Harry Potter and the Ancient Order

Chpt. 16. Foreign Arrivals

The Hogwarts students lined the Entrance Hall Saturday morning grouped together by year, except for the Quidditch teams. The Gryffindor team was, however, mingling with the Hogwarts All-Stars, talking about the upcoming tournament. Malfoy and Davies still remained off to the side, their strange new friendship apparently blossoming. Harry had always thought Roger Davies as an O.K. person, if not slightly egotistical, until his run-in with Cho this year. His belittlement of her in front of the whole school still rang loudly in his ears and never failed to begin a rush of anger on sight. Perhaps it was the fact that Cho had shot him down so readily in favor of Harry's company that he was on such good terms with Malfoy; they now had a common enemy. On the other hand, it wasn't exactly uncommon for a Ravenclaw to befriend a Slytherin, as Ravenclaw had on most occasions remained neutral in the inter-house feuds.

The Quidditch players were speculating on which countries would be competing. There would be six total, including the Hogwarts team, as the host school had an automatic entry. Fred and George were convinced that Durmstrang would field a team even though Krum had graduated and taken on coaching responsibilities for the All-Stars. Alicia was commenting on Europe's historical dominance of Quidditch and figured that it would be an all-Euro field. Angelina didn't care who would be there, she just wanted to compete against the best in the world as she planned on following in Oliver Wood's footsteps and going pro after she graduated from Hogwarts and wanted to see if it would be worth the shot.

Since Hogwarts had the automatic bid, they would have a slight disadvantage in allowing the other teams see them play in game conditions as they would all be attending the Hogwarts Championship match next week. Harry was slightly nervous at this fact, as he rarely liked to play without some sort of scouting report of the opposing team. Xander was the only Gryffindor on the Slytherin-dominated All-Stars, which made Harry feel better about his chances of advancing. He had yet to lose to Slytherin and thought that there was little reason to think this would be any different.

"How many different countries have you gone to school in?" Harry asked, turning to Xander. He hoped to be able to get some sort of information about the other teams before he played them.

"A different school every year so far, so this is my fifth," Xander said. "I've studied in America, Germany, Russia, and Canada so far, but I never played Quidditch for Russia. Their government was very strict about a non-citizen playing any sports."

Xander stopped talking as the first carriage arrived, sporting a German flag across the side. About fifty or so more carriages followed the first, though smaller than the lead, with students hanging out of the windows waving flags and singing their National Anthem. Dumbledore took the lead in welcoming the Germans, clapping loudly until the whole of Hogwarts joined him. The enormous lead carriage opened up, and seven students stepped out dressed in their Quidditch robes. Harry immediately noticed two large and confident-looking players, as the rest of the team was very thin.

"Who're they?" he asked Xander. Even Malfoy and Davies wandered over to listen to the scouting report, though said nothing.

"The one with the black hair is Jason Waldron, the other Rich Kirkum. Forgive me," he nodded to Fred and George, "but they are the two best beaters I've ever seen. If they fly towards you, get out of the way. There's no way you'll stay on your broom if they hit you. I've seen Kirkum hit a bludger so hard it exploded."

"Oh, man," moaned Katie Bell. "How'd they got so big? Are they even our age?"

"Oh, yeah, they're both a year younger than me. Steroids. Had to sit out a year once it was found they were using them. Spent the year constantly in the weight room, so they only got bigger." The two enormous (they even dwarfed Crabbe and Goyle) beaters noticed Xander and walked over.

"OY! Majere! Had no idea you'd be here. What up you little fucker?" Kirkum punched Xander very hard in the shoulder, causing him to sway to the side and grimace slightly.

"What up, Ritchie! Waldo! Don't you assholes stop lifting?"

"What for?" asked Waldo, looking very confused at the prospect of life without weightlifting.

"Never mind," grinned Xander. "Gimmie a bone." Xander held out his closed fist, and both Waldo and Kirkum touched their fists to it in return before going back to their school's assembly.

"Why do they talk so violently?" asked Alicia, who was busy trying to pop Xander's shoulder back into socket before magically healing the joint.

"They still use an over-the-counter Muggle drug to replace steroids. Not as strong, but strong enough to give them 'Roid Rage," he answered between winces as his shoulder released a loud POP! when it was finally back in socket. Dumbledore was busily chatting up the German Headmaster when the next convoy of carriages arrived, this time displaying the Canadian flag.

"Kariya's here," said Xander, noticing one of the players that stepped out, wearing white Quidditch robes with a big red maple leaf on the back. "That's Paul Kariya, there," he pointed to a tall but thin young man, who looked to be the same age as Xander. "He's a really good seeker, one of the better fliers you'll ever see. Tends to show off. He shies away from physical play, so bump him a little and he'll back off. Yo, Paul!" he cried, motioning to Kariya.

"Majere! You're in England this year, eh?" Kariya answered, striding over and shaking hands with Xander. "Beautiful day today, eh? Good friends, great reception, feelin' the flow, workin' it. So I'll be playing against you, eh?"

"Not just yet," said Xander. "Still have to win a match before the tourney starts. Oh, Coach Trottier is callin' you. We'll catch up later," he finished, shaking hands once again.

"Rather odd, isn't he?" asked Harry. He and Ron were busy stifling sniggers as Kariya talked.

"It's the accent, mostly," Xander told them. "He studies Yoga. Says it puts him 'in touch with the Vibe'. Hard to argue, though, he's got eyes in the back of his head. Watch out for his feints."

"What about the rest of the team?" asked Angelina. "They don't look like much. Tiny blokes."

"I don't really know them that well, I haven't been to Canada in three years. I don't doubt that they have a good Keeper, though. Most of their Keepers go on to play pro Hockey these days," Xander noticed more than one quizzical look at the mention of Hockey. "A Muggle sport. Pays more than Quidditch does in North America. I'm willing to bet that their beaters aren't all that good, though. They concentrate on offense mostly. Don't let their Quaffle-handling get to you, though. They usually assign one Chaser as a sniper, and the other two will go to great lengths to get him into position to score. I was their sniper for a year."

Russia and Australia arrived in similar fashion. The Aussies were very friendly, however, and chatted up Xander for many minutes. They were immensely pleased to meet the Quidditch players Xander introduced them to, but Malfoy outright snubbed their handshakes as Australia was known to have a great liking for Muggle-born witches and wizards. They became nearly ecstatic when they met Harry, and kept shaking his hand and slapping him on the back until Harry was sure he had broken a rib or two.

"How do you know them?" asked Ron, still laughing at Harry, who had been knocked to the ground by a particularly hard but well-meaning clap on the back.

"Met them in North America. Had a similar tournament there a few years back. If they ever try to sucker you into a drinking contest, walk away. I swear they have beer instead of blood in their veins," Xander smiled.

The Russians didn't stop to talk to Xander at all, and Harry suspected it had something to do with the sharp orders being barked by the militarily-dressed chaperones, who were busy keeping the entire school in an army-style march. They did, however, all turn and salute Xander as they walked past, even the adult school officials. All students, Hogwarts and foreign, stared at Xander, who looked extremely uncomfortable but was steadfastly returning the salute.

"What's that all about?" Alicia prompted as soon as the Russians took their place next to the Germans.

"It's a show of respect. I got along well with the Russians while I was there," said Xander, who refused all attempts at further questioning. Dumbledore smiled throughout the salute, and gave Xander a knowing nod accompanied with a wink before addressing the Russian officials. Harry secretly vowed to question Xander further on the topic in the future as he definitely didn't want to answer further at the present time.

Hogwarts, along with the four other countries, stood on the front lawn awaiting the arrival of the last congregation. Some were growing rather impatient at the wait, which had now extended to fifteen minutes since the arrival of the Russians. Many Hogwarts students were sighing in irritation, grumbling about rudeness and tardiness. The Germans and Australians were now badly singing drinking songs, swaying to the beat of their loud display. The Canadians were talking amongst themselves, keeping their tone down and not a few were giving disapproving sidelong glances at the German/Aussie gathering. The Russians still held their ranks in such order that would have made any general proud, not speaking a word.

Just as Ron was moaning "Oh come on already," the front lawn grew very quiet as they heard a rumbling in the distance that sounded like thunder. Growing steadily louder, many students were looking tentatively towards the sky, half expecting an impromptu thunderstorm. Only when they saw a cluster of carriages circling above them did they realize that it was the last county to arrive.

"I knew it. It had to be," Xander grinned.

"What? What is it?" questioned Fred and George.

"Americans," stated Xander. He had the outward appearance of being thoroughly embarrassed, though he couldn't wipe the smile off his face. The lead carriage was enormous, even bigger than the Germans. Harry compared it in size to the flying carriage that the Beauxbatons delegation had arrived in last year for the Triwizard tournament. It had a flashy bright green paintjob on it and the windows were tinted. The wheels weren't made of wood, but rubber, and were mounted on shiny chrome rims. When it landed, Harry realized that the rumbling was actually coming from the lead carriage, and that it wasn't thunder. It was music, turned up very loud and the singer was rapping very harsh and rude lyrics. The whole carriage, although already grounded, lowered on its axles, only to bounce back up, first the front end then the rear. It carried on like this for several moments, causing it to bounce up and down. Xander only shook his head a smile.

"They can never resist showing off," he said.

"Why are they so late? It's terribly rude of them," said Hermione huffily.

"They don't consider it rude. They call it 'fashionably late'," Xander answered. Harry noticed how Xander kept referring to the Americans as 'they' and not 'we', which made Harry feel better about his loyalty to the Hogwarts team. "I can't believe they pimped out a carriage. They usually fly their cars wherever they go."

"Britain has a ban on bewitching cars," said Harry, who knew this law only too well.

"What about their team?" asked Angelina, who had already filled several rolls of parchment with Xander's scouting reports on the other teams and had her quill at the ready.

"Very flashy. But don't think that's a weakness. They still have some of the best players you'll ever see play the game. Most go on to play professional Muggle sports and become world famous. They hide their magic from the Muggles in favor of getting rich. Ever hear of Michael Jordan?" he asked, looking around and being answered with nods. Even in the wizarding world his name was mentioned a couple of times.

"He's really a wizard. You think a Muggle can jump like that? If the Muggles knew the real reason behind all of his clutch shots, they'd run him out of the country."

"Who's that?" asked Katie, pointing and staring at a tall and well-built black man.

"That's Michael Vick. You'll never find a stronger arm on a Chaser. Can hit the head of a needle from across the pitch flying at top speed." He looked at Ron and the Slytherin Keeper now, saying, "You'll want an eye on him at all times. Watch his shoulders, not his eyes. He has to square his shoulders before he shoots, and likes to shoot with a mess of chasers screening the Keeper. Even if you think he has a bad angle, don't take an eye off him when he has the quaffle. He can find a shooting lane even if one doesn't exist."

After Vick exited the carriage, two tall and dark-haired people followed, chatting among themselves and carrying well-cared-for beater's clubs. They paid little attention to their surroundings, and were knocking a baseball back and forth between each other, the ball never hitting the ground.

"There's Phil Nevin and J.D. Drew, the beaters," explained Xander. "I'm told they'll be pro baseball players after their schooling is over. Nobody hits a bludger farther than those two, but they're not exactly accurate. All they care about is baseball. If they get bored during a match, they'll have a contest on who can hit a bludger farther. I've seen Drew go five hundred feet before."

Next, a short blond girl appeared, and most boys did a double-take at the sight of her. Though she didn't do much fussing over her appearance, she was still quite stunning. Her hair was tied up in a bun, with some stray strands framing her pretty face. Her robes hugged her hips, effectively showing off her legs even through the loose material. It took Harry a moment to realize that Cho was standing next to him, though she thankfully didn't notice him stare.

"Brandy Chastain," said Xander, smirking at the goofy looks on Fred's and George's faces. "She goes to Salem Witch's Institute. A decent chaser, but is better at defense that offense."

Brandy gave a small wave to Xander before coming over to greet him. She gave him a small hug followed by a quick kiss, much to the dislike of Alicia.

"It's good to see you, how've you been?" Brandy asked Xander. She noticed most of the male Quidditch players looking at her and gave them a small smile before turning her attention back to Xander.

"Life's been good. Can't complain. Hear about Jason and Erica? They got hitched last year."

"Shut up, really?" shrieked Brandy. "How was the wedding?"

"Don't know, I was in Germany at the time," said Xander

"Still traveling then? When are you gonna settle down?" she asked.

Xander grinned. "Hopefully soon. Culture shock's a bite in the ass." He grabbed hold of Alicia's hand at this point, probably noticing her dislike that he was conversing so freely with another female. "This is my girlfriend, Alicia."

Brandy smiled as the girls exchanged greetings, Alicia's frown now gone and replaced with a pleased smile at being introduced as Xander's girlfriend. "Hi," she said sweetly, shaking Brandy's hand.

"You know, you're now the envy of every girl in my school," Brandy told her. "They're all dying to see Xander again. They'll be so disappointed now, though, they were all hoping for another shot with him." She nodded towards Xander, saying, "He turned down all their advances. They all thought he was playing hard-to-get."

"Stop," said Xander turning red and staring at the ground.

"Oh, we so have to talk later," said Alicia to Brandy, elbowing Xander in the ribs.

"I gotta go, Coach is calling me," said Brandy, giving Xander a last kiss on the cheek.

"Who's coaching this year?"

"Bobby Knight," Brandy told him, with obvious displeasure.

"Eurgh, good luck. Just blame your tardiness on me, you'll only have to do half the laps then," Xander said with a grin.

Brandy turned with a quick wave before jogging back to join her team. Many heads turned after she passed them.

"She's got a very small bit of veela left in her blood," explained Xander. "She's got a way of grabbing attention and uses it to her advantage."

"How do you know her?" asked Alicia, mocking jealousy and slapping his shoulder.

"I went to Houdini University for a year. All-boys school, but they share campus with Salem. Officially, the only fraternizing allowed between the two schools is supposed to be at the inter-mural dances once a month. Unofficially, the dorms become co-ed after eleven at night. Brandy challenged me to a basketball game one night, and I almost lost," Xander admitted with a sheepish smile. "We just started talking afterward. Don't worry, though," he said, spying a skeptical look from Alicia, "she's far more interested in her sports than boys. I've yet to see her hold a boyfriend for more than three days. They say she won't give them any 'attention'."

"Only adds fun to the hunt, mate," said Fred knowingly.

Their conversation was cut off by the appearance of a very tall black man, even taller than Vick. He wasn't in Quidditch robes, but was wearing a floor-length fur overcoat and outrageous sunglasses beneath a large afro. He met up with Vick, who was waiting for him by the door.

"Kobe Bryant," said Xander, though not too keenly. "He's only my age, but has already signed for millions to play pro basketball in America. The very definition of show-off. He's too good to be playing at this level, and playing with Vick only makes him that much more dangerous. I doubt you'll ever see a better chaser. Likes to show off his money," he said with distaste, as if he had just eaten a very unpleasant Every-Flavor Bean. "I'm sure that Carriage is all him."

Bryant and Vick ignored Coach Knight and walked over to Xander, each in turn clasping hands and touching shoulders with a few claps on the back of Xander. It actually looked a bit ridiculous when Xander greeted Bryant, his height dwarfing Xander by nearly a foot.

"My nigga," said Vick, witch a genuine look of relief at seeing Xander.

"Yo, how you doin'" Xander responded, a small smile on his lips. Harry was finding it quite funny how Xander's form of speech changed with every person who came to greet him. He was like a speech chameleon, changing his use of slang and formalness depending on who he was talking to.

"I gots three colleges offerin' me scholarships for football. My schoolin's free," he said, unable to hide a huge smile.

"Shizzle, my nizzle, College is a waste of time," Bryant interrupted. "Yo, Mij, tell this dumb mutha fucka that goin' pro's where the benjamins be."

"While you at it," returned Vick, "Tell this stupid nigga that you was never in Long Beach last summer. He say he saw you rollin' wit Suge. Bet his dumb black ass five c's he wuz wrong."

"Pay the man," Xander told Bryant. "I was in Washington. Ain't been in Cali in years."

Bryant pulled out a huge wad of American Muggle money, causing everyone's eyes to bulge. He started to count, but a thought apparently occurred to him as he stopped counting, and stared at his money, which everyone noticed were all hundred dollar bills.

"Yo," he said to Xander, "Who you like better, New Benny or Old Benny?"

"Alex?" A seductive female voice piped up somewhere behind the two tall chasers. They backed off, revealing a very pretty young woman in navy blue robes who was walking towards Xander, oblivious to any other presence. She had stunning green eyes and light brown, almost blond, hair that just barely brushed the top of her shoulders. The right leg of her robes was slit up the side, revealing much of a well- shaped and defined leg. She was wearing shoes with a heel higher than was necessary, but she walked incredibly gracefully nonetheless.

"Oh God, please no, not now," Harry heard Xander say under his breath. He had an odd look in his eyes. Was it foreboding or caring, or a mixture of both? Harry couldn't tell for sure.

"Miranda?"

"Alex," said Miranda huskily. "I've missed you." She swept her arms around his neck, pulling him in a tight hug. Harry got the impression she was deliberately grinding her hips into Xander's. Before he could react, she gave him what was an unmistakably more-than-friends kiss on the lips. Xander pulled away quickly.

"You haven't written at all. I've missed you," Miranda repeated. She looked over at Coach Knight, who was looking on with distaste. "I've gotta go. I'll find you later," she said, and gave his butt a small squeeze before leaving.

Alicia was looking on, horror-struck. Xander was frozen in his shoes, not knowing what to do. The whole group was staring disbelievingly. Harry wished someone would say something right about now, but before anyone could-

SLAP!

"You son of a bitch!" Alicia connected with Xander's face, and stomped off, tears beginning to fall down her cheeks. Katie and Angelina looked at Xander with some anger and some sorrow, and ran off after Alicia.