Teen Wolf at Hogwarts

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***

Scott nervously tapping on his desk had been Allison's nightmare until a week ago. After Tyler had officially announced the date of sectionals, McCall hadn't been himself. Always distracted, uncoordinated, sleepy. Sometimes Argent wondered if her friend even slept at all.

- I won't make it. I'll fall. I'll get swept away. Ty won't pick me up. Stiles will hate me and send me to Africa. I'm useless at Quidditch. I can't do it,' Scott gibbered over his breakfast, nervously rubbing the collar of his sports coat.

- Fifth time this morning? That's not bad. You said that fourteen times yesterday. It's getting better and better every day,' Lehi, who was also in his gym clothes, patted his friend on the shoulder approvingly.

- Isaac,' Allison looked at him reproachfully, "Scott, you'll do fine and no one's going to send you to Africa," the girl squeezed the Gryffindor's palm on the table. Malia gave her friend a thumbs up for support.

- Allison, sectionals are today,' Scott said with terror in his eyes, 'I'm not going to make it. Ty will be disappointed in me and send some bludgers. Peter will send Dumbledore a letter saying I'm useless and I'll be expelled from Hogwarts. I'll be left without an education. I won't be accepted into the Darkaborne Academy. I will never get a job. No girl will ever look at me. I'll never start a family. I won't even get a job as a forest ranger, because I haven't even made it to third year,' Scott was already starting to sway from side to side, signalling either a nervous breakdown or an impending speech about how he'd been whining like a girl, he'd do fine, and he was worrying for nothing. Allison looked at her friend, assessed the likelihood of each option and, concluding that the former was more likely than the latter, stood up confidently from the table, lifting Scott up as well.

- Stop whining,' she said reproachfully, 'Get up. You're going to make it. Stiles wrote you that he believes in you. No one's sending you to Africa, okay? - The girl frowned and shook her friend by the shoulders, -You're going to get through this, do you understand me? Tyler already believes in you, so get your will together and let's go,' Allison handed Scott his Lightning, which had been leaning against the wall a moment ago, and turned her friend around a hundred and eighty degrees, pushing him in the back and heading for the exit from the hall.

- Do you want me to back you up like that? - Malia asked, looking at Isaac, who was swallowing hard.

- I'll do it myself, thank you,' the boy stood up from the table and ran out of the hall, picking up his Nimbus to prove his point.

The weather was beautiful: the sun was shining and a warm breeze was blowing. By the time Allison reached the stadium and sent a weakly fluttering Scott to Tyler's locker room, the stands were half full. There were Gryffindors, clawbacks, Puffenduys, and professors alike. Madam Trick and Pomfrey stood in the centre of the pitch, as always.

- 'Security is top notch,' Malia snorted after a few minutes, taking a seat next to her friend.

Tyler and Peter announced the vacancies first. The team needed both corralers and two hunters.

- There's not a lot of room, which means there's a lot of competition. No one is to be maimed. The punishment will be a ban from Quidditch for the rest of your lives,' Tyler announced to Peter's laughter.

Then, pushing the newcomers away, the boys themselves demonstrated a few twists and turns to prove their right to be on the team. And they proved it, honestly. Then Tyler divided the tryouts into groups and asked Peter to see if there were any first-years in any of them. Naturally, Gryffindor wouldn't be Gryffindor without first years coming to tryouts. Mason and Liam, blushing embarrassingly, ran off the pitch and sat down on the bleachers, muttering something about universal injustice. Hayden snorted contemptuously and rolled her eyes, eerily reminiscent of Allison and Lydia from a year ago.

Tyler then simply asked each group to fly two laps over the field. As expected, a third of the students failed. Satisfied with his chosen tactic, Tyler asked everyone to line up. Then, after dividing the Gryffindors into groups according to the position they wanted, he chased Madam Trick and Pomfrey off the field, saying he didn't need them.

The first to try out were the Riddlers. Peter acted as the target, which, naturally, half of the applicants for the position didn't even hit. After an hour of screaming, laughing and suffering, fifth year students Lenard Marshall and Wilfred Logan were chosen to take the place of the Corralers.

Next, Tyler decided to take something of a short break and look at the skills of the people already on the team from last year. Brooke, Peter, and seventh-year Laura Hampton took the field, tossing the quaffle to each other. After thinking for a second, Tyler called out to the newly minted corralers as well.

- So much for your first experience,' the boy smiled at the embarrassed Gryffindors, 'Would anyone care to go out as two hunters? It won't affect my future choices, just a simple warm-up,' the captain turned to the group of non-hunters sitting on the grass.

Scott looked uncertainly at Allison and saw her nodding at him at a speed that made her look like her head was going to fall off. Malia, thumbs up again, winked at him. Exhaling through his teeth, the boy patted Isaac's shoulder and got to his feet, raising his hand.

- If you'll excuse us,' Picking up a broom from the grass, the boy looked over his shoulder to make sure Leihi was following him.

- I'm glad it's you,' Tyler whispered in his ear before striding into the centre of the field, 'Madam Trick, can you give me a hand? - The boy turned to the woman standing nearby.

- Brooke, this is what I'm supposed to be doing,' the woman said reproachfully. Making an angelic face, Tyler stepped into the circle, standing next to Peter. - They all put their feet on the brooms in sync.

- Well, Pete, aren't you going to fall to the ground after this break? - Tyler said with a smile.

- Captain, you're getting a little cocky,' Peter grinned back, 'Aren't you afraid that someone like the goalie will accidentally, unintentionally, send a quaffle right through your head?

- If that goalie still wants to live, he won't.

There was a deafening whistle, and the seven men soared into the air. Peter immediately headed for the rings, and Tyler, grabbing his quaffle in a flash, rushed to follow. Laura soared higher than anyone else in an attempt to catch a glimpse of the snitch, and Lenard and Wilfred, gripping their bats tighter, flew after the bludger that was already hurtling toward the bleachers.

- I think we should start playing,' Isaac scratched the back of his head.

- Yeah, I think so, too,' Scott nodded. The two Gryffindors rushed off in the direction of the rings.

Peter had already fought off three of Tyler's throws, and it was obvious that one-on-one was going to take a long time. The captain needed help and McCall was ready to give it.

- Ty! - exclaimed the boy, flying over the boy. To McCall's own surprise, Tyler, for some reason unafraid, just blindly threw the ball up, and Scott realised that there was no way he could fail now.

Grabbing the quaffle, the boy flew towards the rings. When he and Peter were separated by a measly five or six metres, the boy took a sharp right and threw the ball to Isaac, who appeared out of nowhere. Lehi, in the blink of an eye, was right in front of the goal and threw the ball into the ring, raising his fist victoriously. As it flew past Scott, the boy high-fived his friend, proudly raising his head. From the looks on Peter and Tyler's faces, the sixth years were really impressed with the sophomore's play. And, to be honest, Scott was beginning to have doubts about Tyler's promise not to consider the game afterwards.

They played for another ten minutes until Laura caught the snitch. Scott and Isaac scored a total of five goals, Tyler three. Peter, also pleased with his work, patted Scott on the shoulder with the broadest of smiles.

- Now you're in for a surprise, darlings,' he leaned over to Leahy and McCall and, satisfied with their reaction, strode forward and stood shoulder to shoulder with Tyler.

- Thank you all for coming,' the Captain turned to face the stands, 'That's all for today. The Gryffindor Quidditch team is standing before you right now. And I vouch for every member of it. Thank you, everyone, you're dismissed. Congratulations later, please. There's something we need to talk about first,' Tyler laughed, looking at the dumbfounded faces of Isaac and Scott.

- Captain! But you said it wouldn't have any effect! - exclaimed third-year Cormac Drew.

- When I asked who wanted to try out, only these two raised their hands,' Tyler nodded at Isaac and Scott, 'I don't need players like that on the team. If you're going to sit out when you have a chance to prove yourself, I don't want you here. Thanks for coming, even though it was a waste. See you next year.

- I can't believe it,' Scott said.

- I don't believe it,' Peter chuckled.

- Guys, listen, please,' Tyler called out to the Gryffindors with a wave of his hand, 'Give me your timetable. I'll try to fit it together and schedule the first training session. We'll discuss the schedule afterwards. Can you make it by tomorrow?

- Of course, - the six men said synchronously.

- Good, - smiled the guy, - Congratulations, now you have joined our friendly family. If you have any questions, please contact me, Pete or Laura. Preferably me, of course. Those two are just for emergencies,' Tyler grinned.

- Friendly family, yeah,' Laura rolled her eyes.

- Quiet,' Peter rolled his eyes, 'Thank you all, you're free until tomorrow. We'll have a small meeting tonight and schedule the first training session.

- Pete, I already said that,' Tyler sighed.

- You didn't say anything about a meeting,' he said, shoving his friend in the shoulder.

- Congratulations! - suddenly someone hugged Scott from behind, squeezing him eerily tight,' I knew you could do it. I knew it!

- Thank you,' Scott smiled embarrassedly as he watched an already blushing Isaac try to pull Malia off him.

- Do you guys have a celebration? - Matt asked Laura.

- We're supposed to celebrate victories,' she winked at him and headed for the locker rooms.

- Well, then, we have to win. I want to try a cream beer,' the boy sighed dreamily.

- Merlin,' Allison laughed. Scott and Isaac hugged and headed towards the changing rooms following the seventh year girl, still not fully believing in their happiness.

***

- Where do you guys go around here? - Sonia asked, hanging her head from the sofa by the fireplace. The Gryffindors had taken to it on their first day in Beauxbaton, and now they spent all their free time on it.

- I don't know what to suggest,' Reno scratched the back of his head in confusion. Instead of his usual Beauxbaton uniform, he was wearing tight light jeans and a black T-shirt with the logo of some Muggle band that even Lydia had trouble pronouncing the name of. The nearest village is about fifteen kilometres away on foot.

- And where do you go on weekends? - Stiles asked with horror in his eyes.

- We sit in the castle,' he shrugged, 'Mostly we just sit in the living room or go to the library. The second one isn't about me, of course.

- Is that what you and Stef do? - Stiles glanced at the boy.

- Stef and I usually hang around the neighbourhood or get Shanti and Loi. Sometimes both.

- I don't even like not having classes on Saturday anymore,' Allan frowned, 'It's too boring.

- Well, what would you do if you were in your own place? - Renault asked.

- I'd go to the lake,' Allan shrugged.

- Quidditch,' Evan answered.

- Steal food from the kitchen,' Magnus sighed.

- I could draw,' Lydia suggested.

- I'd go to sectionals,' Stiles sighed heavily.

- Yeah, me too,' Sonia nodded, 'And then I'd go with Ty to Hogsmeade for cream.

- Okay, let's say you've got a lot of classes there,' Reno gave in, throwing up his hands in a defensive gesture, 'But we don't have a crypt here either.

- Do you have a suggestion? - Sonia raised her eyebrows.

- Yes,' the boy nodded, 'But you have to tell me right away that you're not afraid of punishment. I'm not sure you can get away with this if we get caught.

- Wow,' Allan rounded his eyes.

- Sounds cool,' Evan smiled.

- Believe me, Gryffindors will never be stopped by the usual punishment. Not us,' the blonde waved her hand, 'Show me what you've got in mind.

It turned out that not all the corridors in Beauxbaton were clean and white. Ten minutes into their journey, Reno nodded at the knight's armour that stood against the wall in the hallway on the third floor. Sonia, instantly realising everything, pushed them aside, slipping into the niche that opened up.

- How did you guess? - Reno marvelled.

- We have plenty of those things at Hogwarts,' Sonia said with a wave of her hand. After waiting for all the Gryffindors to get into the alcove, the girl put her armour back on and grumbled, 'Come on, Mr. Guide, turn on the lights, it's pitch black.

- As if you weren't a wizard yourself,' Reno snorted, waving his wand, which immediately lit up the narrow corridor.

- Where are we going? - Lydia asked, squeezing Stiles' palm habitually.

- You'll see,' the Charmbatonian smiled.

Soon the tiled corridor turned into a kind of stony tunnel with steep descents and equally steep, sharp ascents. Ten minutes later, Lydia couldn't have been sure whether her ankle was sprained or broken. She also feared for the safety of Stiles's hand, which she was clutching almost to the bone, apologising and loosening her grip. But five seconds later she was clutching it again, slipping on some rock.

- Look, if you're going to help your school and eliminate the competition in the Tournament, then Marcia's not here, and you're wasting your time,' Stiles hissed, hissing heavily, his free hand grasping every rock in the wall to give Lydia a chance to stand on her feet.

- Be patient, it's not much longer,' Reno grinned. Judging by his smile and his steady breathing, the boy had long since adapted to such walks. Which could not be said of Sonia. The girl hissed irritably, stopping every five seconds to catch her breath and gather her hair.

- Merlin,' the girl exhaled, 'If you're not taking us to Netland, you'd better disappear right now.

- Believe me, this place is even cooler than Netland,' the Sharmbatonian smiled, 'But I can be your Peter Pan if you want.

- Only if you're not afraid of my Captain Hook coming after you,' the blonde grinned.

The Gryffindors, led by Reno into an unknown hole, shuffled through the creepy, stony tunnel for another five minutes. When Sonia, who was walking right behind the Sharmbaton, cried out in relief, Lydia felt as if a weight of five tonnes was being lifted off her shoulders. The tunnel exit was curtained off by some tattered banner, from behind which the sunlight still shone through.

- You're taking us outside too,' Sonia sighed.

- Be patient a little longer,' Reno smiled.

When they reached the banner, the boy extinguished the light at the end of his wand, which had been illuminating the path for the boys all this time. The tunnel was immediately plunged into darkness, through which only Reno's face could be seen.

- Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to my little world,' the brunet pushed the banner aside and let Sonia pass, winking at Lydia who followed. Frowning, Martin ducked, stepping over the last rock in her path and a loud gasp.

They found themselves on a hill of some sort, covered in lush bright green grass and flowers. At the foot of the hill, a brook was babbling, and a winged horse was grazing at the foot of it. For several kilometres ahead there was nothing to be seen but the same hills and meadows covered with the same lush grass. In the distance, at the edge of the forest, we could see the roofs of small cosy houses.

- We've almost reached that village,' Sonia said absently.

Lydia looked back at the tunnel and noticed that the entrance to it really looked like a small cave, the entrance to which was covered by the banner of Livenus. Taking her friend by the hand, Stiles followed Reno to the stream. Just as Lydia jumped over the uneven stretch of water, someone behind them laughed, making Stiles' skin goosebumps. Turning around abruptly and standing ahead of the redhead, the boy exhaled in relief, dropping his head onto his chest.

- I thought I wasn't going to see you today,' Stefan complained, slumped at the foot of the hill.

- So this is who we've been waiting for,' Will laughed, lying next to him, "Hi," the boy waved at Stiles and Lydia.

- You went off somewhere and didn't call us? - Stilinski looked genuinely offended.

- I didn't let him warn you,' Stefan smiled, getting to his feet and gracefully jumping over the stream, 'Scheme one or scheme two? - The blond turned to his best friend, patting him on the back.

- The second, I think so. We can go back to the first one later,' Reno shrugged, waiting until all the Gryffindors were on the other side of the stream.

- What are you going to do with us? - Stiles asked apprehensively.

- If you've got the strength to go, this is the second scheme. As you've already realised, if we use it, we have to go. If it's the first scheme, we don't have to go. Makes sense, doesn't it?

- Depends on where we go,' Sonia had finally tidied up her hair and now looked a lot less annoyed.

- Believe me, if you still have strength left, it will be worth it,' Stefan winked at her.

- Stef, don't flirt, she already has her own Captain Hook,' Reno shoved his friend in the shoulder.

- Whatever you say, Tinkerbell,' the blond man chuckled.

- Merlin Almighty, get me out of here,' Sonia whimpered to the laughter of the Gryffindors and Will.

The boys led the boys straight to the forest where the cottages were located. It was more than pleasant to walk through the sun-drenched meadows. Reno and Steph, having played, picked a bunch of flowers, and for the next five minutes the boys decided what to do with them. Then Will, snorting, took some of the flowers from them and, whispering something in Stiles's ear, began to do something with them. After a few more minutes, Stilinski presented Lydia with a slightly gnarled but beautiful wreath.

- It looks good on you,' Stiles smiled, adjusting the strands that had fallen out of her once sturdy braid.

- Yeah, I see,' Stefan nodded, and took the flowers from Reno and began to weave. The Charmbaton wreath was even more jagged, but the blue flowers that matched Sonia's eyes saved the day.

They walked for another fifteen minutes, and Sophie, nestled in the pocket of Stiles's sweatshirt, began to whimper with boredom. Tim shoved her out of his pocket (Lydia raised her eyebrows in amazement, not expecting such rudeness) and ran towards the village on his own. Naturally, the insulted Sophie rushed after him. At first, of course, it was meant as a chase after the offender, but soon the little girl forgot about it and the crypters began to play catch-up. They were already old enough to be visible in the grass. By the way, after two minutes, five more Krypters joined the two little ones, and Jack, Tim and Sophie naturally took it upon themselves to lead everyone. But soon Kim, Sonia's Krypter, ran forward and, snorting, dispersed everyone, sending them back to their hosts.

- Dumbledore wasn't lying when he said soul reflection,' Allan grinned.

It took Lydia another ten minutes to make out the sign that said the name of the village. A few dozen metres from the entrance to the village she could hear children's shouts of joy, adult laughter, some singing and the clatter of dishes. The first building on the main street was a cosy café, which Stefan and Reno didn't even look at. Under the surprised looks of the Hogwarts people, the boys led the boys further up the main street. When Sonja started to shout at the Sharmbatonians for leading them for five minutes into some obscure universe hole, the boys stopped, nodding their heads at a pub whose name was scrawled on a board above the door.

- Welcome,' Renault obligingly held the door for Lydia and Sonia and slipped in after them, almost causing Stephan's face to meet the not-so-clean glass of the door, 'You English are spoilt, of course, but even you should like this place.

- And you French are simpletons,' Sonia rolled her eyes.

- Renault! Steph! Guys! Haven't seen you in ages. Where have you been for a fortnight? - The boys looked up to see the owner of the pub grinning ear to ear. The man spoke with such an accent that Lydia could barely make out what he said.

- Come on, Don, if you're speaking English all of a sudden, you know what you're talking about,' Reno smiled.

- I only heard what you said about the English,' the man smiled good-naturedly. The next moment he turned his gaze to Sonia and respectfully lifted an imaginary hat, 'My respects. My name is Donovan, and today I'm all yours.

- Don, learn some English before you say anything, okay? - Stefan grumbled.

- Oh, my dear Stefan, I said exactly what I said,' the man smiled.

- Okay, that's clear,' Reno laughed, 'We'll go to our place. When we're ready to order something, I'll shout.

The boy led the seven Gryffindors and the Slytherin to the furthest table by the surprisingly clean window. As Lydia had expected, the menu at the pub was more than modest. But there were as many beers as if Donovan had fifteen barrels in his backyard. Then Renault, grinning at the girl's attempts to see anything worth seeing, slid the redhead a second menu. Raising her eyebrows, Martin tried to figure out what the double menu system was for. And, naturally, she soon figured it out.

The first menu was preferably Muggle. As Martin soon learnt from Stefan, this village was only half magical. For example, that café the redhead had spotted at the very beginning of the main street was Muggle owned. Donovan ran his pub like his Muggle counterparts, the only difference being that he had an assortment of bouncing enchanted pig heads. Donovan had a wife and a young daughter, who Stephan said was probably running around somewhere with the muggles. The pub's frequent guests were already used to having to 'code' and they naturally had no problems with the double menu. There were several such establishments in the village: Donovan's pub, the Owl Post Office, an alchemy shop, and a magical supermarket where you could buy quills, ink, parchment, and other absolutely ordinary things that Muggles would be misunderstood for. The villagers, naturally, were not aware of any such magical neighbourhood.

- Half of this village are wizards. You can recognise them by the awkwardness they have when they put on Muggle clothes, wands sticking out of their pockets, and so on. Muggles don't pay any attention to such nonsense,' Stefan said, flicking through the menu.

- Merlin, there's fried chicken,' Stiles moaned, squinting in pleasure. It seemed that in a few seconds the boy's drool would be all over the table.

Lydia ordered the usual pancakes with honey (the Gryffindors never made it to breakfast) and fizzy peach juice, which was horrible in England and delicious in France. Stiles had been refrained from ordering the entire menu by Reno, to whom all seven other Hogwarts students were now grateful. The boy took, as everyone had realised by now, fried chicken, some sort of salad and two bottles of creamy beer.

- Are you sure it's good here? - Will raised his eyebrows, having just ordered a simple mash and a tongue-binding lemon squash.

- Time to check it out,' Stiles replied cheerfully.

As Lydia and Will had expected, Stiles was so full from his chicken that he could barely speak. Martin and Wright, on the other hand, laughed and took to their friend's creamy beer.

- It's not as good as Three Broomsticks, but it's not bad,' Will nodded, sitting on the couch between Stefan and Lydia.

- I'm going to step back and give you some good ones... - Stiles hiccupped and covered his mouth with his hand before he could finish.

- Yeah, sure you will,' Will said, taking another sip.

For two hours the boys just listened to Stephan and Renaud talk about the magical side of France, Beauxbaton, the village and everything else. Lydia had learnt that the International Bureau of Magical Legislation of the French Ministry of Magic was taking the issue of the disappearance of some animals, the name of which Stiles couldn't even pronounce, much more seriously, and was extremely indignant about it. In the end, it turned out that Stefan was also concerned about it. The two of them began to talk, at first in simple language. Then, realising that they had found a worthy interlocutor, they switched to much more complicated words, the meaning of which even Reno and Sonja did not know. The rest of the guys waved goodbye to the couple and decided to continue talking about much 'less important things,' as Stefan said a few minutes later.

When the hands of the clock showed half past two, Sonja got excited. Reno and Stef's attitude scared her - the guys hadn't even moved when she'd told them lunch was coming, just nodded at her menu and continued their discussion about some Quidditch team the blonde hadn't even heard of before. Glancing at Lydia, Sonia realised that she too was worried about their whereabouts at this hour. If Dumbledore saw the one and only Marzia sitting at Leavenworth's table, who wasn't actually sitting there, he would be worried. Though, he should realise that Gryffindors wouldn't just sit around the castle on their day off. But, since they'd skipped breakfast, it stood to reason that they should show up for lunch, if only out of respect. Or common sense. Dumbledore would know what was going on, of course, but Sonia couldn't vouch for his reaction. It was clear that the blonde would have to take the punishment, but she didn't care. It would lose her trust in absolutely all Gryffindors, and Sonya didn't want that. Finally gathering her thoughts, the girl began to shake Reno by the shoulder.

- Reno, we have to go back to the castle,' the blonde said firmly.

- For what? - The brunet raised his eyebrows. With a wary glance at the girl's hand still clinging to the Charmbatonian's shoulder, the boy put aside the bottle of currant rum just in case.

- If we're not seen at lunch, it'll be suspicious. Then Derek will realise Stefan and Will are missing. And then we'll be in trouble,' the blonde stood up, about to leave the table, but Reno sat her back down, holding her by the waist just in case.

- Calm down, everything is under control,' the brunet smiled.

- Shanti is from my department, she's watching Derek and the others today. And Loi, as always, is on cover. We've worked out this scheme down to the last detail,' Stefan reassured her.

- And how did you persuade Chantelle to fulfil your duties this time? - Reno asked, picking up the bottle of rum again and putting his feet on the bar under the table.

- It's my natural charm and beauty,' Stefan pulled on a dark T-shirt to the laughter of the others.

***

There was almost no one in the library. Only upperclassmen wandered in every few hours, either to drop off a book or to pick up their fellow students for something much more important. Malia and Theo had grown accustomed to the pattern of their meetings over the two weeks. They would just randomly come to the library and more often than not the second one would already be in the library. Otherwise, the one who had come earlier would simply sit down and either start work or wait for his opponent. Malia, returning from the Quidditch pitch, didn't even go into the living room, heading straight for the library and promising Scott that she would definitely come and celebrate the boys' triumph with everyone. When she entered the library and reached their usual table in the far corner of the reading room, she couldn't hold back a sigh of delight.

Theo had his head dropped on the table and was sniffling sweetly, moving almost completely out of his chair. Judging by the books and scribbled parchment scrolls surrounding the boy, he had decided to start today without Malia, but apparently he wasn't going to last long. Smiling, the Gryffindor picked up the first scroll she could find and raised her eyebrows in surprise.

- Werewolf Code of Conduct? Not bad,' the girl pursed her lips, 'But the worst symptoms can be greatly alleviated by consuming Aconite Potion, which allows a werewolf to retain their human mind during the transformation process. Properly made, it emits a pale blue smoke,' the girl read, 'Someone did a good job while I was away, didn't they? - The Gryffindor lowered herself into the chair opposite the Slytherin with a smile.

Leaving her bag on it, Malia gently touched Theo's shoulder, who only responded to the touch with a disgruntled grunt and squirm. Naturally, this caused the boy to slide off the chair completely. Collapsing to the floor, the Slytherin opened his eyes, aghast. Theo jumped to his feet and looked around, looking at the pile of books and parchments and Malia's barely contained smile.

- What were you doing last night? - Tate asked, setting her own books and writing implements on the table.

- I just had something come up,' the boy replied. Still a little sleepy, he sat back in his chair, trying to find a particular parchment in the pile of paper, 'I've been sketching something about that guy I told you about a few days ago. And there's a theory about aconite. Where is it? - The Slytherin exhaled through gritted teeth.

- 'Theo, is it something serious? - Malia asked, frowning worriedly. Sighing, Theo shifted his tired gaze to the girl.

- It's fine,' Theo tried to fake a semblance of a smile. He failed. Sighing, the boy turned his gaze back to the parchment, 'Get out your quills, I found a bunch of books, I have a lot to write down today.

Sighing, Malia obeyed, pressing her lips together sympathetically. If Theo doesn't want her to know, then she won't impose. And why would he want to? It's not like they're even friends. Sighing again, Tate began rewriting the paragraph about weak lycanthropy.

***

It was nearly four o'clock, and Reno and Stefan weren't even going to leave. The boys were now discussing Quidditch, and naturally the only person not participating in the conversation was Lydia. Of all the people sitting at the table, the redhead was the only person who was far away from Quidditch, as the only women of the weaker sex were Martin and Sonia, who was dating the Quidditch team captain. That was why Martin, after whispering in Will's ear that she wanted to go for a walk, got up from the table and left the café.

The main street of the village looked something like the London street where Scott and Stiles lived. It was paved with cobblestones, with neat fences and hedges everywhere. All the dwellings had pots of flowers on their windowsills. Smiling sadly, Lydia looked at a young girl holding the hand of a grubby boy of about six. Next to them, a young man was on one knee, trying to wipe the dust off the boy's cheek with a napkin. They were speaking in French, of course, but Lydia's knowledge of that language enabled her to understand what they were talking about.

- Gaston, I told you not to run round the village as if you had nothing more important in your life,' the man told the boy.

- But Dad, it doesn't make any sense,' the boy frowned, 'Why do you do it like that when you can do it with magic? - he asked, smiling.

- Gaston, we talked about this,' the man said reproachfully, 'We can't use magic for no reason. You're going to Beauxbaton in a year and you should know this rule by heart,' he kept wailing.

At this point, the girl shifted her gaze to Lydia, who looked even more than surprised. At first the Frenchwoman rounded her eyes in fear, and then, raising her eyebrows, tilted her head to the side.

- Do you realise what we are talking about? - The girl asked.

- Miss, I'd be glad to answer you in detail, but my French isn't very perfect yet. Yes, I know what you're talking about,' replied Martin, coming a little closer to the trio. The boy rounded his eyes and looked at the redhead as if she were the eighth wonder of the world.

- Oh, thank Flamel, - the girl exhaled with relief, - Where are you from, dear? Can I switch to a more understandable language for you?

- Miss, I'm from England. But, if you want, we can continue the conversation in French,' Lydia smiled.

- Oh, so you're from Hogwarts! - said the man in plain English.

- Yes, sir,' Martin nodded.

- It's been a long time since I've seen my fellow countrymen, - the man sighed, smiling as broadly as his son did a few moments ago, - My name is Martin Fowler.

- Nice to meet you,' the redhead smiled, 'My name is Lydia Martin. Sir, did you go to Hogwarts too?

- Oh yes,' Martin nodded, 'Eight years ago I graduated and went to France to gain experience in ministerial affairs. I met Adelaide in Paris and I didn't care about any ministry,' he smiled at the girl.

- Martin, you should invite a guest into the house,' she said reproachfully.

- Oh, of course, - the man slapped his forehead, - Come in, if you have time, - he opened the door of the house for the redhead, near which they had been standing all this time.

- You know, I don't think that's possible,' Martin shook her head, 'My friends are here, not far away, and I'm not sure I can leave them now.

- Friends from England? - The man's eyes lit up with fire, and Lydia was willing to bet he was from Gryffindor. She was far too used to such looks.

- Both from England and here,' Martin nodded, 'I don't know if you've heard, but Beauxbaton is holding a Tournament this year. And we came here, a few people from each faculty. I've got eight people from mine, and there's practically everyone sitting in that pub over there right now, except for one girl who's been chosen as the Champion on behalf of Hogwarts.

- You wouldn't happen to be from Gryffindor, would you? - The man squinted at her.

- Yes, sir,' Martin nodded, lifting the corners of her lips. So she had guessed after all.

- I respect that already,' Martin smiled.

- Darling, if you have to go, we won't keep you any longer,' Adelaide spoke again.

- Thank you very much,' Lydia smiled, 'If I get a chance I'll try to stop by and give you the latest news about Hogwarts.

- I'll be waiting,' Martin nodded, 'Seriously. I'll be waiting for you.

- Martin, stop it,' Adelaide laughed, 'Gaston, say goodbye to the sweetest girl and we'll go home.

Lydia looked at the boy and smiled sadly. The way he looked around reminded Lydia of Scott and Stiles on their first day of school. But he also reminded her of herself as a child, when her father was still alive and hadn't abandoned their family. Sighing, Martin held out her palm to the boy, which he immediately shook.

- See you later, Gaston,' the redhead smiled. The boy looked back at his parents and frowned. With a laugh, Lydia waved her hand and walked towards the exit of the village.

Absolutely no one knew that Lydia had received letters from home and from Hogwarts a few days ago. But the latter wasn't from Allison or Malia, it was from Kyle. And honestly, Lydia had better burn it right away. Both letters didn't take too kindly to the fact that everyone in the family was disappointed in the girl's carelessness and the fact that she hadn't even bothered to write. But that was fine, it was the other thing that was upsetting. Apparently Kyle had decided that he needed to make sure that nothing happened to his 'favourite sister'. Well also, apparently the guy really wanted to spend as much time with her as possible. Or maybe he was just a terrible pain in the arse. And Lydia was leaning more toward the latter option.

Kyle wrote a letter home saying that Lydia shouldn't go out with her friends on Christmas Day. He explained that the girl had already spent too little time with her family during the summer holidays, which meant that she should spend the entire winter holidays in the comfort of her own home. Natalie, of course, could not disagree with the statement of her adopted son. And now Martin was seriously thinking about leaving France with Stiles and staying with some of the boys without telling her parents. The fact that they would eventually find out was clear as day, but the redhead didn't care at all. It was still possible to just stay in Beauxbaton for Christmas, and now that Martin had met so many people, that didn't seem like such a bad idea. All that was left was to ask the boys for advice.

Sighing, Lydia shifted her gaze to one of the largest buildings on the street. It was a shop of the most essential goods. Glancing over to where the pub was, now hidden by other houses, the girl pulled her dress up and moved towards the shop. The building was definitely the largest in the village. A shop of this size would have been quite fitting even for London. It was a huge hall with shelves full of things that were not the most necessary in life. Folding her arms across her chest, the redhead moved along one of the shelves of books-what were books doing in a shop with the most essential items anyway? - and soon stopped in front of one of them.

- I didn't expect this,' Martin muttered to herself as she took the book off the shelf. Lydia lifted the corners of her lips as she ran her index finger over the cover. In the next moment, the girl clutched the book to her chest and put it back on the shelf with regret.

- Can I help you? - A full-bodied man asked, speaking, naturally, in French. Sighing for the hundredth time that day, the redhead smiled at him.

- No, thank you, I don't need anything,' she turned away and took a few steps towards the exit of the shop, realising that going in had been a very stupid idea.

- Did you like that book? - came from behind her again. Reluctantly, Lydia turned around and put a smile back on her lips.

- Sir, it's fine. I was just curious about the price because I'm from another country. I wanted to compare,' Martin replied.

- And where are you from? - The man squinted his eyes, smiling for some unknown reason.

- England,' the redhead replied, 'Sir, I think I should be going. I apologise for my rudeness.

- Did you not take it because you only have British money or because you don't have Muggle money? - The man leaned against the wall with a smile. Turning around slowly, Lydia looked at him incomprehensibly.

- How did you know? - Lydia frowned.

- Don't worry, you won't give yourself away to the Muggles, you haven't made a single mistake, - the man hastened to reassure the girl, - Hogwarts badge on your bag, - the man nodded at the aforementioned badge, - How are things in good old England?

- Don't tell me you also graduated from Hogwarts eight years ago, went to Paris and met your future wife there,' Lydia grumbled, returning to the spot where she had been standing a few minutes ago.

- Of course not,' laughed the man, 'Did you meet Martin? Well yes, our village isn't too big, it's almost impossible for a wizard not to meet a wizard here.

- If you tell me now that we are attracted to each other, I will run away,' Martin frowned.

The man only laughed again and tilted his head to the side as if thinking about something. Then he pushed himself away from the wall and picked up the book that Lydia had been holding a few minutes earlier. Then, smiling again, the man walked off into the depths of the shop, humming something to himself. Frowning, Lydia stepped from foot to foot, wondering whether to leave or follow the salesman. Something told Martin that the latter option was much better than the former. And it might well have been innate curiosity. Sighing, the redhead followed.

- Sir? - The girl called out uncertainly, stopping between racks of mobiles and parchments, 'What kind of shop is this?

- Muggles see a stack of plain paper in place of parchment,' the man who had reappeared answered.

- Of course they do,' Lydia looked up at the ceiling, from which hung a great many Muggle decorations: stars, spirals, snowflakes, etc. 'It's not very aesthetically pleasing, is it?

- Muggles like it,' the man shrugged, hiding behind the rack again.

- What do you do, may I ask?' Lydia sighed, seriously considering leaving.

- I'm making a gift for my guest from England,' Lydia grinned as she raised her eyebrows, fixing her hair and suddenly revealing the wreath that was still on her head.

- I took you off,' the redhead frowned, eyeing Stiles' little gift.

- Here you go, miss,' the man handed the girl a thick bundle of some sort. The book, Lydia realised, was wrapped in beautiful soft green paper with blue streaks and tied with a golden ribbon. Smiling, Lydia shifted her mocking gaze to the man.

- You really have a problem with aesthetics, don't you? - The redhead grinned.

- And they say the British are the most polite people on the planet. It's all lies,' the man sighed, handing the book to the girl.

- Thank you, - Martin whispered sincerely, looking at the wreath in one hand and the book in the other, - How much? - The girl shifted her gaze to the frowning salesman.

- My dear, if my aesthetics are lame, then your concept of gifts does it, - he grinned.

- For what? - Martin asked in surprise.

- Do you know French well? - grinned the man.

- Much better than all my peers, - squinted the redhead.

- So, I won't make it too complicated, - the Frenchman smiled, - Just trust more, okay? But only to the right people, otherwise everything will turn against you.

- But how do you know which person is the right one? - Lydia sighed.

- You'll understand, believe me,' he nodded, 'If you're smart... - girl, sighing, did not let the man to finish.

- I'll understand at once, won't I? No intelligence doesn't help, no matter how hard you try,' Lydia shook her head.

- No,' the man smiled softly, tilting his head sideways as the redhead looked up at him in surprise, 'If you're smart, it takes longer to understand.

- What do you mean? - Martin blinked in bewilderment.

- Intelligence disturbs people, - the man shrugged his shoulders and headed for the exit of the shop, - Intelligence scares people. Especially the intelligence of little girls like you,' the salesman looked back at Lydia over his shoulder, smiling, 'When you grow up, I bet you'll be even smarter. Don't even ask me how I know. I can see that you're incredibly smart. But that's not a good thing. Not all people see you for who you are, do they? A lot of people find it easier when you're just a girl who doesn't understand, don't they?

- I don't know,' Martin stopped at the counter where a man was standing and stepped from foot to foot. The image of Kyle immediately came to mind, and Lydia gritted her teeth and nodded reluctantly.

- Learn to identify the people you can show the real you to. It won't be necessary someday, but it could come in handy now, trust me.

- Why are you saying all this? - The redhead looked at the man, puzzled, 'It sounds like you're some kind of prophet or oracle. It's really stupid, if you ask me.

- Just take note,' the man smiled.

- Okay, thanks,' Lydia sighed, stuffing both the book and the wreath into her bag. As she walked to the door, she turned to the man,' It was sincere.

- I know,' the man smiled, "Goodbye," he waved his hand and disappeared between the shelves, humming some song again. Sighing, Lydia walked outside, intending to return to the pub, where everyone was probably already starting to worry.

***

- And I really thought I wasn't going to get taken,' Scott sighed for the tenth time in the last five minutes.

- But we got in! - Isaac gave his friend a high-five, 'And why is that? Because we're Gryffindors. And also because I was with you.

- Definitely,' Allison laughed.

The four Gryffindors sat in the great hall and 'celebrated'. Of course, no one had given them the creamy beer Matt wanted, so the boys drank plain juices. But somehow that was enough for them. Scott couldn't eat at first, as he was still reeling from the morning's triumph. Then, when Allison finally brought his friend to his senses, he pounced on the greasiest of foods. Tyler, who was passing by, instantly pushed the plate of fries away from the sophomore and pulled a saucer of apples and bananas over to him.

- You're on a sports diet now, okay? - The sixth-year frowned, wagging his finger at McCall.

- 'Are you serious? - Scott gave the captain a disappointed look.

- 'Otherwise you'll get fat and unsportsmanlike. And you know the outcome,' Tyler replied in a disgruntled tone, "Allison," he looked at the brunette, 'I'm putting him in your charge. Keep an eye on him and his nutrition. I don't need him in balloon form around here.

- No problem,' Allison smiled, waving at Tyler as he walked towards Peter sitting a few metres away.

- I don't think Stiles is going to make the team next year,' Isaac scratched his chin thoughtfully.

- Just for kicks,' McCall grinned.

Allison laughed, her eyes fixed on the book they'd been assigned to read over the summer, but she'd forgotten all about it while she'd been in France. And then, back in England, she hadn't thought of it. At that moment the door opened and a gnarled figure walked towards the Gryffindor table. At the sight of her, Argent raised her eyebrows.

- Are you alright? - She frowned.

- I'm a little tired,' Malia yawned, falling down beside her, 'Theo found so much information that my arm hurts. I've written several scrolls in the smallest handwriting. If Hale doesn't give us credit for our work, I'll put ten curses on him.

- Cruel girl,' Allison laughed, 'At least show me what you wrote. I swear I won't cheat.

Malia grinned and lazily dragged her bag over to her and began rummaging through it. After the first failed attempt, Tate just calmly continued searching. After a few more minutes, she was already tensing up. Then, realising that there was nothing in the bag, Tate angrily tossed it aside and dropped her head on the table, starting to whimper loudly.

- What's the matter, Merlin? - She sighed.

- Is something wrong? - Liam, who was sitting nearby, was alert.

- Theo just fucked my brains out, I guess,' she sighed, lazily throwing her legs over the bench and getting up.

- Did you leave anything behind? - The freshman inquired. When Tate nodded in response, the boy readily jumped to his feet, 'Where?

- In the library,' the sophomore frowned, 'But you don't have to run after it, okay?

- I don't mind,' the boy smiled. Without giving anyone else anything to object, he dashed out of the hall, leaving his bag on the bench, naturally.

Laughing, Allison patted a confused Malia on the shoulder. Tate, sighing, pulled on her navy blue t-shirt and shifted her gaze to the book her friend was reading. She'd been on holiday all summer too, she wasn't really interested in Potions.

***

Reno was in a hurry, nodding for the boys to leave the pub when the clock struck half past eight. After saying goodbye to Donovan in a hurry, the boy practically ran towards the exit of the village. Sonia was cursing him all the way up the hill, which they had travelled much faster than they had in the morning.

- I've learnt so much today,' said Stiles, panting, clutching his sides, 'I've learnt that you run like a bloody meteor, Reno. But, you know, I'd have lived a fine life without that knowledge.

As the boys jumped over the stream, Stephan stopped suddenly and walked sideways. Reno, smiling contentedly, gave him a thumbs-up in approval.

- What now, Merlin? - Sonia sighed, 'Marzia's going to kill me, seriously.

- Look, you liked all our previous ideas,' Reno smiled disarmingly, threading his fingers through her hair, 'You had no trouble sitting in Don's pub all day. Well, almost no problem. Don't worry, it's all right. Trust us,' the guy smiled again and called Will and Stiles over to him, starting to whisper something to them.

- Lydia put her hands to her sides, 'Can't we have secrets for everyone? Secrets?

- Ladies, take it easy,' Stefan laughed, who had returned a moment ago.

- You're really going to get it,' Sonja pulled her wand out of the folds of her robe, but the blond intercepted her palm and put both hands behind her back, squeezing it tightly.

- Resistance would be tantamount to treason,' he laughed.

- I don't live in France, in case you don't remember,' the blonde snorted, still lashing out.

- Resistance would be tantamount to treason against my homeland, - the guy shrugged his shoulders, still not letting go of the girl's hands, - I'm going to lead you forward, but you watch your step, okay? I'll hold you back, of course, but it's better without that.

- You've decided to kill us after all, haven't you? - Sonja sighed, obeying and following where Stefan led her. And he went to the place he'd returned from just a few minutes ago.

At that moment, Stiles and Will, still discussing something in whispers with Reno, smiled and headed towards the bewildered Lydia. Both boys threw their arms around the girl's shoulders and led her in exactly the same direction. Reno went with Allan and Evan, also muttering something about the boys watching their step.

- We're not going to be at dinner tonight, are we? - Lydia frowned, 'Your mates will hate you.

- The goal was achieved years ago, believe me,' Stefan laughed.

The guys walked for about two minutes and soon led the boys to a new hill. The path, as Stefan had warned, was steep and slippery, so the fact that Lydia was held on both sides by her friends practically saved the redhead. Several times, in fact.

- Here we are,' Reno smiled, glancing at his wristwatch, "We made it," he breathed with relief.

- We made it? Where to?' Sonia frowned, whose hands were still held by Stephan.

- This way,' the Frenchman turned the girl in the other direction, and she stumbled backwards. But she was naturally held up.

The boys led them to a hill from which the sunset was visible. What was this banality? Lydia didn't care about that and, throwing her friends' hands off her shoulders, moved to the very edge of the hill, sitting down on the grass. Will and Stiles soon found themselves next to her, of course. Martin smiled and lay back on the grass, looking up at the sky. It was painted in stunning colours. Soft pink, pastel purples and yellows flowing into each other. They all blended together, there wasn't a single edge. Lydia exhaled rapturously and looked sideways to where Stiles was sitting in a Turkish chair. Smiling, Martin pulled out a sketchbook, starting to draw.

- You know, you've never turned out so well in my drawings,' the redhead said thoughtfully a few minutes later. Stiles really did go with all those pastel colours. The boy in the drawing was depicted sitting in a Turkish-style chair and looking up at the sky with his mouth open enthusiastically. Exhaling convulsively, Lydia ran her thumb over the drawing, smiling faintly.

The boys didn't get them home until half past one, when Sonia and Lydia, the lightest dressed of them all, didn't start baring their teeth from the cold. And yes, Stiles and Reno's jackets didn't help them. Of course, everyone was incredibly glad that tomorrow was Sunday and there would be a chance to sleep in. Also, Allan seemed to take back what he said about not liking the lack of classes on Saturday. Now all the boys knew how they were going to spend the day.

***

Footsteps reverberated off the walls, making a lot of noise. Liam, frowning, looked around warily, wary of being caught by McGonagall. Of course, the boy wasn't doing anything illegal, but it was still very dangerous. The Dean could react in any number of ways to a first year wandering around the castle at such a late hour. Grinning at his own thoughts, Liam crossed the threshold of the library.

The library had long since emptied, and the boy only had to find the table where Malia was sitting. Sighing, Liam walked between the cabinets, looking for something Tate might have forgotten. After about a minute, the boy came across a doubled folded sheet torn from some book. It wasn't on the table, but on the floor, so Liam had to crouch down to pick it up. Thinking that perhaps the sheet had fallen out of Tate's bag, the boy unfolded it, running his eyes over what was written.

- Blue hostes, somno, et defectum in tenebris, lux creaturae,' Liam read, stammering. Frowning, the boy put the sheet on the nearest bookshelf, figuring Malia would hardly need Latin for her werewolf project.

Soon the boy came across a table that did indeed contain stacked books and scrolls. He quickly gathered everything up and ran back to the Hall. Running out of the library at full speed, the Gryffindor didn't notice how the small blue rose in the corner of the page began to glow faintly. And, of course, he didn't notice the 'do not say aloud' caption at the very beginning of the page.