Izza the Bold and the Hogwarts Treasure

Izza the Bold and the Hogwarts Treasure

Chapter 3: Hogwarts

"Arrright, my sweet, this be where I leave yeh. Ye have enough gold?" Captain Smythe looked down at his only daughter, dressed in her new uniform, a black robe folded over her hook.

"Yeah, Da. I be fine."

Captain Smythe loaded her chest and Scalawag's cage into the trunk of the taxi that waited outside of the Leaky Cauldron.

"Now, ye know how t' get t' th' platform and all?" he went on.

"Aye, Da! I BE fine! I have everythin'. Don't fret." She knew he was just upset at having to send her away.

"Well then. Oh, c'mer lass. Yer ol' pa is going to miss ye somthin' terrible. Haven't been out of my sight mor'n a few months time...Arrrh." He picked the girl up and held her, tears welling up in his eyes.

"I'll miss ye too, Da. Ye best write me when ye can. Be careful, and good luck. I hope ye kill the rotten bastard!" She spat the last sentence, with pure anger.

"Oh, I will Eliza, rest assured. Just like yer mother, cursin' and well-wishin' at th' same time." He sniffled slightly. "May she rest in peace."

"May she rest in peace."

"Squawk!"

"I luv ye girl."

"I luv ye too Da."

Captain Smythe set her down and took a step back. Behind him were some grungy crewmembers, looking sheepish, holding their hats, looking at their boots, and in some cases, their bare feet.

"Bye, Izza."

"Good...luck, Izza."

"Aye, give'em hell Miss,"

The others mumbled goodbyes. Pyrates were never very exceptional at goodbyes, unless it was at the end of a cutlass.

"Bye ye scurvy lot!"

Eliza smiled and winked as she climbed into the vehicle. She sat centered in the back seat. It was a curious contraption. Her father said it was the usual mode of transportation for Muggles. It felt like a cushy rowboat with a thick, hard canopy. It was quite a bit smaller than any of the cabins on The Defiant. There was a bit of a wall between her and the driver; who currently looked quite scared and mumbled to himself that no one was ever going to believe him. Captain Smythe leaned over to the window.

"Take her t' Kings Cross station, and make sure she gets inside safe. If I find out that ye mistreated her in anyway I, and my men, will hunt ye down and keel haul yeh. Am I clear?"

The driver gulped and nodded. Captain Smythe fumbled with the Muggle money he had taken out of Gringotts and dropped at least a hundred pounds into the hands of the cabby.

"That should be enough, I reckon."

The driver gulped again and nodded slowly, still not comprehending the entire situation.

"Bye luv. Be a good girl. Study hard."

She waved her hook, biting her lip. He nodded and stepped back from the car. The ragged bunch of seawizards watched her peer back through the rear window as the car sped away.

Kings Cross was a bit of a nightmare. The cabby had gotten her a trolley and put all her luggage on it, groaning at the weight of her chest. Scalawag swore to himself angrily. He had never been in a cage in his whole life. He was quite displeased with the idea of it. Eliza pushed the trolley through the crowds of people. The place was incredibly busy. Men, women and children were scurrying about trying to get to trains before they started to leave. Bags were being dragged, tossed and carted everywhere. It was like a mad house, worse than any port. Eliza had never been anywhere like it. True, The Defiant was somewhat close quarters for the two hundred men and women who crewed on it, but she had never felt stifled with the open air and the lapping ocean below. Here was a different story. Eliza felt as though she were drowning.

She looked at her ticket. Platform nine and three quarters. Muggle travel was such a weird thing, first that automobile sputtering loudly and jerking uneasily. The small enclosure almost made her sick. She had to open both windows just to breathe properly.

Now, these strange train things. They were like long silver serpents sliding across these little trails set on long skinny docks that lay across the land, certainly not powered by wind. Eliza didn't approve.

Before she realized it, she was standing between platforms nine and ten and looking at the barrier. Her father had instructed her that she was to walk directly though, since it was only an illusion to keep out muggles.

"Well, I guess this be it," she said to Scalawag, who ignored her out of spite.

She held her breath and pushed her trolley through the solid metal wall. Before her eyes was the astounding sight of the Hogwarts express, shining bright scarlet and billowing steam. Students were climbing into the train and saying goodbye to various size and shape wizards and witches. It reminded Eliza vaguely of the port at Ethereal Island. People always sobbing and going on, while their relatives waved little scarves from the rails of huge ships.

She loaded her luggage into the bottom of a compartment. She ruffled Scalawag's feathers and gave him a treat. This seemed to distract him from the fact she was setting him in the luggage compartment. She slung her leather satchel over her shoulder and draped her robe over her hook-arm. She looked to the clock and saw it was ten until eleven. She had just a few minutes before the train would leave. Enough time for a smoke. She pulled a hand-rolled black cigarette from a small gold case and put it to her lips. She lit a match on the bottom of her shoe. The cigarette flared and sweet smelling clove and tobacco smoke filled her senses.

Eliza had gained many bad habits from her association with the crew of The Defiant. Although her father had, at first, tried to stop her, he quickly realized that she'd never develop a good throaty pirate voice without first tearing up her vocal cords a bit. So, he taught her to roll her own cigarettes and how to pick a good cigar. She even developed a taste for quality rum. The whistle started to blow signaling the train would be leaving. Eliza stamped out her smoke and jogged over to the door. She hopped aboard at the very end of the train, standing momentary on the steps as the train left Kings Cross.

The English countryside passed by with increasing speed. Eliza had never seen this part of England before. Her ventures had only led her to various ports and surrounding seas. The rolling green hills looked like emerald waves, frozen in a constant storm. She breathed in deeply, missing the taste of salt in her senses.

After a few minutes she turned and began looking for a seat. Most of the compartments were full of noisy kids excitedly catching up with one another. She found one empty close to the back of the train. She slipped in and set her bag down. Immediately she emptied its contents onto the seat next to her. It took her only a moment to rip the Mary Jane's and the plain gray socks from her legs. Eliza would have no more of this stark uniform; it was time she fixed it to her liking. From the pile on the seat next to her she grabbed a pair of purple and black stripped stockings and pulled them on. They reached to the upper part of her thighs, where she anchored them with the claps from her garter belt.

Next, she pulled on her most favorite boots. They were dark black leather and came up to her knees. She took a moment to wipe off the gold buckles and straighten the large cuffs. Having solved her footwear problem, Eliza felt much better. But there was still the matter of where to put her wand. She scoured through the pile and found her best belt. It was well-polished, black, leather, and four inches thick. The buckle matched those of her boots. It was stunning.

She stood and slid the belt around her slender waist, loose enough that it slid diagonally down to her hips. Perfect. She found her wand. Her wand, she thought, really it was her mother's. She did not have a wand of her own until her mother died, may she rest in peace, as it wasn't customary on Ethereal to receive one's wand until the age of sixteen. It was a slender piece of white driftwood, seven and three sixteenths inches long. At the end it made a perfect curl. Inside were an ounce of twenty-four karat gold and a small sapphire from the last treasure of the lost continent of Atlantis. It had been a gift from her grandfather to her mother of age. Eliza now held it lovingly, remembering her mother, may she rest in peace. She slid the wand easily into the belt along her left side, making it easy to draw.

Her hair was a mess, she knew. It always was. She had never been sure exactly how long it was since it had a tendency to curl wildly around her head. Her bandana was on top of her pile of miscellaneous junk. It was white and red striped. Eliza tied it over the top of her head so that the stripes were diagonal and the small, black skull and cross bones on its front showed centered above her eyes.

The last thing to do was to adjust her uniform slightly. Her father had fixed the sleeves, but Eliza still was unhappy with the fitting of the vest and the skirt. She drew out her wand and tapped the vest, murmuring a tightening charm. The vest sucked into her body, outlining her curves perfectly. It wasn't her corset, but it would do. She tapped the skirt and shortened it by a few inches. Approving of her outfit, she draped the black colored robe loosely onto her body. She was ready.

She put her things back into her satchel and packed away the Mary Jane's and the knee high socks. She slung the bag back over her shoulder and walked out into the hallway. Eliza didn't have very many friends her own age, one to be precise, and only a handful that were even considered young, as she lived a very isolated life on a floating, enchanted pyrate ship. She was however, quite charming, like her father, and she didn't doubt that she'd be able to gain a few new companions on the journey to school.

She chose a compartment at random and threw open the door.

"Ahoy, there! Eliza Smythe, daughter of Captain Nathaniel Smythe, the Soothsayin' Hooligan and pyrate on th' ship Defiant. I be lookin' for a few good mates. If ye decline my offer o' friendship, I'll cut yer throat!" Eliza smiled broadly as the sun glinted off of her shiny hook.

***

Eliza stood lethargic in the center of the Great Hall. Some scurvy looking hat was singing about lions, snakes, badgers and eagles, oh my. There had formed an empty circle around her since the train ride into Hogsmeade. It was not just her wild aura that parted crowds much the same way as her father's, but she seemed to have made some sort of wrong impression on the train. Eliza had forgotten how delicate most landlubbers were, wizard and Muggle alike. Honestly, if she had meant any of the death threats she would have handed out pieces of paper with black spots on them like business cards. Really, they cried far too easily.

Various first years were being dragged up front and made to wear the singing hat. It was yelling out house names and sending them off to one of the four long tables to either side. She noted the various cheering from the tables as children joined them. There were actually quite a few new students who were older. Many of the smaller schools abroad were sending them off to the larger schools on the main lands where they would be safer, something about dark wizards roving about starting wars and whatnot. She realized that her name was being called.

"Smythe? Please come forward," the witch who had greeted them at the entrance of the castle said curtly.

Eliza stalked up to the front with an air of confidence, all eyes on her. Many faces had curious expressions. Many were ready to burst into tears again. She sat on the stool and allowed the sorting hat, as they called it, to be placed on her tangled mane.

"My, you are an odd one aren't you? Slytherin would feel like home...there are many there that could be called...cutthroat. But you're not bad...no...but... not good either. Very brave, you don't seem to have much to fear...there is a thread of ruthlessness in you, I can see that very plain..."

"Get on with it, hat."

"A bit testy aren't we? But it's obvious that your strongest points are your wit and your curious mind, cunning as it may be...RAVENCLAW!"

There was mixed reaction from the Ravenclaw table. Most cheered and clapped, but several exchanged worried glances. Well, she did have a hook.

Eliza sat down at the Ravenclaw table, winked and smiled at her new housemates. She turned to watch the rest of the sorting, feeling perhaps that she was being rude letting her attention wander before. The rest of the first years and transfer students were sorted and they took their places at the various tables. The tall old man with a pointy hat stood up and spoke. Eliza guessed that this was the Headmaster her father had told her about. He sounded quite nice; his tone was very serious and spoke with wisdom.

He raised his hands and said at last, "Let the feast begin!"

At this, the tables were instantly filled with the most glorious looking meal Eliza had seen. Dinners at her grandfather's had been very formal and large indeed, but none compared to this. Cheers rang out amongst the house tables. All of the students began heaping their plates with the delicious looking items. Eliza joined in; she realized that she was quite hungry.

After a few moments of hurried eating, conversations began. At first, many of the Ravenclaws were timid to talk to Eliza, probably because she was stabbing things with her hook. Then out of the blue, Lisa Turpin, another sixth year turned to Eliza and spoke.

"I didn't know pirates still existed. I thought it was all just, you know, legendary," Lisa said with intrigue.

"Well, muggle pirates aren't very common any more, but wizard pyrates," she said as though she could pronounce the spelling difference, "that's a different story. There be fleets of 'em. Ye ever hear of Peter Pan and Captain Hook?" Eliza ventured.

"Yeah, but that's just a kids' story isn't it?" a boy named Stephen Cornfoot blurted out.

"Th' hell it be! I've met Hook before, yeh know. Peter Pan be a wizard, he just figured it all out quite early. Born to some Muggles somewhere in England, he decided to take off, see what th' world was like. Met up with a faerie and found his way to Neverland. Time runs sort of funny there...not too far from the Ethereal Islands, only about a week's voyage."

"Get out! That's amazing!" Stephen's jaw hung open.

"Hook's a strange one though, can't figure out why he sticks around that place, chasing after the lost boys. He's a bit funny about clocks too. Nice hook though, beautifully handcrafted. Don't get hooks like that anymore..." She eyed hers indifferently. The rest of the group eyed it with new enthusiasm.

The rest of the meal passed pleasantly. Eliza was caught up in many conversations at once. She was answering questions about the Ethereal Islands, and life on The Defiant, and asking questions of the other students. Their lives have been so different from her own. Some were even brought up in Muggle homes. She discussed with them the lack of merits of the automobile.

At the end of the feast the plates magically disappeared and some older students began calling out orders. Some fellow claimed he was perfect and wanted all the Ravenclaws to follow him. Eliza thought that was a little smug, he was handsome and all, but to say your perfect? That's a bit much. The rest of the house didn't seem to mind and got up noisily and followed. The journey from the Great Hall to the Ravenclaw common room awestruck Eliza. All of the paintings were moving and talking, greeting the new students. She had never seen so many in one place. Staircases were shifting at random, stranding several first years at various places. The décor was so medieval it was fantastic. At last the perfect fellow stopped at a statue of a knight, who greeted him warmly.

"The password is Featherlite." The boy said loudly so that all could hear.

At this, the Knight stepped aside to reveal a comfortable, calm blue room. The fireplaces were as large as Eliza's cabin and blazed with roaring fires. The girls were sent up the staircase on the left, while the boys were all sent to the right. Eliza had never lived with so many other girls. There were witches on the ship, of course, and the cooks and all, a few pyrates, but not many. This would be quite an experience. She was ushered into a sixth year girl's dormitory where her things were already waiting.

Scalawag was flipping out, cursing at her and throwing insults. She undid his cage and he darted out like a lime comet. After circling around the ceiling of the room several times he finally landed on her shoulder.

"Are ye finished?"

"Aye!" he whistled.

"Want a treat?"

"Aye! Squawk!" He danced on his feet again, with excitement.

Eliza dug out the leather sack from her side satchel and gave the cooing bird a treat. The other girls were coming in now and they welcomed her. Most of them had been here for the past five years and knew each other. Mandy Brocklehurst, Lisa Turpin, Padma Patil and Sally-Anne Perks all shook hands with her and showed her around the dormitory. Eliza wanted to unpack, but she felt exhausted and knew there would be time tomorrow. She changed into her nightshirt and slid into the thick covers of the four-poster bed that was easily double the size of her own small bedding on the ship. She drew the curtains and laid her head down. Tomorrow would add to her new experiences, but for now drifting off to her dreams and memories would keep her content.

Chapter 4: A Pyrate's Life

Eliza woke abruptly, screaming, "I'll cut yer liver out!"

"Calm down Eliza! It's just me, Lisa." The short blonde said, slightly shocked. She had been shaking Eliza gently to wake her up for breakfast.

"Oh. Right. Sorry. Where's th' grub?"

Lisa laughed and took her clothes with her to the bathroom. Eliza followed, still trying to get her bearings. She had been dreaming of a sea voyage and was slightly alarmed when she woke to find herself at Hogwarts. The dorm room still was very unfamiliar. She showered quickly and dressed in the same manner as the day before. Her purple and black striped tights caused a bit of a commotion with the other girls.

"I don't think you can wear those, can you?" Mandy said as she slipped her vest on.

"Why not? No holes in 'em," Eliza said, not understanding the intention of Mandy's question, as she put her belt on.

Padma was in the dormitory arguing with Scalawag when Eliza came out of the bathroom.

"Well! You have a foul mouth don't you! Honestly, if you weren't a bird I'd slap you!"

"Arrh! Slap ye! Ahoy, Izza! Arrh! Squawk!"

"Ahoy, Scalawag. Sleep well?" The parrot whistled and flew to perch on her shoulder. "Sorry, Padma, Scalawag has no manners. Do ye, yeh louse?"

Scalawag whistled.

Padma gathered her bag and waited for Eliza to do the same so they could walk down to the Great Hall for breakfast. The large room was slowly filling with sleepy students. Eliza sat across from Padma and Stewart Ackerly, a quiet third year. She tore a chunk of bread and ate quietly, still mostly asleep. She tried to recall all of the things her mother had told her about her own schooling when she was young, her mother's memory gave her a vague notion of what to expect of this place.

The first day of classes passed without much trouble. She had gone to Herbology with the Slytherins, Defense Against the Dark Arts with Gryffindor and History of Magic with Hufflepuff. Madam Sprout reminded her of her grandmother and only reprimanded her slightly for telling Millicent Bulstrode that she was going to carve her eyes out with a spoon. Well, she was insulting her favorite bandana, after all. The Defense professor was some refined witch by the name of Emmeline Vance, quite keen on sigils. Eliza was surprised to find the professor of History of Magic was, in fact, a ghost. A boring old daft as well. Eliza spent the time polishing her hook. The Hufflepuffs looked uneasy.

She was just finishing her dinner and speaking to Orla Quirke on the finer points of swashbuckling when Cho Chang, a seventh year sat down next to her.

"Hello Eliza, I'm Cho. I'm Head Girl and I was so busy yesterday that I didn't get a chance to meet you." The girl held out her hand to shake.

Eliza liked her instantly. Her smile was trustworthy and her voice was songbirds. Eliza took her hand and shook it aggressively.

"Ahoy, Cho. No idea what the hell ye be talkin' about with that head girl business, o' course there was some fellow sayin' he was perfect last night. Nice to know our house be confident. Arrh!"

Cho tossed her head back and laughed. "Eliza, you're so silly! Head Girl and Boy are the student leaders for the year. Each house has six prefects, who are fifth, sixth and seventh year students. They help us run the student body and enforce the school rules. One of the Ravenclaw prefects is Anthony Goldstein. That's probably who you're talking about. I'm sure you met him in some of your classes today. Padma is one too." She smiled over to the Indian girl.

"Oh, right. That Goldstein fellow's a prefect. That makes more sense I suppose. Head Girl be the captain and the prefects are the mates?" Eliza smiled, the hierarchy of the student body clicked into place in her head. "Ye may call me Izza if yeh like, it be a nickname from the crew. That goes for the lot of yeh." Eliza pointed her hook around at the table with a furrowed brow. The other Ravenclaws smiled and shook their heads. Most of the things Eliza said in the last day had come off like a threat, but it was just her way.

"Well, if there is anything you need Izza, feel free to ask." Cho smiled, stood and left the Great Hall with a tall blue-haired fellow Eliza recognized to be Zack Hunter, a transfer student from Brazil. He was also in Ravenclaw, but seemed quite preoccupied by female population of Gryffindor to stay and chat. Eliza soon followed with Padma and Lisa back to the common room.

She decided that the rest of the evening should be spent unpacking and making her surroundings more familiar. She climbed the stairs to the dormitory alone, the other girls remained in the common room chatting. Eliza opened her chest and pulled out several of the clothing items, placing them in drawers and hanging them up. She had brought a few hats along, just in case, one never knew when you would need a good hat. One was a well plumed tri-corner hat that looked a lot like her father's, another was a French musketeer hat she had picked up on her travels. It was pinned up on the right side, not that Eliza did much in the way of archery, but it was still a nice style. She set both hats on the tops of the bedposts and continued pulling out items. She placed the picture of her parents on the dresser and her other personal items along side it. There was jewelry, school supplies, letters and a few decorative boxes here and there. Several rarities she had gathered on miscellaneous islands or ports. Her favorites were a few small ivory carvings of merfolk she had traded a pair of earrings for in the port of Yokohama.

Lastly, she took out a large Jolly Rodger with the symbol of The Defiant on it. It was a gift from the crew to send her on her way. The laughing skull looked around and winked at Eliza. She pinned the flag up on the wall behind her bed. It made a nice addition to the headboard. With the Jolly Rodger in place, and her things scattered about her area, she felt much better about calling Hogwarts her home away from home. Mandy came through the door of the dormitory and let out a stifled scream. The laughing skull stuck its tongue out at her.

"Izza! That thing scared me half to death." Mandy sat down on her bed and looked around at Eliza's things. "What is it?"

"Oh, it be the flag from my father's ship. The crew all signed it for me on the back. Buncha softies at heart." Eliza smiled and shook her head. Thinking of the last time she saw her father, she was astonished that it was only yesterday morning, it felt like ages.

"Well. It's quite interesting... Is that a picture of your parents? May I see?" Mandy inquired.

"Aye. Here ye go." Eliza took the frame and passed it to Mandy.

"She's very beautiful. You look a lot like both of them. Are they standing on your ship?"

"Aye, that they be."

"Izza, why are you here? I mean, you came to school so late, why didn't you just finish school where you were?" Mandy asked, handing the photo back to Eliza.

Lisa, Padma and Sally-Anne were walking into the room as Eliza started to speak. They sat down on their beds, listening quietly with genuine interest. Eliza sat on the top of her chest, holding the picture of her laughing mother and wistful father.

"I were born on th' Defiant, my father's ship. I never intended to leave it. Some things change though. My mother taught me, day in and day out from th' time I were five years old. I learned th' art of magic under her careful watch," she paused and stroked the photo with her fingers. "My father has made many enemies over his lifetime. Thar be seawizards who would see him dead in an instant, not without cause mind you, my father be a pyrate, and that name doesn't come without warranted connotations. However, thar are those pyrates who are cruel beyond... beyond." She waved her hand, trying to emphasize a point for which she didn't have a word. "He knew that Mephisto Munroe, the villain-" she hissed his name with thick venom, "-were after him. We all knew. But time passed, and thar were no attack. We thought...everyone thought that he had given up th' chase. We had taken port on a small island in th' Caribbean. We stayed almost a month, gatherin' supplies and givin' th' crew leave. Th' night before we were to shove off...my mother, may she rest in peace, went for a walk along th' shore, she always loved th' feel of sand beneath her feet." There was a pause; Eliza mustered the mental strength to finish. "She...she never returned. We waited days, my father and his crew tore up th' village...searching... on the third night a small row boat glided towards the side of th' Defiant." Eliza stopped speaking now, and only remembered.

The rowboat gently rubbed against the side of the ship, wood scrapping wood. Eliza heard the crew screaming and crying out. She walked slowly forward, unable to stop her feet from carrying her closer to the sight she new would rip her up. Her hand crawled along the rail, holding her upright.

"Eliza! No! Don't look!" One of the crew tried to restrain her, sickening distress filling his expression.

She tore through his arms and leaned over the rail. She could hear screaming, ear piercing and full of pain, it was ceaseless. Her mother's body lay lifeless and bloodied. Not even set in the boat with respect, just tossed inside and sent to be found. Her dark hair was matted with her own blood. The white robes were marred, stained dark. Her body was broken. Eliza realized the screaming was her own, uncontrolled and unyielding. Her father was at her side now, trying to shield her away from the lifeless form of the women he loved so deeply.

"My mother were inside." Her voice came quietly. "She were murdered... tortured." There were no tears now, only venom.

"She were my Mother! MY MOTHER!" she pounded her fist uncontrollably onto the table.

"AND I AM YER FATHER!" His face, red with anger, red with fear.

"I want to see him die, I want to see him in as much pain-"

"No."

"No? No!? How can ye say that? How can ye send me away? I deserve to fight along side ye. I NEED TO!"

"No," he was firm, but not angry. "I be th' reason yer mother is dead. It be me he were after. I will not have yer blood stainin' my decks as well. Thar be no discussion about this, Eliza. Yer too young, and too much of a target. I won't have ye near."

She sobbed bitterly and sunk into the chair.

"Where will I go? To grandfather's?"

"No, Munroe knows where the Count and Countess are and that it be likely to send ye there. He'll be watching all of the Ethereal Islands. I'm sending ye to England. To school. Yer other grandfather retired in London many years before ye were born. He has since died, but I still have many friends thar. Yer mother would have wanted ye to finish yer learnin'. Become a full-fledged witch just like her. School in th' Americas is out of the question. He'd look for ye thar as well, and thar not as well protected. I've made arrangements with th' Headmaster at Hogwarts. th' Defiant is already heading toward the English coast."

"And I don't have a say in it?"

"The decision has been made. I need to know that ye are safe before I go after Munroe. I don't know how long it will be. Ye won't leave England until I come for yeh. I will give ye contacts of those whom I trust in London so that ye can spend the summer holidays with them, if thar be a need. I suspect thar will be."

Eliza sat defeated.

"My father is huntin' down Munroe. He didn't want me to be a target for Munroe to use against him. So he sent me here." She sighed. "Perhaps for good. I don't know when I will see him again. I don't know if he'll ever write, being afraid to disclose my location or his own...I hope he tears that vile creature limb from limb. I want to see him hung, strugglin' against unforgivin' rope for breath! Thar ain't a night that I don't envision him screamin' for mercy." Eliza's voice was so filled with hate it chilled the room.

Lisa walked over to Eliza and put her arms around her. She spoke softly, "Oh, Izza. I'm so sorry."

The other girls slid forward and did the same. She found their affection eased the pain and cooled her anger. The group embrace was so very foreign to her, knowing little feminine touch besides her mother and grandmother.

"It be alright. Thank ye." The girls loosened their hold on their new roommate, their new friend.

"Ahoy, Izza! Scalawag will rip his throat out! Squawk!" The parrot whistled, bobbing his head. Eliza and the others burst into laughter.

"Aye, Scalawag, ye'll get your chance some day, and be a huge hero!" More laughter.

"Izza? Can I...Can I try on your hat?" Mandy asked, furthering the lightened mood.

"Arrr...go a head," Eliza grinned as Mandy stood and plucked the musketeer hat from the bed.

The rest of the evening was spent in good humor as the girls got to know Eliza Smythe and shared with her their own histories.

***

In the morning, Eliza rolled out of bed and hit the floor with a loud thud. Her head felt as though she had poured a bottle of rum down her throat the night before. She cursed violently before pushing herself to her feet. Lisa just looked at her, shaking her head.

"You, my dear, are not a morning person."

"Be it that easy to tell?" Eliza proceeded to get ready, grumbling to herself another myriad of obscenities.

Today, she had Care of Magical Creatures, Potions and Transfiguration. She was actually looking forward to it. She knew Hagrid would be teaching Care of Magical Creatures, a subject that she loved. Well, sea creatures anyway. Potions was one of her favorite subjects as well. Her grandmother was the island guru of special brews. On the occasions they would visit, Eliza would sit for hours watching the Countess in her kitchen, preparing bottles of potions to send along with the ship. Transfiguration sparked her interest, regardless of the stern faced professor she new would be teaching it.

"Ugg. Potions. At least we're still with Hufflepuff," Sally-Anne said with disdain.

Eliza barely swallowed her toast before she spoke, "What be so bad about potions?"

"Well, it's not the subject. Just that it's with Professor Snape. He's dreadful and spiteful. He hates everyone except for the Slytherins and is always unfair."

Eliza waved off the comment; she had dealt with all sorts of personalities on The Defiant. Butting heads with an arrogant git wouldn't be anything new. They finished their meals and headed outside to meet Hagrid at his cottage. The students talked excitedly, wondering what crazy animal Hagrid would bring out today. Most of the Ravenclaws seemed to treat this subject with a bit of jest and Eliza was unsure as to why. The Hufflepuffs, however, were cheerful and optimistic.

The giant man walked up from over the hill, calling to the class to follow him back down to the lake. The students were surprised, expecting him to emerge from his cabin. Once they reached the lakeshore they were greeted with a snort from an odd looking creature, playfully lying in the water. It had the head of a horse and beautiful sea foam color mane dripping with water. Its forelegs were strong and shaped like the front legs of a horse, but ended in webbed paws. Its body curled into that of fish, a blend of scales and horsehair. It snorted again, kicking water up toward where Hagrid was standing.

"This is a Hippocampus. It is half horse and half fish. It is said that mighty Neptune uses one of these as his steed. Th' merfolk often domesticate them and use them as workhorses, so ta speak. Now, the important thing to remember with the Hippocampus is that it has the ability to alter yer mood if yeh get close enough. Yeh don't want to alarm it or cause it to mistrust yeh, much like it's cousin the Hippogryph. But unlike its cousin, the Hippocampus won't attack, but it will set off your panic button and we'll have to be pulling yeh out of a tree. Ha! Ha! Alrigh' don't be shy, pull up your robes and take off yer shoes. Th' water is a bit cold."

Many of the class took off their shoes reluctantly, looking into each other's faces to decide how they felt about this lesson. Eliza however had tossed her robe aside and was hopping on one foot trying to get both boots off simultaneously. She ran into the water, her socks still on.

"Alright Eliza? Good to see yer fittin' in with your classes."

"Ahoy Hagrid! Wonderful lesson! I just luv hippocampus."

She kneeled, soaking the bottom of her skirt, to pet the beast. It responded warmly to her and nuzzled against her hand. Eliza immediately felt elated. The hippocampus, having decided she wasn't a threat, filled her with jovial emotion. The other students now wandered into the water, grimacing at its icy feel. The rest of the class was spent learning how to feed the hippocampus. Hagrid told them that they would be focusing on the lake creatures this year. Eliza was very happy with this, she knew how to handle water animals.

The class wandered back to the castle. Hagrid had let them go a few minutes early so they didn't worry about rushing to the Potions classroom. They stopped off at the dormitory to pick up their cauldrons and ingredients. The girls lead the way down to the dungeons. The dank air made Eliza think back to exploring the bottom of the ship's holds when she was younger. The classroom looked like a classic horror flick, it perfectly reflected the professor who sat at in a desk at the front. Most of the students suddenly became interested in their shoes or the contents of their notebooks. No conversations were carried out. Eliza sat next to a girl named Hannah Abbott, she was a Hufflepuff. Hannah looked mortified.

Snape started the lesson at precisely the correct time. He strutted about the room, listing off ingredients and their importance. Several of the students looked flustered with the speed at which he directed. At long last he sat with disdain and bid them to work on their potion. Eliza began preparing her ingredients. They were making a simple lightening potion. A few sips and the drinker would become almost as light as a feather. Hannah looked perplexed. Eliza continued working meticulously. The work calmed her and she thought of her grandmother again.

"Miss Smythe, I don't believe I told you to mutilate those moth wings," Snape hissed from his desk, eyeing Eliza's work.

"Sir, by mashing them thoroughly the effect of the potion will be extended by at least five minutes," Eliza said simply and continued her work without even looking up.

Snape clenched his teeth. "Do as you're told, Miss Smythe. Cutting them will suffice for our use." He was angry, but the emotion was lost on Eliza, who dropped what was left of the wings into her cauldron. In her head she was humming a low deep song her grandmother used to sing while she worked. It was enough to even block out the fact Snape was striping the Ravenclaws of five points for her attitude.

The afternoon drifted into view, and Eliza found herself sitting in the transfiguration classroom. She sat in the back of the room, Lisa Turpin took the chair on her right. The rest of the Ravenclaws and the Slytherins entered and took their seats. On her left was a pair of sneering boys. She recognized the pointy blonde one from her shopping day at Diagon Ally. He glanced in her direction. She met his cold, gray glare with a cryptic smile. They still had several minutes before the class would start. Lisa was discussing an Arithmancy assignment with Padma who sat in front of her. Millicent Bulstrode walked in and shot daggers at Eliza. Eliza hoped she dreamed of spoons.

She took out her transfiguration book and began reading through it. She wasn't sure how much she had learned compared to the other students. She knew Professor McGonagall would not let her off easy for not having been in school before. She focused on the words, some of which were quite familiar. To her left a growing voice became apparent.

"...Honestly, that Muggle-lover will let anyone in this school. She looks like a vagabond. Like common trash. How disgracing! Gods, look at her legs, what tart wears striped tights-"

His words were cut short by an unmistakable feel of a cold steel point tugging on his Adam's apple. Draco chanced a look down, his fears realized. Eliza's left arm was extended, her hook crossed his neck. He shifted his eyes along her arm. She hadn't even moved, her face was still looking in the transfiguration text, her other hand casually leafing through pages, her eyes scanning the words.

"Ever heard of the phrase...Cut...throat?" She said, checking Draco's expression in the corner of her eye, as the words registered. "Vagabond's have no home. I have, its called Th' Defiant. I believe I have made my...point." She accented the last word with a slight tug. Draco held back a gulp.

"Miss Smythe! Release Mr. Malfoy! I will not tolerate this behavior in my classroom! Detention and five points from Ravenclaw. You are going to have to learn there are rules here, I suggest you learn them." Professor McGonagall's voice came sharply.

Eliza withdrew her arm and continued reading.

"Malfoy, I wouldn't cross Izza. I heard she once killed seven men in a single afternoon...and Professor McGonagall may not be there next time to save you," Padma whispered to the sulking pale thing. She winked at Eliza. And this was how her relationship was established with Draco Malfoy.