Susan Vitalis and the Orb of Flame

"Have fun at school, kids," Alicia said, waving to Susan and Timothy. "We'll miss you."

"Don't get into too much trouble while you're there," Fred warned them with a wry smirk.

"I promise not to get expelled," Timothy said, saying nothing about avoiding doing anything that wouldn't actually get him expelled.

The students were piling into a bright purple bus that didn't look at all as if it could hold them all from the outside. As Susan and Tim approached the bus, Penny came running up to them. "Susan, I'm here!"

Susan smiled and waved to her friend. "Let's get seats on the bus together."

Penny looked oddly at the bus and said, "How is it going to fit everyone?"

"Well, magic, of course," Susan replied.

When they stepped aboard the bus, it became pretty apparent that it seemed much larger on the inside than on the outside. There were rows upon rows of comfortable-looking seats, and Penny stumbled a bit in surprise as she looked at it. Someone behind them almost ran into her when she paused and said irritably, "Hey, keep moving!"

Susan dragged her along and took some seats by a window, and said, "I'm so excited! Finally going to Walton!"

"I can't believe I'm going to learn magic," Penny said. "I keep thinking I'm going to wake up at any moment and find that the last few months have all been a dream."

Susan put her hand on her shoulder reassuringly. "It's not a dream, Penny. It's very, very real, and I'm sure one day you'll be a great witch."

The students settled down into their seats, talking quietly amongst themselves until a middle-aged witch near the front of the bus rang a bell, calling for their attention. "We will be leaving in five minutes for Walton. Please try to remain seated unless you require use of the lavatory near the back of the bus. We will be arriving in Walton in about an hour."

Shortly, everyone was aboard and seated and quieted down somewhat, and the bus headed out toward Walton. Although it seemed to move on the Muggle streets, the Muggles did not seem to see it at all, or think it was anything unusual. Penny peered out the window as if trying to trace where they were going, but ended up getting hopelessly confused as the bus took a twisted, convoluted route through the streets that seemed to make no sense whatsoever.

"Oh, look, it's the blood traitor Vitalis and her Mudblood pet," said a voice from behind them. Susan peered over the back of her seat and made a face. Two of the boys who had harassed them on Fifth and a Half Street had scooted into the seats behind them and were poking at them annoyingly.

"Why don't you pick on somebody your own size?" Penny snapped back at them, surprising Susan with her sudden confidence.

"Or what, Mudblood?"

Tim's voice from behind them said, "Or I'll tell Mrs. Herrera that you've been bothering your classmates and calling them dirty names." He was sitting in the row behind the first year boys, and one of his friends was with him as well. It was Frank Price, a muscular seventeen year old who Susan recognized as one of the Beaters on Tim's Quidditch team.

The boys grumbled a bit and sunk low in their chairs unhappily, but they apparently didn't want to mess with a pair of seventh years, so they quickly skulked back to their own gang again. "Thanks, Tim," Susan said as Tim took the seat the boys had vacated.

"Heh. No problem. What's a big brother for?" He ruffled her hair playfully.

The rest of the trip passed uneventfully, and they rode out of the city and through the forest and arrived soon enough in the little town of Walton. The school lay along the highway running through mountains and forests from Eugene to Florence. It had been founded in 1884, making it a very new school to the wizarding world. To Muggles passing along on the highway, they saw only the old Walton store, nothing remarkable about it. They had no idea what lay beyond the false exterior and strong spells of protection.

The bus pulled off the highway and past the store, out of sight and out of mind, and came to a stop some way from the highway. Mrs Herrera stood up at the front of the bus and announced, "We have arrived at Walton. Everyone please file off the bus in an orderly manner. First years, please wait to be escorted to the school beside the mermaid fountain."

The students proceeded to file off the bus more or less as they were told, only pushing and teasing one another a bit as they came out into the town of Walton once again. The large fountain Mrs. Herrera had mentioned was not difficult to find, consisting of a statue depicting three merpeople spouting water from their mouths into a wide basin. Mrs. Herrera stood nearby as the first year students gathered around the fountain, but the older students went on ahead.

Several large, colorful pieces of cloth covered in exquisite patterns were brought out, and Susan nudged Penny and said, "Look! Flying carpets!"

The carpets were arranged and five first year students were carefully ushered onto each one. Susan took a seat next to Penny on a carpet along with an overweight boy, a Latino kid with glasses, and a boy with freckles. One by one, the brightly colored carpets rose into the air and above the treetops, and as they slowly moved on toward the school they got an excellent view of the area. Nestled in a little valley the trees parted to reveal gardens and greenhouses, and over to the left past an open area they saw the Quidditch pitch with the stands around it for seating. Beyond that stood the school itself, all brick and wood standing several stories tall.

"Wow!" Penny breathed. "It's almost like a castle, except not really."

Susan giggled at her description of it. The carpets took a full circle around the school and came around to the front again and landed in the yard before the main doors. They came down hovering a foot above the grass, and the students hopped off and were led into the school by Mrs. Herrera.

The older students were already sitting at seven long tables in the main hall, each table decorated in different colors and bearing the symbol of the House they represented. A red flame, a black hourglass, a silver sword, a green leaf, a blue book, a white feather, and a gold coin. At the front of the room, a dusty wide-brimmed hat was sitting on a stool. Once all the first years were inside, Mrs. Herrera called for silence, and the hat inexplicably began to sing.

Over a hundred years ago, seven wizards came
From all about this great wide world to come together here
To carry on the teaching and to pass along the flame,
And provide a haven where their pupils need not fear.

The first was Vindicus Venari, willful, proud, and great.
The fire of passion burned in him, and magic was his love.
He cared for his own and nurtured them, but had much rage and hate.
He selected students whose emotions rose above.

Then came Tamerlane Telana, patient, old, and wise.
Her students thus she picked of those who listened and took things slow,
Although she'd come to change the world, to all things comes a price -
Consider long the road you take before you choose to go.

Now Cristobal Korata was a noble, valiant man.
His students he chose for honor and the courage in their hearts,
Unafraid to do what's right when troubled times began.
Always he and his would stand boldly 'gainst the Dark Arts.

A peaceful, quiet, honest man was Andrew Astakal
Who picked his students for respect and balance in their souls.
To let the seasons come and go was only natural.
He taught there is far more to life than written on the scrolls.

Nadia Glemarn was a meditative kind.
She'd take her time and let the world flow about her fast.
Her students learned the greatest power comes from in your mind.
To change the world, they'd change themselves, and ever they would last.

And Solana Handene was a flighty, playful witch
Whose students saw in every thing a glimmer of truth and joy,
To carry love of life themselves, the lives they would enrich,
To flit about and bring a smile, but some they might annoy.

Last, Pajik Mevrasi had his cunning and his wit.
He picked his pupils cleverly, not for brilliance or for might,
But for their willingness to do far more than they'd admit.
That they succeed by any means stood more than being right.

So step forth, you, and try me on, that I may take a peek
Into your heart, into your head, to see what I can see
And figure out where you might go for what each House may seek.
And when we're through, turn 'round and greet your school-year family.

As the old hat finished its song, Mrs. Herrera announced, "First years, please come forward to be sorted when your name is called. Anthony, Pardus!"

The overweight boy who had sat in front of Susan on the carpet scuttled forward and put on the hat. After a few long seconds, the hat called out, "Astakal!"

The students sitting at the table decorated in green applauded, and Pardus bounced over to them happily. One by one, Mrs. Herrera announced the names of the first year students, and they each repeated the process, coming up and putting on the hat and being sorted into their respective Houses.

"Blake, Jonathan" became a Telana and "Blake, Vanessa" became a Glemarn. "Brightman, Christina" got sorted into Mevrasi.

"Hawkins, Casey!" A girl with dirty blonde hair went up and become a Korata.

"Johnson, Penelope!" called Mrs. Herrera. Penny grimaced a bit at the name, but went forward and put down the hat over her head as the others had done.

Susan about held her breath as the hat seemed to think deeply over the decision. Finally, it shouted, "Mevrasi!" Susan was a bit surprised at that, as in the brief time she had known her, the Muggle-born girl hadn't really displayed any really Mevrasi tendencies, but Penny seemed content enough as she took her seat at the Mevrasi table. More students continued to be sorted as Susan waited for her name to be called.

"Nichols, Armin!" Susan recognized the scrawny boy that went up as her first cousin on her mother's side. He became a Glemarn.

"Roblero, Fidel!" The Latino boy she had seen earlier went up and became a Korata.

"Tratch, Jami!" Mrs. Herrera announced. Susan recognized this one. It was the boy who had harassed her and Penny at Fifth and a Half Street and on the bus. She hoped that he wouldn't get Mevrasi as well, for Penny's sake if she didn't get put there too.

"Venari!" declared the hat. Jami Tratch gave a broad grin as he joined his friends at the Venari table.

"Vitalis, Susan!"

This was it. She darted up eagerly and grabbed the hat and put it down over her head. "Hmm, interesting," whispered a voice in her ear. "A good deal of power there. A fine amount of loyalty as well. Not always very patient, though. And with a certain disregard for the rules, I'll have to say Mevrasi!" This last word was shouted aloud to the room.

Susan beamed as she pulled the cap off her head and ran over to the Mevrasi table, hugging Penny enthusiastically. "You got Mevrasi too!" Penny said. "Why did that singing hat's song sound so critical of them - us - though?"

"I guess every House has its good bits and its bad," Susan said.

An older student from across the table leaned over and said, "Yeah, don't let it bother you. People call us sneaky, manipulative, backstabbing, untrustworthy..." He snorted softly. "Maybe some of us are, certainly, but not everyone. No, we're smart. Not like Glemarn is smart. We're smart enough to not have to be smart. We're the creative, innovative sorts who look beyond established methods and rules and come up with original ways of doing things nobody ever thought of doing before."

"You make doing what you're not supposed to do sound so classy," Penny observed.

They were called to silence again, a middle-aged wizard at the staff table stood up and said, "Before we begin the welcoming feast, I have a few words to say. First of all, I bid welcome to all new and returning students this year. As many of you may know already, I am your Principal, Dionysius Antares. I hope you all learn much this year, and remember to abide by the rules." He gave a sidelong glance over toward the Mevrasi table and added, "Even you, Mevrasis." The kids at the Mevrasi table sniggered a bit at that. "And now, let us feast."

The tables were suddenly filled with a wide array of delicious-looking foods of all sorts. Penny looked startled for a moment, but proceeded to help herself to the food after a moment. The boy across the table chuckled softly at her and said, "By the way, my name's Rudy Blake. It's my fourth year. I hope you do well in Mevrasi. For all they might say about us, we do look after our own. I remember what it was like being a first year myself. It seems like yesterday I was walking through those doors, confused as could be."

"Are you Muggle-born too?" Penny asked.

Rudy shook his head. "Not exactly, but I was raised by them. My father's a wizard, but I never knew him much. From what I hear, he had quite the thing for Muggle women. Apparently I have half-siblings from twelve different states."

Penny's eyes widened a bit at that, but Susan only chuckled.

After the feast, they were shown to their Houses. The common room had a comfortable fire crackling merrily on the fireplace, and several chairs, tables, and couches arranged around the room for studying, playing wizard chess, or whatnot. Several paintings decorated the walls and waved to the students cheerfully as they came in.

"Ah, another year at Walton!" said a painting of a man with a mustache. "Welcome all!"

Penny jumped in surprise at the painting talking, and whispered, "Who is that?"

"That's our founder, Pajik Mevrasi," Rudy explained. "Don't be scared. He won't bite."

"Er, I'm sorry," Penny said to the painting. "Hello, pleased to meet you."

"Never seen a wizard painting before, have you?" Mevrasi said from the painting. "Muggle-born, are you?" Penny nodded. "Now, back when I attended Durmstrang, that's another wizard school over in Europe by the way, they were rather more picky about people's heritage. Tsk. They didn't know what they were missing out on. Oftentimes it's the half-bloods and Muggle-borns that come up with greater innovation than those dead-set in their traditions. They'd do well not to underestimate them so."

"In other words, we 'think outside the box'?" Penny said.

"Or the picture frame, as the case may be," Mevrasi said with a wink.

It was getting late, so Susan headed in for her dormitory to get settled in for the night, leaving Penny to chat with the painting of Mevrasi for the moment. Her belongings had already been brought up to her room, although they hadn't been unpacked yet. Penny's luggage was sitting at the end of the bed next to hers. Susan was too tired to unpack right now, though, so she just put on her pajamas and climbed into bed. It could wait until morning.

---

They started classes the next day and began to settle into a routine. Susan kept an eye out for Jami Tratch and his cronies trying to bother them, but they didn't usually dare do more than poke them when Timothy or Rudy were around. Otherwise, they just went along with their classes for the most part. At least the only classes they had together were Herbology and Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"You're so much better at Potions than me," Susan said with a bit of a sigh one day at lunch. "I don't know how you do it. I do everything it says but it doesn't turn out quite as good as yours."

"Well, there's more to it than just what it says," Penny replied. "Besides, you're way better than me at Charms. I mean, you might not have levitated that feather on your first try, but at least it did something other than just sit there."

"I don't think setting things on fire instead of making them float into the air was quite what Mrs. Betts had in mind, though," Susan said dryly.

"At least you got it on the third try. Third time's the charm, I guess."

On the way from lunch to their next class, which was Transfiguration, they stopped by the girl's restroom. When they stepped out of the restroom again, they saw Jami Tratch and three of his buddies waiting for them outside. Susan stopped dead in her tracks and gave the boys a dirty look, and said, "What do you want?"

"Look, boys, it's the blood traitor and the Mudblood away from their babysitters," Jami said, poking Susan repeatedly. "Let's show them what we think of them."

The four Venari boys proceeded to bombard them with minor, annoying jinxes. Susan tried to block what she could, but she felt pimples breaking out all over her face. One of the larger boys punched her in the nose, and she felt something wet running down her face.

Mercifully, a teacher appeared from the end of the corridor and demanded, "What is going on here?"

The boys quickly backed off and tried to look innocent. "Nothing, Mrs. Rose." Susan wiped her face, but her hand came back red.

"Get off to class right now," she said to the boys. "Five points from Venari for each of you, and detention." Jami and his friends scurried off to class before they lost more points. Mrs. Rose turned to the girls and cast a couple quick spells to remove the pimples and stop the bleeding. "I don't think anything is broken. I will escort you to class."

Susan rubbed her nose a bit as if to make sure it wasn't broken, and glanced over at Penny to determine if she was all right as well. Mrs. Rose led them off to their Transfigurations class. When the three of them stepped inside, Mr. Moore looked at them disapprovingly and opened his mouth to say something about them being late, but closed it again when he saw Mrs. Rose with them. As the girls took their seats, she quietly took the Transfiguration teacher aside and explained why they were late. He frowned and nodded, and let their tardiness pass.

After class, Penny whispered fervently to Susan, "Why are they so hostile toward us? It can't be just because my parents are Muggles."

Susan sighed and shrugged. "Some are worse about it than others. Venaris are all hotheads anyway. I hope they get expelled."

Rudy caught up with them, coming out from his own Potions class, "They won't be. Venaris are given far too much leeway on that account. They'll get away with nothing but lost points, detentions, and maybe they'll have to attend Anger Management classes, but they won't expel them for something like that."

"Well, that doesn't sound very fair," Penny said.

"Life isn't always fair," Rudy said. "That's why a good Mevrasi needs to learn to make it unfair in your favor." He winked at them. "Just because they won't get expelled that way doesn't mean there's nothing you can do about it..."