boundless plains to share,
With courage let us all combine
To advance Australia fair.
In joyful strains then let us sing,
Advance Australia fair.

Godric sung the Australian Anthem as loudly and with as much pride as most everyone else, though out of the corner of his eyes he could see that neither Lucius or Kalika had even stood, they were very conservative to the wizarding world, and the anthem they just sang was the one created by muggles, therefore, Godric knew, Lucius would never respect it.
There was a loud clearing of throat, at which the Ruberagon sword floated forth and waved about for continued attention, it was now the time for the Koalingo Academy song, and to no surprise, Godric now saw Lucius rising from his seat. The Koalingo School song, which Godric knew had been re-written once every ten years by the students of the school in the hope that no one would become bored of it, his father had all of the school songs, which amassed to about twenty, filed in his school office.
As always everyone sang the school song with great gusto while the strident tune of the song played in the background seemingly coming from everywhere though visibly no where. Groups of the Saphricorn’s were standing and moving about bouncing up and down where they sat, others were dancing, Ruberagon’s of course were standing stiffly singing it as if it were a much more serious affair, Dilemma had started break-dancing on the Emerindyl table, much to the pleasure of those around him. Godric tried not to laugh, or worry, it was not against the rules to break-dance during the school song, though something in him told him Dilemma should have treated it with a little more respect, though it looked as if Dilemma was still singing as he bounced around and twisted, though Godric wondered how that was possible when Dilemma was spinning on his head.
He looked across at Elouise as the song went on, she had a sparkle of happiness in her eyes as she sung, it was clear to see she was more then happy to be back, when she saw him looking at her, she winked at him and then sided up to him grabbing his hands and forcing him to dance with her, which he did happily, moreover that he now had an excuse to dance rather then starting up as Dilemma had. The song went on as the final verse started; everyone seemed to realise it was the last verse and linked with whomever they could bouncing about until;

“YEAH YEAH YEAH!!”

The song was over; everyone stopped moving and began to applaud as did the four founders, who all, for once, looked especially happy. Godric glanced the first years that had all looked particularly anxious when they entered, but were all now smiling brightly looking about the hall, the school song was always a great icebreaker.
“And now young witches and wizards, ghosts, creatures, staff, invited guests, and Madame Tweed…” the Emerindyl sword was swaying about pointing at the students, then to the only ghost in the room, Allora Thunder, then to the school librarian Malfurious Than, who looked like some mixture of tall goblin, house elf and human, then to people at the back of the Hall which Godric knew to be the school Governors, whom had recently chose to be present at every formal school feast or assembly, and then to Madame Tweed, who was scowling at it from her far corner of the staff table, “Welcome all of you, except Tweedy… the sorting shall now begin…”
The room fell green and the emerald boulder glowed as the sword flew into the air, the gems encrusted into it’s hilt glowed magnificently illuminating the fine solid gold hilt and white silver blade.

You are the one, who leads the group,
Your heart is strong and sure.
You’re bound to help where there is need,
Until there is need no more.
Discrimination is not the transgression,
For which you are known.
Your passionate heart for bravery,
Is yours and yours alone.
You stand tall in the face of danger,
When your enemy is strong.
You give your heart to everything,
To right what is wrong.
When there are cries for help aloud,
You’re bound to not say no.
You face the danger - flag flying high,
Of the Emerindyl Grindylow.

[/center]

“Wow… what’s it trying to do, scare them into not joining Emerindyl?” Alex spoke looking at Godric with narrowed and almost angry eyes. Godric bore the same look, though his was mixed with utter confusion, he shrugged, “Sounds like it’s recruiting for a war,”
Godric was about to reply with his agreement of what it sounded like but with a loud screech the Emerindyl sword plunged into the Emerald boulder and the Ruberagon sword flew forth, it’s ruby’s shone piercingly red; lighting up it’s own golden hilt and white-silver blade.

You are the house of royalty,
Ruling the world of wizardry,
Your fine blood and aristocracy,
Make you our world’s epitome.

[/center]

Godric looked across at Lucius at this, Lucius was smiling one of the most disgusting smiles Godric had ever seen, Godric knew he was loving every word of the Ruberagon swords description of him and his house group.

Your faith is to the world of sorcery,
To the preservation of our society,
Keeping our ranks muggle blood free,
Ruberagon is your family.

[/center]

Everyone around the hall looked thoroughly disgusted, especially the Emerindyl and Saphricorn’s, whom contained many a half-blooded or muggle-born witch’s and wizards. Godric shared their feeling and glanced to Rea, he knew she was half-blooded, but it never made a difference to him. She of course was not glaring at the sword as everyone else was, but glaring at the Ruberagon table, and Godric was sure; at Lucius; looking as if he was solely to blame for his sword’s words.
The Saphricorn sword was next, floating into the air in front of them after the Ruberagon sword plunged blade first into the ruby boulder. The Sapphire’s in this swords hilt sent a strange glow around the room which was sort of dark and made a lot very hard to see, the rest of the sword was identical to the previous two.

You prefer the simpler things in life,
You embrace what you get.
You care for the living creature,
As your friend. Not your pet.
You wear your heart upon your sleeve,
Putting others before you.
Your friends are many and very close,
Tis they whom help you through.
You would never take life for granted
To you it is a treasure.
In the name of nature you work hard,
Forsaking your own leisure.
You believe it is a gift from heaven,
When the baby creature is born.
Such miracles upon this great earth,
Witnessed in Saphricorn.

[/center]

Seemingly forgetting the anger they had from the Ruberagon song the Saphricorn’s cheered very loudly, Godric glanced up at his parents. The song was typical for Saphricorn; he wondered off-handily how the Emerindyl song ended up being so particular about it’s students having such strong leadership abilities. And how the Ruberagon sword chose to be so controversial, it was not odd for it to tell everyone how fantastic and powerful Ruberagon’s were, but it was odd to directly admit hating half-bloods and muggle-born’s.
The cheering for the Saphricorn song had barely calmed before the sword plunged into the Sapphire boulder and the colour purple had engulfed them all. The gems on the sword gave an odd sort of glaring glow, which made everyone’s white shirts glow an odd hyper-blue;

On the outside you seem to be shy,
And lacking in self-pride.
But what you do not realise is;
The greater you inside.
Your secret love for knowledge,
You fear makes you weak
Is in fact that greatness inside you,
That very strength you seek.
Your incredible will to better yourself
Will see you strive and win.
That will; will reach inside of you
And unlock the you, within
So do not ignore those dreams you have,
For reality can be made.
When your dreams are nurtured,
In the wise house: Ameraid.

[/center]

There was polite clapping at the Ameraid song, no one actually cheered, to tell the truth, and Godric knew it well, apart from the Ameraid students, no one respected Lady Ameraid and treated most Ameraid’s apprehensively. Something had happened in Godric’s first year that had been told and retold every year by the older students to the younger, that Amberly Ameraid and her house group were not to be trusted. Godric held the same sort of beliefs, though he knew the Ameraid’s were very nice people, he was not entirely convinced Lady Ameraid was completely void of dark arts, his mother of course trusted Amberly, but though his father said he did, Godric was sure Elwyn actually trusted her no more then he did.
Nevertheless these words of warning were shared from seniors to juniors every year, Godric’s would be the final grade to leave that witnessed first hand what damage Lady Ameraid had inflicted upon her return. He also had further reason to hold grudge against her for she had had his mother secretly locked away in an amulet for two hundred years with Lord Ruberagon. Also at that time, she had further plans to destroy Godric’s father, and whether or not his mother could forgive Amberly; he would never be able to. He had no mother for the first eleven years of his life and his father had had no wife for more then two hundred years, and not a day passed that he didn’t hate Lady Ameraid for it.
Godric also knew, that with his grade being the last left at Koalingo that had witnessed Lady Ameraid’s attack, which she did working with the Guild of Avada, that his grade would be the only ones able to mend relations between Ameraid and the rest of the school, though he had sworn to himself years ago that he would not, it was, in his mind, a great gift to the rest of the school, to keep them wary of what Ameraid was capable of, especially with Lady Ameraid among them.
The exact reason behind Godric’s father’s reinstating Lady Ameraid in the school was a complete mystery to Godric, he would have thought (as he told his parents many times) that reinstating Amberly in the school was just allowing evil to infect the walls of the school, it wasn’t as if the threat of Tebo’s (which were the nickname for the followers of the Guild of Avada) being in the school already, in Godric’s first year, it was revealed the school was filled with more then fifty Tebo’s, and the threat of that happening again remained.
“Ok now,” the silence of the hall after the Ameraid clapping had died abruptly was broken when Lady Saphricorn cleared her throat for everyone’s attention, “As your names are called, we’d like you to come upon the stage and attempt to draw each of these four swords from their stones, you must try all of them even if you draw one of the first three, there is always the possibility you are suited for more then one house,”
Godric listened to these words with flashes of his own sorting, he had managed to draw out three of the four swords, something that was so highly irregular, that Godric had been the first person to ever do it, and the last. His drawing of the Saphricorn and Emerindyl sword was so blatantly obvious. But his ability to draw the Ruberagon sword was a mystery to him and he’d always been too anxious about the subject to ask why.
“James Henion,” Lady Saphricorn called and a small boy, barely visible over the heads of the people in front of him walked up onto the stage, he seemed to have a rather small build though it did not look any less normal for someone his age, he had dirty-blonde hair seemed to be rather apprehensive about his surroundings, as his eye, as big as they appeared were looking right across the hall as he stepped up to the first sword, Emerindyl.
He seemed almost shy about touching the sword, though with a haughty smile from Lord Emerindyl he moved forward and clasped the handle of the Emerindyl sword, it however did not budge. The boy’s facial expression was unmoving, almost as if he did not expect to withdraw the Emerindyl sword. He then moved onto the Saphricorn sword, and again the sword rejected him. When he approached the Ameraid sword, he seemed to be boosted with energy as he grabbed hold of the sword much quicker then the last two and removed it with such ease that it seemed to be greased. He placed the sword on the staff table in front of Lady Ameraid, whom promptly said, “I think that will do, will it not, it is highly unlikely the boy will withdraw the Ruberagon sword?”
Godric knew there was great reason for Lady Ameraid objection for James to attempt the Ruberagon sword, for though it was obvious for a student to take more then one sword from it’s boulder, it was impossible for one of the two, or three to be the Ameraid sword, for it would never take those accepted by the other swords, no student had ever done it ever, not even Rubeus Ruberagon II whom was the child between Lord Ruberagon and Lady Ameraid.
Lord Emerindyl however thought it was necessary and James walked back and attempted the Ruberagon sword, when it did not happen, Lady Ameraid shot Elwyn a nasty look, which he replied with a simple smile. The Ameraid table clapped politely and James left the stage and walked to the Ameraid table.
“Seth Jackson,” Lady Saphricorn called next, and soon a small boy with blonde hair was walking towards the Ruberagon table, a smirk planted firmly on his face.
“Ally Rainer,” Lady Saphricorn called again and soon Saphricorn had another member.
Godric watched as;
“Sandra Sollow,” became a Saphricorn,
“Luke Thompson,” became an Ameraid,
“Richard Little,” became a Saphricorn,
“Laura Fletcher,” Became a Ruberagon,
“Jason Aldridge,” became an Ameraid,
“Lisa Peters,” became a Ruberagon,
“John Jabal,” became an Ameraid
“Heather Martin” became a Saphricorn
And when “Ryan Collins,” became a Ruberagon, Godric was beginning to worry. Emerindyl had not yet had one student sorted into their house. At the rate they were going, it didn’t look like there would be a class of Emerindyl first years. Te rest of the table seemed to have noticed this as well, even if the other houses had not. The Emerindyl’s were beginning to look at one another absolutely dumfounded as another three Saphricorn’s another four Ameraid’s, and another six Ruberagon’s were called. The Emerindyl sword was simply not budging.
“What’s going on here,” Dilemma mouthed up the table to them, Godric shrug and Elouise looked from Dilemma to Godric with the same confused look, ‘Excuse me Professor!” Dilemma called out loud standing up, cutting in on Stewart Rainbow’s sorting, “But… is it possible that the Emerindyl sword is… er… asleep or something?”
“Perhaps you would like to test it, Mr Pendragon?” Lord Emerindyl gestured to it smiling politely.
“Ok,” Dilemma smiled back at him clambering up and walking up to the stage and grabbing hold of the Emerindyl sword, which came out as easy as the other had before for the others, “Why wont you sort?” he promptly told it off, a little face in the hilt appeared, the mouth bit him on the hand. And with a rude, “Don’t tell me how to do my job!” it ripped itself from Dilemma’s hand and plunged back into the boulder, leaving Dilemma looking really stupid; the Ruberagon’s laughed.
He made his way back to the table holding his hand and looking severely annoyed.
The sorting continued of course as Stewart Rainbow finally became a Saphricorn, Gemma Moon became an Ameraid, and Marcus Bradley became a Ruberagon. The sorting went on for another five minutes leaving the first year section of the Emerindyl table completely empty while the other three were completely full and only a quarter of the original first years, still remained.
“Jack Russel,” Lord Emerindyl was now calling the name, per Dilemma’s request when he accused that the list was bewitched with Lady Saphricorn calling the names out, and that he thought Lord Emerindyl calling them might sway the sword.
A small boy with golden blonde spikes for hair, whom looked the perfect height and build for his age, stepped up onto the stage. He was the only one that looked confident out of all the first years so far. Godric could see something in the boy’s green eyes, which told him the boy was more then happy to be getting sorted. He approached the Emerindyl sword and drew it out as if it were just waiting the entire night for this one boy. The Emerindyl table went up in roars of cheering while the boy took the sword to Lord Emerindyl and laid it in front of him, with his face to the ground, as if he were suddenly hit by fear of looking directly at Lord Emerindyl; whom was smiling with pride. He then walked up to the Saphricorn sword and drew it with ease, and to the chorus of depressed sighs of the Emerindyl’s he drew out the sword and placed it on the table in front of Lady Saphricorn before walking onto the Ameraid sword. Here he stopped hesitating for a moment as if he were the one considering the sword and not the other way around. He then removed the Ameraid sword with just as much ease (Lady Ameraid almost pounced out of her chair) as the previous two, carrying it to Lady Ameraid, whom looked mortified and placed it on the table in front of her.

[Koalingo Academy]

Godric watched with bated breath, he could not believe what he had just witnessed, it had never happened before; the entire hall was frozen with anxiety as Jack walked back to the last sword. Only the Ruberagon sword was left. He was taking deep breaths now before he placed his hand on the ruby encrusted sword and removed it slowly from the stone and placed it in front of Lord Ruberagon.
You could have heard a pin drop, the room was so deathly silent that that the distant sound of the house elves cooking in the kitchen could be heard. Jack walked back to the centre of the stage and looked at the four founders with his hands holding one another behind his back. In ignorant innocence he seemed to be waiting for an answer.
“So… which house do I join?” Jack asked politely as he stood there looking at the four founders, who along with the rest of the school, including the school governors and Hortensia Tweed, had been perfectly silent for what would later be described as hours.
“Um…” Lady Saphricorn muttered seeming to be the only one that could gather herself enough to say anything, even if it wasn’t an entirely answering word.
“Well we have to do it correctly of course,” Lord Emerindyl seemed to break the silence with these words as the entire school started talking in a low rumble that was almost ear splitting against the now-past silence.
“Well yes, of course,” Lady Saphricorn answered back and the school fell quiet again, Jack Russel didn’t seem to think anything of the deathly silence and the thunderous gossip that followed, almost as if he had expected it to be normal.
“With respect,” Jack spoke up and the four founders silent looks fell upon him, “I would like to join the Emerindyl house,”
Lord Ruberagon’s eyes narrowed and then he was the first to speak of the founders, “Well I have no objections, if the boy wishes not to be in Ruberagon then I would hardly keep him against his will, and besides…” Lord Ruberagon cast an almost teasing look over the Emerindyl table, “It appears you will need him,”
“I have no objections,” Lady Saphricorn spoke, though she was not smiling, she was at a complete loss for words.
“Lady Ameraid,” came the voice of Lord Emerindyl as he peered down the table at Lady Ameraid.
She looked up the table at him with disdain, “I would like the child to be in my house group,”
“I would accept either house group,” Jack spoke up, their was a wave of quiet giggles across the hall, the Ameraid’s looked scandalised, Godric smiled, this boy was turning the sorting completely upon the founders, relieving the swords of their purpose.
“You certainly seem sure of yourself that both want you,” Amberly’s eyes turned and landed upon Jack, deep purple and cold though open wide with curiosity almost hungry. Godric could see it from where he was sitting. He stared into her eyes and just as if he were as close as Jack, to Lady Ameraid he could see deep into the violent purple pit of her eyes, with an almost celestial quality about it… sparkling … moving…
‘He… she… he… is… is… she… he… is …born…is… born…’ ‘Hear… me… hear… hear… what… you cant see… cant see… you cant…hear…”
“Who are you?” Godric heard his voice whisper in a low scratch of a whisper.
‘You … are… you…are…you…my…mine…my…my… beloved…’
“Who are you?” Godric spoke again though now more audibly.
‘I… am… yours…yours…your…beloved…’
“BUT WHO ARE YOU!” Godric screamed as the purple-blackness immediately receded and Godric found every eye in the Golden Hall staring at him. Down the table the first year section was now full, it looked as if everyone remaining to be sorted after Jack Russel had been sorted into Emerindyl. Along the table in the very front most seat sat Jack Russel, obviously looking pleased with his position in Emerindyl, though somewhat mixed with shock of Godric’s outburst.
“Her name is Diana Lipman, Godric, I already said that,” Lord Emerindyl’s voice broke the sudden shock as people started whispering things to one another watching Godric as if he were the strangest human being they’d ever met.
“Um…” Godric looked around the hall at the eyes watching him when he caught eyes with a few people they looked away at once, all except Aurora Celeste, whom watched him with a satisfied glee, “Sorry…” Godric mumbled and then realising he was standing, he promptly sat down while Diana Lipman became the final Emerindyl of the year.
“Are you alright, mate?” Alex leant across the table watching Godric anxiously,
Godric felt momentarily as if he’d just woken up, shaking his head to wake himself up properly, “Um… what?”
“It’s been a long day,” Elouise started looking at Godric concernedly and rubbing him consolingly on the shoulder, “After dinner, your going straight to bed,” she told him secretly kissing him on the cheek.
“Congratulations to our first years for this, the new Koalingo School year,” Lord Emerindyl was speaking to the silence of all; Godric was pleased to at last have every eye off him, “By being sorted by the Koalingo Swords, you have been Accepted to Koalingo Academy and shall, hopefully, spend the next seven years of your school life studying within these many halls of learning, but now of course is not the time for that, for we are in the dining hall, and as such, it is only fitting that we now settle down to dinner, tuck in” at once the platters were filled with food.
Godric, like every other student in the second year and above, was not in any way surprised by the sudden appearance of food. Though there was a wave of stunned gasps from the front of the hall were all of the first years were seated. Godric didn’t touch anything to begin with, which was a signal for Elouise to start dishing things up for him. He picked up the golden fork by his plate and stabbed a bit of chicken off its bone and brought it halfway to his mouth when he paused. He could feel something strange; there were eyes upon him. He looked around; the four founders were each eating, talking, and laughing among the rest of the staff so it was not his parents, whom he was sure he had just scared with his outburst. He looked around, something made him think it was Aurora Celeste though when his eyes cast across at the Ameraid table, he saw she was deep in conversation with Allora Thunder, an Ameraid student, whom also happened to be a ghost, and therefore incapable of eating. Now he turned and glanced down the Emerindyl table, he could see no one looking at him, though he could not shake off the feeling that someone was.
The feast seemed to lift everyone’s spirits even more then the sorting; there were constant whoops of laughter down the Emerindyl table throughout much of the remaining time of the feast. Godric discovered towards the end, when people began to filter off, and his view was clearer, that Dilemma had been the origin of all this humour. For the moment he had two chicken drumsticks to his ears and was pulling a facial expression that made him look a lot like Madame Tweed. Godric watched him for a while and though he thought it was very funny he never once smiled. When Dilemma caught Godric watching him, he stopped at once; eating the drumsticks as if he meant to eat them but was yawning and stretching his arms to be near his ear by complete accident.
The entire feast lasted for almost three hours by the time the four founders stood at the staff table, causing the decreasingly noisy house tables to fall silent, at which time the whole school was sent to bed.
It was well past eleven o’clock and the Emerindyl Prefects were all sitting in the lounge of the Emerindyl lake club house having scouting duty to make sure all of the Emerindyl’s had in fact gone to bed as told. This meant that the six of them were constantly breaking off into groups of two to scout around near the junior year cabins. This was not needed however, and Godric was more pleased then any of the others to see that the first years had all gone straight to bed without any fuss. Though he was positive at one point he had seen a face looking out at him from one of the First year cabins, though not wishing to grouch on them on their first day, he winked at them and pretended not to have noticed.
Now the six prefects had returned to the club house and were chatting with the subdued air of someone who had had a big day and was, therefore tired while warming to piping hot mugs of Elouise’s specially made hot chocolate. The only one person that had ever made better hot chocolate was Godric’s mother, and he only ever got that treat during the school holidays. Other times throughout the year he rarely saw his mother, except for their Care of Magical Creatures lessons, which she taught. Godric whom had been feeling very tired of late was almost exhausted as he sat listening to the others talking with next to no interest in their conversation; answering with a robotic “Yes” or “No” whenever he was asked something, and grunting brief agreements to whatever Alex said at intervals during the conversation. He did notice once Aurora Velvetblossom stood, saying something very angrily and disappearing out the door in a flash of light brown hair; Godric only wished he could have gone with her.
At last Elouise got the hint; “Well everyone – I think it’s time that Godric and I were going to bed – we’ll do another round on our way, do another in about twenty minutes then get some sleep yourselves,”
Godric stood so quickly it was no wonder Alex snorted and rolled his eyes at Godric, “Yes widdle Goddick! Get some sweep!”
Rea scowled at him and then looked at Godric concernedly, “You don’t look too well, Godric, are you ok?”
Godric caught her eye and hesitated, went to say something but was cut off by Elouise, “He’s alright,” she said firmly, “He just needs to get some sleep is all,”
“Yeah, just need to get some sleep is all,” Godric nodded though he felt as if his head could have toppled from his shoulders.
“Poor Goddick,” Alex mused with a grin. Godric was too tired to toss him a less then tasteful look.
Godric walked Elouise back to her cabin after dreading every moment of their round. He didn’t really take in anything as he walked, though he was sure he spied the face staring out of the window of the same first year cabin he’d seen before. He wondered how it was possible for the child to have so much energy, not now when he was almost dead on his feet. They arrived at Elouise’s cabin, which was on the opposite side of the lake from his. She kissed him looking somewhat concerned about him, though after assuring her many times that he just needed a good night’s sleep, she finally let him go.
He traipsed slowly around the lake in the light of the crescent moon, which shot a glowing beam of light across the water rippling slowly with the soft wisps of wind. This marked the end of summer and the onset of autumn, which many students were less then pleased with.
Passing the clubhouse he glanced in through the double glass sliding doors where he saw Rea and Alex sitting on the couch. Alex was cuddling a tear streaked Rea whom was crying all over his shoulder, by the looks of things Dilemma had already left for bed. Godric knew he shouldn’t, but he thought secretly to himself that Alex was very foolish to be doing what he was doing. He wondered briefly if Alex thought of what might become of his consoling his ex-girlfriend. He grimaced and shook his head before turning back to see the fourth year cabins, and quickly remembered his tiredness.
He arrived around the end of the lake where the seventh year cabins were huddled together, many of their occupants were still awake. Godric could see lights in each cabin, though the curfew for sixth and seventh years was midnight he didn’t push it too much. He’d not bother telling them to go to bed anyway, he’d learned from his father that seventh years were responsible for themselves by now and if they neglected their sleep it was they who’d suffer. Godric just didn’t like having to tell his friends to go to bed, and his father’s words had given him a reason not to. When he arrived at his cabin his heart jumped into his throat when something stopped up from its perch on his doorstep. He whipped out his wand, ready to curse it when he heard something that stopped him,
“Hey Godric! I’ve been waiting for ages! I need your help,” Aurora Velvetblossom walked towards him, he could not see her eyes on the dark, though her voice sounded distressed enough, “Someone’s locked my cabin door, and I left my wand in their earlier when I got changed, stupid second year I bet, trying to show the first’s how good they are with magic, can you help me?”
Godric shook his head and laughed, it seemed Alex was not the only foolish one this evening. He followed Aurora Velvetblossom to her cabin moving so sluggishly and feeling so tired and drained of all energy; that the very short distance seemed almost like a marathon. When he got to her door he brandished his wand almost carelessly at the door handle and chanted, “Alohomora!” the door swang open, flooding the threshold with the light from the candles inside, hurting Godric’s eyes, nearly knocking him out. Aurora Velvetblossom ducked inside and grabbed her wand quickly before returning.
“Thank you so much,” Aurora Velvetblossom ducked back out and kissed him on the cheek. Godric saw now, the colour of her eyes, it was blue she as sad about something, though at that moment he was so tired that he thought if he did ask what was upsetting her (besides the fact that she’d been locked out of her cabin, which was now no longer a problem), then he would probably end up insulting her with his inattentiveness to listening to her.
“Well, I’m going to go to bed…” he spoke trying not to sound too guilty about retreating, suppressing a yawn.
“You sure? I can… put the kettle on or something?” she paused when Godric stepped back into the light, “Wow, maybe not, Rick, you need some sleep, see you in the morning, ok?”
“Yeah ok,” Godric answered no longer able to suppress his yawning, his head was thumping with weariness, “First year initiations,” he turned on his heel and walked wearily back to his own cabin, happy to see no one else at his doorstep; he pushed it wide, barely managing to push it shut before collapsing onto the comfy couch in front of his currently dormant fireplace.
*
The next morning was the first year initiations, which was a day of activities where the prefects would do different things with the first years to introduce them to the manor, it’s secrets with which they were permitted to share, as well as introductions to their Professors.
Godric entered the Golden Hall for breakfast feeling vastly better then the previous night, he had somehow managed to make it to his bed during his sleep, for that was where he woke up that morning; wrapped tightly in his blankets. His appetite also seemed to return with his newborn energizing as he helped himself to half a dozen sausages, three eggs and four slices of toast; sitting down in the loud rumble of voices greeting one another as brightly as the night before. He’d spent most of breakfast catching up with people that he hadn’t managed to, the previous night, which seemed to be the popular thing for everyone that morning. The other Emerindyl prefects joined him for their breakfast, at once the conversation turned to the first year initiations and what each of them would be doing.
“Your mum told me they’re having a meeting this morning with all their teachers so we wont have to do it later when they’re teaching, special request from Tweedy,” Aurora Velvetblossom said with a grimace and a little annoyance in her voice, “But we still need to show them around the school to find the classrooms, but we’re not allowed in,” She then took a spoonful of her breakfast of muesli and orange juice, before concluding “But I am NOT taking them to see the library – Professor Vade went mental when she arrived this morning and Lord Ruberagon told her he was taking Defence Against Dark Arts this year, demoted her to librarian; she looked ready to curse him,”
“How did you see this?” Dilemma asked looking across to Aurora Velvetblossom seemingly disappointed in missing quite a treat.
“Not all of us sleep in until ten o’clock you know, it may be school policy, but I like starting early,” she looked at him with a sweet smile.
“So old Vade’s the librarian now…” Dilemma smiled, Godric could see something churning in the depths of Dilemma’s mind, and hoped silently that he did not do anything stupid.
“I’ll do it Period three,” Godric muttered bravely though he knew that somehow he was walking into a bear trap, Professor Vade would no doubt find some way to blame it all on him, she was good at forgetting the difference between Godric and his father.
“I’ll help you!” Dilemma almost pounced over the table, “I have transfiguration then anyway, and Professor Pentaliamon is a jerk to me, I don’t know why… it wasn’t my fault he ended up with wings instead of arms, I told him to get out of the way,”
Godric remembered this incident quite well, Dilemma was in his grade at the time and they were learning to turn inanimate objects into animals. Professor Pentaliamon got in the way of Dilemma and a chair, and ended up with wings for two weeks before Dilemma had mastered the anti-jinx, being the only one able to undo it, for he used a spell he refused to tell anyone.
“You’re not supposed to be doing it just to get out of class!” Elouise snapped across the table at Dilemma from her seat next to Godric. She had hated Dilemma ever since he lift, for a reason she never shared with Godric, though this morning she appeared to be especially mad at him, “I’ll go to the library with Godric, you will go to Transfiguration, you can help Alex with the barrier-breaking games period two,”
“What? No way! I’ve got free time during period two!” Dilemma protested looking thoroughly disgruntled, Elouise merely smiled, seemingly pleased with that reaction. “And besides, those games are so childish, much better handled by the mother of Emerindyl House,”
Elouise glared without speaking a word.
“Exactly!” Alex chimed with a huge grin firm across his bright face, “That’s what makes them so darn fun to play,”
“You are really immature for a fifth year prefect, you know” Lucy spoke for the first time that morning looking at him with a disgusted expression written plainly across her face.
“Thank you for volunteering Cortez,” Alex cheered looking across at Lucy, still with a grin to hide the fact that she’d just insulted him and he was about to get her back, “We needed someone to play the Tebo,”
Lucy promptly dropped her glass of orange juice which fell to the table and smashed, thankfully it was empty, “Wha… what? What do you mean play the Tebo?” she looked at him flabbergasted. Lucy came from a pureblood family of wizards, that is to say, both her parents were witch and wizard, though Godric didn’t know, nor care of their magical lineage before that. Though this did mean that Lucy had been brought up on horrible stories of Tebo’s, and Alex no doubt expected her reaction.
“Yeah, for a game of ‘Curse the Tebo off the roof’,” Alex continued to smile though Godric shook his head warningly at Alex.
“Lucy, you can stay back period three to help prepare for the barbeque lunch, the founders want it completely student driven, as the house elves will still be preparing lunch for the rest of the school in the Golden Hall,” Godric told her adding, “And you’ll probably have to stay back period four to help them clean up,”
“Very well,” was her simple reply to this, “If I must,”
Dilemma also seemed to have noticed this, “Hey wait a minute! Then she gets out of Pentaliamon’s idiocy and she gets fourth period off, that’s not fair,”
“Yeah, but I happen to like Professor Pentaliamon, so it’s not exactly a treat,” Lucy looked at him as though he were a greedy fool.
“We all get period one off for this meeting this morning, so don’t be too worried, Dilemma, you still have half the day off,” Aurora Velvetblossom told him in a hope to make up for it.
However it did not quite have the reaction she had hoped, “So she gets three classes off today, while I still have to endure Professor Pentaliamon’s constant nagging ‘You sure your aiming right Mr Pendragon,’ ‘You sure you don’t want to move a little closer to your target?’ It’s hell!”
“He never says those things to you,” Lucy looked at him still with a gaze of dislike.
“Well no, he doesn’t say it, but I can tell he thinks it,” Dilemma nodded knowingly.
“Dilemma, be happy you have any periods off at all,” Elouise started again, and Godric had the briefest of wishes that someone would stick a roll into her mouth to stop her talking, though he promptly told himself off mentally for thinking it, “Your lucky your even a prefect, what we do is a privilege, not a right of which you can access when it suits you,”
Dilemma glared back at her violently, “Oh, and I suppose you have every period off like your boyfriend!”
Godric looked at him at this, he could tell this was as much a go at him as it was at Elouise, either way it was insulting.
“No, as a matter of fact, I’m in class all day except period one and three, I have just as many classes as you do, so stop being so childish,”
Dilemma continued to glare at her angrily though he seemed to realise he had been defeated and backed down appropriately, though this appeared to be just in time.
“Good morning, Emerindyl Prefects,” Madam Tweed had reached their table she was smiling triumphantly, Godric dreaded to think what she had just done that warranted such a smile, she coughed when none of them answered her, and at once the chimed, “Good morning Madame Tweed, though separately and not in unison. She twitched but apart from that she seemed too happy to be bothered, “I trust you are all prepared for the initiations today? It shall certainly be a task,”
“Well, we’ve done it before, it’s a synch,” Alex told her and her eyes darted to hi where they locked, it was as if Alex had just asked her to pounce on him.
“Well Mr Zander, then you will not mind if I bring the school governors to watch how you handle yourself today, you’ll be doing the friendship-building activities if I heard right?” She smiled triumphantly; Godric wondered if she had been trailing all of the prefects this morning and singled out one from every house hence making her so pleased with herself.
“That’s correct,” Alex spoke, his voice slightly less proud then before, it seemed he too, was as unnerved as Godric that she had been listening to their entire conversation from the time it began. Aurora went especially red in the face, after all, she had called Madame Tweed, Tweedy, which was one of the students favourite insults for her, though she had always seemed to like it.
“Good, see you at eleven-thirty, and put on a good show would you, we don’t want the school governors thinking Emerindyl house has incompetent prefects,” she continued to smile before she turned on her stiff heels and walked off out of the Golden Hall.
They all stayed quiet for a time looking at one another possibly all fearing she was still listening to them, and when at last someone spoke, it was completely off-topic and not about Madame Tweed, “Darn it, I’m late!” Elouise jumped up.
“Late for what?” Godric asked looking at her with all the other Prefects, “It’s only just nine o’clock, there’s no classes for another hour,”
“No I’m… never mind, I’m late, bye,” She called to them and disappeared in a flash of blonde curls, this was great as it now gave them another topic for conversation until they could be sure Madame Tweed was not lurking nearby.
“Your brave mate, I’ll give you that,” Dilemma held his glass full of pineapple juice in the air to Godric.