Xchange Students

Xchange Students

Chapter 11: Farewells and Homecomings

The raid was the major topic of conversation at Hogwarts for at least the next week. Students who had led the resistance were lionised by the younger ones, and received equal measures of congratulation and reproof from the staff.

Marie, Peter and Bobby were singled out for particular attention, rapidly discovering that their exploits had become the subject of more than a few tall tales. It seemed that Peter had single-handedly defeated at least a dozen trolls before beating the majority of the raiders senseless. Bobby had apparently prevented the raiders from escaping by sealing the Castle inside a gigantic iceberg, while Marie, wielding the power of ten Dementors, had terrified those intruders Peter hadn't pummelled into a state of near-catatonia. These stories persisted despite the evidence that Professor Snape and many of the senior students had actually driven the raiders to the point of surrender.

Students who had participated in the evening's festivities found all this howlingly funny, of course, except for Peter, who had gained an admirer he didn't really want. By the night of the raid, Kylie Barrett had almost stopped worshipping her gigantic rescuer. Now she was following Peter around like a puppy, again. Peter couldn't bring himself to be unkind to the child, and Ginny didn't help matters by sympathising with Kylie. Ginny reminded Peter that she'd had a massive crush on a hero not so very long ago! More surprising was the fact that many Slytherins had begun to greet Peter, if not with friendliness, then at least with respect.

Real facts about the raid were hard to come by. The staff was close mouthed about the whole thing, but rumour had it that the Minister of Magic himself had had a conference with Dumbledore about the matter. In the end, Professor Dumbledore had invited the Prefects into his study to set the record straight.

"They were Death Eaters," Neville told his friends afterwards. "It seems He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is desperate to get his filthy hands on Harry-sees him as some sort of arch-enemy or something."

"You know, darling," put in Lavender, "Harry is the Boy Who Lived. It was Harry who discovered You-Know-Who was still alive, and it's been Harry who's put a spike in all his plans over the last few years."

"There is that, love. Anyway, it seems that the Death Eaters didn't believe that Harry had left the country. They thought Harry was hiding somewhere in the school, so they raided us to capture or to kill him.

"It also looks like they knew something about you," Neville went on, speaking to the three Americans. "The raiders intended to kidnap at least one of you. They wanted to find out who, or rather what, you are."

"They sure found out, didn't they?" quipped Bobby.

"Did they ever!" said Marie.

Eventually, things settled down and life at Hogwarts returned to normal. "Or, at least," remarked Bobby, "what passes for normal around here."

Rogue was determined to perform well in Potions while still trying with every charm and wile she could muster to humanise Professor Snape. She had some success with the first goal, but the jury was still out in the second. Bobby found his niche in Herbology; his father enjoyed gardening, and a green thumb seemed to run in the family. Peter found Care of Magical Creatures classes enjoyable. Even the boldest and most ill-tempered beasts hesitated to challenge him, and Peter's deep, slow voice, often speaking in Russian, seemed to have a soothing effect on animals.

The days flew by. A week before the end of term, the Americans learned that it was time for them to go home.

After the Mutants' final Potions class, something extraordinary occurred; Snape said to Marie, "Miss D'Ancanto, a word with you in private, if you please?" Waiting until the other students filed out, Snape motioned Marie to his desk at the front of the room, and waved toward a flask and a scroll.

"Er...Marie," Snape began in a low voice, "I have not forgotten that I owe you a considerable personal debt from the night of the raid. I have also noted, with some small amusement, your attempts to penetrate what you seem to regard as a façade on my part. Let me assure you, young lady, there is no sweet, timid soul hiding beneath this acidic surface, any more than there is a gentle, kindly person hidden deep inside my friend and colleague, Logan."

Liar, thought Marie, on both counts, but she said nothing.

Snape went on, "In recognition of your remarkable achievements, and as a token of my gratitude and respect, allow me to give you these. The flask contains Skinseal Potion. One drop will last for an hour; three will protect for twelve hours. I do not advise you to take it yourself, as I have no way of knowing how it will react with your mutation; however, it will prove useful for anyone needing to administer medical treatment to you." Snape allowed himself a faint smile. "I daresay that young Mr Drake will also find a use for it.

"The scroll contains the instructions for the potion. Your Professor McCoy assures me that he can obtain the ingredients, and you have become sufficiently competent in potion brewing to make it up as needed." Snape paused for a long moment before saying brusquely, "Now, you had best get along, Miss D'Ancanto, or you will be late for your next class."

Marie couldn't resist. She darted forward and flung her arms around a severely embarrassed Snape. "Thanks, Professor. Thanks for everything," she said warmly.

"For Heaven's sake, Miss D'Ancanto!" Snape said, shoving her away. "Go on with you! This is entirely beyond the pale."

Marie collected her gifts and headed for the door, but just before she left, she heard Snape murmur, "Take care, Marie." She turned and smiled from ear to ear.

Their final Hogwarts dinner was a special Farewell Feast. The three young Mutants were highly pleased and touched by it. The house-elves had gone to a lot of trouble to create what they hoped were traditional American dishes. There was gumbo and clam chowder, hot dogs, cheeseburgers, pizza, fried chicken, chilli, and French fries. For dessert there were chocolate-chip cookies, brownies, ice cream in quite extraordinary flavours and, of course, apple pie. The meal was very exotic for the Hogwarts students, who enjoyed it for that reason. The Hall itself had been decorated for the occasion with the usual House banners interspersed with the Stars and Stripes.

Professor Dumbledore made a short speech, wishing the three visitors well and good luck. Each of them was given a Gryffindor scarf and badge, and they were to keep their robes, of course. Marie received a certificate for Progress in Potions, Bobby for Herbology, and Peter for Care of Magical Creatures.

Finally, the students made their way back to Gryffindor Tower. Their Housemates presented them with albums of wizard photos and with personal gifts. Peter got a Wizard Chess set, specially enchanted so that they would work properly for him. ("But only if you're playing," Neville warned.) Bobby was given a silver flask with a cap at either end. If he opened one end, it released a rain spell. The other end was a never-empty drinking water flask. Marie received a little crystal sphere whose use wasn't immediately apparent.

Lavender explained, "We've each of us held this while we thought about you. If you touch it and think of one of us, the sphere will give you a feeling from us. It should help if you ever get down in the dumps, again."

Marie had done her best not to sniffle all through the feast and the presents. But when Neville, with a sad little smile, handed her a last mug of Hogwarts cocoa, she broke down completely. Within moments Lavender and Ginny were crying, and even stoic Parvati was in floods.

After a while, the Common Room emptied until only Kylie, Ginny and Peter were left. At Ginny's prompting, Peter gave Kylie a gentle hug and a little kiss on the forehead; a dazzled Kylie floated away to bed. Ginny sat on Peter's lap, fingering the silver locket he had given her earlier in the evening, noting that he was wearing the enchanted St Christopher medal she had given him.

She looked up at his face, "Peter?"

"Yes, babe?"

"Thanks."

"For what?"

"For being Peter."

"You're welcome. Thanks for being Ginny."

They kissed for a little longer, and then went off to bed. It wasn't until she was hidden in her own four-poster--and quite certain the other girls were asleep--that Ginny allowed herself to cry.

Came the morning, and the three Americans had to leave early, because of the time difference. They said a fond farewell to their Wizard friends and proceeded to Professor Dumbledore's study. Here, the Professor bade them a final goodbye, urging them to remember that they would always be welcome at Hogwarts and to write often. They arranged themselves around the Portkey.

"Now, then," said Dumbledore, rummaging on his desk, "where did I put that keyword? Ah, here we are." He picked up a small piece of parchment, looked Bobby directly in the eye, winked, and said clearly, "Energise."

Rogue hoped that laughing during teleportation wasn't dangerous.

Harry, Hermione and Ron arrived back in the Gryffindor Common Room to a hearty welcome. Ginny knew at once that something had changed; Harry greeted her with a quick, nervous hug and a shy kiss on the cheek. Then he rather took the edge off it by greeting Lavender, Parvati and some of the other girls the same way.

Ron studied Neville and Lavender, standing carefully a little distance from each other. Before anyone could say a word, he asked, "So, how long has this been going on?"

Of course, everyone simply had to know everything that had happened all at once. Hardly any sentence was finished before someone broke in with a question. Amid the chatter, Ginny got another clue about how much her friends had changed when Malfoy and his gang confronted them in a corridor.

Draco had had a bad term. People he still regarded as Muggles had humiliated him twice. He had failed his mother, and the consequences of that were likely to be unpleasant. Far too many Slytherins had defied him on the night of the raid. He had been stripped of his leadership of the House by that Gryffindor-loving bitch, Pansy. Well, at least he could show them all he was still Draco Malfoy; he could still humiliate Potter and his hangers-on when he had Crabbe, Goyle and Bulstrode to back him up!

"Hello, Potter," Draco drawled, "back from the Colonies so soon? Got tired of the log cabin, did you?"

"Oh, can it, Draco," Harry said in a bored voice. Ron leaned back against the wall and began to whistle the theme from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Hermione had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from giggling.

Draco was furious; they were laughing at him. "It's about time someone reminded you three of what Wizarding life is like!" he snarled, snapping his fingers. Crabbe and Goyle moved in on Ron, while Millicent loomed over Hermione. Ginny started forward to help, then froze in her tracks.

Ron, her big, clumsy bear of a brother, came off the wall and leapt forward with the grace and precision of a hunting cat. Ginny suddenly noticed that Ron's clothes were stretched tight across a frame that was as powerfully developed as Peter Rasputin's. Crabbe and Goyle hadn't observed this fact and didn't back off. There was a flurry of blows, so fast Ginny could not follow them, before Crabbe and Goyle lay groaning on the floor.

Ron turned to Hermione to announce, "Flawless victory."

Hermione rolled her eyes, chiding Ron, "You've played that bloody awful game too much." Then she executed an amazingly balletic movement that swept Millicent's legs from under her, sending the heavyset Slytherin girl crashing down. When Millicent made to get up, Hermione whipped out her wand and aimed it between the other girl's eyes. "Go ahead," Hermione invited, "make my day." Millicent subsided.

Ron grinned at Hermione. "And you've watched too many bloody awful movies," he decided.

Draco and Ginny were both standing open mouthed. Then, as Harry half-turned to smile at the byplay between his friends, Malfoy raised his wand. Harry's superb peripheral vision, which helped make him such a good flier, caught the movement. He disarmed Draco with a snake-fast strike that numbed the Slytherin's arm from elbow to fingertip. The next thing Draco knew, he was being pinned against the wall, feeling Potter's forearm rigid as an iron bar across his throat.

"Listen, Malfoy," Harry hissed, "I've learned a lot in these last months, so it's not really safe to try this rubbish on me or my friends anymore. And I've heard all about the raid. I know you're a traitor and a coward. So, I'll be watching you, Draco, watching you like a hawk. This is your only warning, OK? Just take notice, for your own sake, scumbag. Remember, Draco, you won't see it coming." He released the blond Slytherin, who fell to his knees gasping and choking.

Ron and Hermione knew, if no one else did, that it had not been Harry who had spoken so coolly, and with such lethal intent, to Malfoy. That had been Hawk.

Ginny rejoined her Gryffindor friends and they went on to lunch, just as Snape, with Pansy on his heels, came around the corner. The Potions Master took in the situation at a glance. "There seems to have been an incident, Miss Parkinson. Round up the usual suspects, if you please."

"Ah, Professor, Malfoy and his gang are the usual suspects."

"Well, in that case, your task will be simple, will it not? Carry on."

With barely a nod to the four Gryffindors, Snape swept off. Pansy stood, staring at Harry with a peculiar expression on her face.

Harry stepped forward. "I've heard about the raid," he told her quietly, "It seems we owe you. I won't forget that." He put out a hand. Pansy took it, swallowed hard and nodded, but didn't trust herself to speak. Harry released her hand from his grip, and her eyes from his compelling gaze. "Let's go," he told his friends.

Back in the Common Room, accounts of the attack on Xavier's were examined and dissected in detail. Harry, Hermione and Ron had to explain again to their wizard friends what Sentinels were, and how such things were possible without magic.

"You know, we need to be careful," muttered Parvati. "While we've been keeping our heads inside the Wizarding world, Muggles have been coming up with some pretty powerful stuff. It wouldn't do to underestimate them."

"You're right," Harry agreed. "If worst comes to worst in our world, and Voldemort decides to attack the Muggle one, he might find he's bitten off more than he can chew."

"I dunno about that," said Ron, "I mean, I beat a Sentinel."

"Yes, but it'd take more than a ten-foot robot to beat my Ron," Hermione said loyally, "and Voldemort's nowhere near as tough as you--or as clever," she added, making Ron blush to the roots of his hair.

After that, the three friends unpacked the CD player. Hermione replaced the batteries with a power-charm, and they treated everyone to a selection of Muggle music.

Ginny had listened with wonder and amusement to her friends' accounts of their stay in America and their battles with the Hellfire Club. She had also played her part in recounting that scary night in the forest and the furious battle against the Death Eater raiding party. But she had spent rather more time scrutinizing the three newly returned students.

Each had changed. Physically, they were more developed. Ron bulged with muscle and with a raw power he seemed well able to control. Hermione, always trim, now moved with a swift poise she hadn't had before, like a bird of prey. Harry had a whetted look; his whipcord frame seemed to vibrate with a new energy barely held in check.

But there were deeper changes.

Ron seemed more confident, less willing to hide behind the nice-but-slightly-dim façade he had maintained for so many years. Almost as soon as he returned, he had taken Ginny aside to speak privately. "OK, kid," he had demanded, "the truth, now. Are you all right? About Peter, I mean."

"Oh, come on, Ron. When did I ever bother about a boyfriend?"

"Not until now, but I've read your letters, Ginny. Peter wasn't just one of your passing fancies, was he? It was more than that; I could tell."

There was no point lying to him, Ginny realised. "It started out that way, but he was so shy, and then he was so gentle and warm. He really cared for me-still does, I hope-and I found myself caring, really caring, for him. Still, we both knew it couldn't last, so, yes, I'm all right--or I will be. Thanks for asking, big brother."

Ron hugged her, and left it at that. Ginny wondered just when Ron had become so perceptive.

Hermione seemed the least changed until Ginny noticed that her once-dowdy friend was wearing make-up--just enough for everyone to see that Hermione was actually a very pretty young woman. Her attitude was different, as well. She was responding, lightly and wittily, to the mild flirtation that was a constant undercurrent in Common Room conversation, while still keeping close to Ron. Hermione seemed at ease with being seen as female, no longer considering it a handicap. Some of this self-assurance came from the fact that Ron was so obviously in love with her. From Marie's accounts of her friends, Ginny guessed that Dani and Kitty had also had a bit to do with Hermione's transformation.

Then again, Ginny thought, it didn't take going away to change someone. Her own experience with Peter here at Hogwarts had shown her that. She wouldn't go back to her old, carefree, casual relationships. She liked being cared for in a deeper way. She felt good about that; maybe she was finally growing up.

So were Neville and Lavender. Ginny had been more than a little surprised when those two were named Temporary Prefects. Neville seemed so diffident and Lavender so flighty that Ginny had wondered why they had been chosen as Gryffindor leaders. Over the past few months, though, Neville had revealed unexpected courage, imagination and determination. He had led well, with just the right mixture of caution and dash, in some really sticky situations. Even more surprising was the depth of Lavender's emerging personality. Lavender had turned out to be cool headed and practical, quite handy in a crisis. Neville and Lavender were good for and with each other.

Ginny checked her mental wanderings, forcing herself to focus on the subject that daunted her most: Harry. He had changed more than all the others. This was not the Harry she had worshipped as a hero, not the remote figure who flew past her on the trail of adventure. This wasn't the aloof figure who led Dumbledore's Army, or the one who had stood alone against dark wizards and monsters.

This was another Harry altogether. As she watched him talk with the others, she saw a slightly shy, warm, funny, sensitive person. Of course he was brave and clever and determined, but only when he had to be, it seemed. When he smiled at her, as he was doing now, so warmly yet so nervously, she felt something entirely new stir inside her.

I am in trouble now, Ginny thought. It would be easy, fatally easy, to fall hard for the boy who was watching her from across the room. Somehow, she didn't mind that thought one bit.

Hermione stood up. "I don't know about anyone else, but I'm going for tea. One thing I have been missing all these weeks is an English tea. I want ham sandwiches, cucumber sandwiches, sponge cake and scones. And I haven't had a decent cuppa in months. Come on, Ron, I dare you to tell me you don't need to stoke up that bulk of yours by now."

The group broke up. Ginny wasn't sure she wanted tea; she thought she just might want to sit and think for a bit, but then Harry called across to her, "Coming, Ginny?"

"Sorry, what?" she replied, distracted.

"Oh, I do beg your pardon," Harry said with a grin. "I'm forgetting my manners." He went over to where she was sitting and made a florid bow. "Miss Weasley, I wonder if you would do me the inestimable honour of joining me in a little afternoon tea?"

Ginny grinned at him. "Why, sugah," she said in a dreadfully exaggerated imitation of Rogue's occasional drawl, "ah thought you'd nevah ask."

She rose and dropped him a curtsey. Harry, with a comically theatrical gesture, offered her his arm, which she took in an equally overdone manner. The two of them paraded out of the Common Room in high style as their Housemates tittered. Harry and Ginny managed to get out of the portrait hole before they cracked a smile.

Harry shook his head and sighed. "It's good to be home!"

"It's good to have you home," Ginny told him. "Now, come on; you said you were taking me to tea." She smiled up into his face and gripped his arm a little tighter. They set off down the corridor happily together.

THE END

of

Xchange Students

Harry Potter and the X-Men will return in

The Labyrinth of Amagor

Coming Spring 2005