Chapter 7

"Professor Gil Graham, retired Admiral of the Time Space Administration Bureau," Dumbledore introduced.

Nanoha felt her jaw slide towards the floor. It was, it really was the old Admiral. "Fate?" she asked weakly.

"Yeah," Fate agreed. Her voice was a stunned whisper. "What's he doing here?"

Cho leaned closer to them. "You know him?"

Nanoha nodded. "We met a couple times."

"Is he any good?" Cho asked.

Nanoha tried to decide how to answer that. "Well, he's not a wizard. He's a mage, like us."

"He's not a wizard?" Cho gasped. Students around them turned to look at her, but she ignored them. "Then what's he doing here?"

"Good question," Nanoha said.

Fate, however, just narrowed her eyes and studied Graham carefully. [Nanoha,] she sent, [I think he's here because of Dobby.]

[Eh?] Nanoha asked. [What do you mean?]

[Terrible things are supposed to be coming, remember?]

"Maybe he's on another cultural exploration mission," Fate said lightly. "Get an adult's idea of what the wizarding world is like."

[You think he's protection?] Nanoha asked dubiously.

"I guess that would make sense," Cho said, happy to have an answer.

[I think Mom isn't taking any chances,] Fate sent. [It's probably just paranoia.]

Telepathy didn't offer the same range of inflection as the spoken word, but Nanoha thought Fate sounded doubtful.

"And on that note," Dumbledore finished his speech, "prefects will please escort their houses to their dormitories."

Everyone got up and suddenly there was a hand on Nanoha's shoulder. She turned to face Professor Flitwick, Head of Ravenclaw House and now one of the few people shorter than the two mages. He had another hand on Fate's shoulder. "Sorry, girls," he said in a soft voice, its usually squeakiness subdued. "We'll need you to stay a bit."

The girls cringed. Nanoha searched through the sea of students and saw Professor McGonagall holding Harry back, too. Her heart sank when she saw the Head of Gryffindor send Ron away – there were only a handful of things that included the three of them and not Ron.

After a few minutes the Hall was empty except for Dumbledore, Flitwick, McGonagall, Graham, Fate, Nanoha, Arf, and Harry. Dumbledore looked over the children with sad eyes. "Do you know why you're here?" he asked softly.

Nanoha hung her head and was rather sure the others had, too. "Not really, but I think I have a good guess," she said. "Underage magic?"

"It wasn't our fault," Harry protested. "The barrier wouldn't let us onto the platform."

"So you decided to sling a large, heavy trunk on a broom and fly in formation out of the heart of London," McGonagall concluded.

"Well, when you put it like that," Fate started, but she stopped quickly at the glare she got from the stern professor.

"You were seen," Dumbledore said, "by several muggles. At least one of which with one of those tiny camera things."

"Smartphone?" Nanoha suggested.

"It doesn't matter what the muggle device is called," Flitwick said. "I expected better sense from members of Ravenclaw."

"And from Bureau Mages," Graham interjected. "The Arthra is in orbit. You could have contacted them."

"You have an owl," McGonagall pointed out to Harry. "You could have contacted us."

The children looked at each other "We didn't," Nanoha started, then stopped and looked away.

"Didn't what?" Flitwick pressed.

"Didn't...want to get in trouble," Nanoha finished lamely.

"We thought we could fix it ourselves," Fate added, her tone subdued and her eyes on her shoes.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Ah, now that, at least, is understandable. But consider, that's not your job. It is our duty, Miss Harlaown, to look after our students. It is a duty you denied us the honor of exercising today."

Fate frowned and tilted her head as she tried to process that idea. Harry looked even more confused than she did.

McGonagall stepped in, looking straight at Harry. "Mr. Potter, I am aware of the...muggles who...you lived with." She tripped over her words, unwilling to call the Dursleys people, or their treatment of Harry as anything that sounded like child rearing. "We do not expect you to be silent when you have a problem. We expect you to be as loud as you need to be. That, Mr. Potter, is the rule here. Do you understand this rule?"

Harry nodded slowly. "Yes, Professor," he lied.

McGonagall quirked an eyebrow. No he didn't, but hopefully he'd come to. "Very good. However, understandable as your intent was, your actions demand some kind of response. You have all broken our laws today."

"Detention," Flitwick said to Nanoha and Fate, as McGonagall said the same to Harry. "This Friday. We will take some time to decide who you'll serve it with. Now, off you go. Classes tomorrow."

Returning to Ravenclaw Tower that night was an experience Fate was not going to soon forget. Almost as soon as they entered the room Arf gave an undignified yelp and was snatched by a blonde first year who quickly proclaimed "A hornless Crumple-Horned Snorkack! Oh, where is the fireplace? I told Father that I'd find one at Hogwarts. Of course, rare to see one indoors. Or without a horn."

Arf hung limply from the girl's hands, staring with wide eyes and wondering what in the world was going on.

"Uh, excuse me," Fate said nervously, putting a hand on one of the girl's arms. She hesitated as the strange girl turned a blank look at her but pressed bravely on. "Um, what are you doing with my familiar?"

"Familiar?" the girl asked. Her voice had a dreamy quality and Fate wondered if she was, perhaps, on some form of medication. Or had forgotten to take same.

"Hey! Put me down!" Arf snapped suddenly. She squirmed, trying to free herself. The girl had caught her by surprise at first but now...

"It can talk?" the girl asked no one in particular. She turned her attention back to the puppy she held and turned her over. "Fascinating."

"What are you doing?" Arf raged as her rear was suddenly lifted for inspection. "Oh, that's it!" Her body was consumed in a bright orange glow. Her form melted, grew, then the glow shattered like glass to reveal a teenager with her hands curled into fists around the little girl's wrists.

Surprisingly, the blonde didn't so much as blink. "Can you hear better because of your ears?"

"Why you," Arf growled.

"Arf," Fate snapped, the shyness in her voice trampled by the commanding tone she'd picked up from her mother. "Let her go."

"Fine," Arf grumbled, letting the girl go. "I'm heading to our room." She spun on her heel and stalked off towards their dorm room, which Fate noticed now read Second Years.

Fate glanced at the girl's hands. "Are you hurt?" she asked neutrally.

"No," the girl said. "The Crumple-Horned Snorkack is a gentle creature, but the hornless type is easily provoked. They think they have to be tough because they don't have horns."

"Uh, right. I'm Fate, that was Arf, and she's a puppy, not a Snorkack. Horned or otherwise." Actually she was a wolf, but that wasn't something she planned to spread around.

"I'm Luna. Luna Lovegood. Puppies don't turn into people."

"Well, no," Fate agreed. "She's my familiar. Where I come from, all familiars are like her."

"Where do you come from?" Luna asked.

Fate hesitated. "Have you been reading the Prophet?" she asked suspiciously. The editorial section had gotten rather nasty towards the TSAB, although the articles were mostly keeping to facts and only speculating on their motives. Lacrosse was saying that they were confused and waiting to see which way the wind was blowing. Fate didn't get what wind had to do with anything, but that was why she wasn't in politics.

"Of course not," Luna said plainly. "They're in the pocket of the Silit Conglomeration."

"The...what?" Fate asked. [Bardiche, link up with the embassy database and find what you can.]

[Yes sir.]

"The Silitists are a group of vampires out to exterminate veela influence through clever use of vowels," Luna explained.

"Vowels?" Fate asked.

Luna nodded. "If you have to read the Prophet, black out every third vowel. It will keep you safe."

Fate stared for a long moment. [Bardiche...]

[Request canceled, standby.]

"Is this a joke?" Fate asked uncertainly. She forced a small smile, ready to laugh along.

Luna smiled. "No," she said calmly, "but you can laugh if you want to. Most people do." The girl skipped away without a care in the world.

Fate just stared after her, wondering what had just happened.

Nanoha gave their wardrobe a gentle pat and opened it up to reveal far more space than it should handle. "This really is useful magic," she offered the world in general. She reached into her duffle and hauled out a load of clothes that needed storing.

"I'm surprised you didn't replace it with a trunk this year," Padma Patil commented. The older girl was neck deep in her own trunk, hauling out her night clothes.

"It's easier to carry stuff around in our duffles," Nanoha explained as she sorted out her clothes. "And it's easier to get stuff out of the wardrobe."

"But isn't all that unpacking annoying?" Lisa Turpin asked from the other side of the room. She was already dressed for bed and brushing out her hair.

"I'll remind you that you said that in a month when you can't find anything in your trunk," Nanoha shot back. The girls stared at each other for a moment before breaking down into giggles.

Arf stalked in on the giggling madness, her face a scowl and her tail swishing angrily behind her. "Hey, do any of you know the new firsties?" she asked.

"No," Lisa said.

"I know one of the new Hufflepuffs," Padma offered.

"Not yet," Nanoha said brightly.

"Hmph," Arf said and sat down heavily on Fate's bed. She crossed her arms, still scowling. "Well take my advice, if you see a blonde with stupid earrings, stay out of arm's reach."

"Is she dangerous?" Nanoha asked.

"Not exactly," Fate said, walking in. "She's...strange."

"She picked me up and called me a hornless horned...something," Arf groused.

Fate nodded in confirmation. The other girls' just looked at her in disbelief. "Crumple horned snorkack. I ran a search through the Embassy and didn't find anything, not even a legend."

"We haven't scanned the whole library yet," Nanoha pointed out. Which was itself impressive, given how long they had been at it. But then, none of them were Yuuno. The ferret's search magic was sorely missed, but he had an even bigger library to tackle.

Fate shook her head. "Unless the Wizarding World is a lot stranger than we've seen, I think we can safely dismiss her as a silly little girl."

"An annoying little girl," Arf muttered. She turned back into her puppy form and curled up on the foot of Fate's bed.

"You know you're still two of the shortest girls in the castle?" Lisa interrupted.

Nanoha stuck her tongue out at the older girl. "Not our fault you grow 'em lanky out here," she shot back.

"Hey!" Lisa yelped as Fate hid a smile.

Padma grabbed the curtains around her bed. "Good night, girls. Nanoha, Lisa, try to keep the catfight quiet." She closed the curtains.

Nanoha giggled and smiled at Lisa. The British girl was good at verbal sniping, but they'd kept it in good fun so far.

Lisa shook her head dramatically and climbed into her own bed. "Woe is me, to be fought by kittens," she moaned.

Arf watched the remaining girls bed down and waited for their breathing to settle before she allowed herself to relax...a bit. She was still a wolf, and she would keep guard while her pack slept. She could rest while the girls were in classes.

As every night, she prayed that her vigilance was wasted caution.

"Welcome to Charms, second years!" Flitwick announced. He'd just finished roll and the assembled Gryffindor/Ravenclaw classroom gave him their full attention. "Now, let's see how well you've studied your summer reading. What does every spell in the first year have in common?"

Nanoha and Fate shot their hands up instantly. A few seats away, Hermione's hand went with them. No one else's did.

Flitwick caught each girl's eye and gave them a tiny shake of his head. Nanoha and Fate put their hands down, while Hermione just pouted. Another shake and Hermione, reluctantly, folded her hands together on her desk.

Subtle as Flitwick was trying to be, everyone noticed the smartest girls in class get waved off. Silence broke into muttering, first over what was going on, then into realizing that Flitwick still wanted someone to answer.

Dean Thomas raised his hand and Flitwick called on him. "They're all really easy?" he guessed.

Flitwick smiled. "True enough, but not quite what I was looking for. A point to Gryffindor for a good try."

More hands shot up in the hopes of earning points for close guesses, but Flitwick just stared at them with a half smile. They got the message – fishing for points wasn't going to work.

After a few minutes, Flitwick called on Nanoha. This surprised the girl, because her hand wasn't up. "Um, well, they all required just one kind of wand motion and the incantation. They didn't have emotional triggers or anything like that. But they didn't have the same motions."

"Exactly," Flitwick said. "Two points to Ravenclaw. Now, why?" He didn't wait nearly as long this time, because every student looked poleaxed by the question. "Your first year was all about introducing you to magic, using it, feeling it. You practiced common wand motions and learned to focus magic through your wands. Willful magic is hard, but every single student managed it. Now, what do you suppose we'll be doing in second year?"

"Useful spells?" someone on the Gryffindor side of the room asked.

"Lumos is useful," a Ravenclaw shot back.

Flitwick chuckled. "He's more right than I'd care to admit. Yes, this year we study common spells nearly every wizard or witch will use a few times a month or more. We'll start with animating inanimate objects, which will take most of this term. Now, what first year spell is most appropriate to this task...?"

After class let out, Fate ran over towards Harry. "Hey Ron, Hermione," she greeted. "Harry, have you heard from Mom?"

Harry nodded. "Admiral Lindy sent me a letter at breakfast. I don't think I ever got told off for being reckless before." He sounded more contemplative than chastised.

"Ahem," Hermione coughed.

Harry rolled his eyes. "By an adult," he corrected.

Ron snickered. "You're just lucky she didn't send a howler. If I'd pulled a stunt like that, she would have yelled my ears off."

"Howler?" Fate asked.

Ron shuddered and explained to his friends the magical tools parents had in the time honored traditions of embarrassing their children.

Transfiguration went in nearly the same direction, although McGonagall approached her subject directly, without the educational theory that Flitwick prologued his class with. Herbology was even more to the point, with Sprout jumping straight into mandrakes and everyone was grossed out or just plain unconscious (Goyle had his earmuffs off, apparently there was one every class) within two minutes of entering the greenhouse. And Potions, well, the less said about Snape's comments towards the Hufflepuffs, the better.

So when it came time for their first Defense class, the girls had almost forgotten that Admiral Graham was their new professor.

Almost.

They walked into the classroom and grinned. Graham had redecorated, and the walls were clean of the animal bits and braziers that Quirrel had used. It was clean and austere and lined with bookshelves and a few crystals they recognized as the MidChildan version of a video projector. Student desks were in neat rows with the professor's larger desk at the head of the class, all very typical. The addition of a staircase leading up to what was probably an office was unexpected, however.

The lack of a professor was noted by most of the students that had gotten there before the Japanese girls, but they noted the cats napping on the desk. Nanoha chose a seat at the front of the class, eager in a way she hadn't been before, and Fate reluctantly followed.

Nanoha smiled at the nearest cat. "Miss Liese, is the professor going to be late?" she asked.

The cat raised her head from her paws and yawned. "Oh, he'll be around soon," Lotte Liese said slyly. "Just wait and enjoy the show." She offered a wicked grin that made Nanoha question the wisdom of sitting up front.

"Did that cat just talk?" Terry Boost whispered behind them.

"She must be like Arf," Michael Corner whispered back.

"Good guess," Lotte purred. "You're a lot faster than the other houses were!"

"Be nice," the other cat said, opening an eye to look at her twin. "The other three didn't have a familiar in their dormitory all last year."

"That's enough, girls," a refined voice came from above. The students looked up to see Graham walking down the staircase at the front of the room. The man wore blue and white robes, a color scheme Nanoha and Fate recognized as TSAB Navy, but applied to local fashion. "I am Professor Gil Graham, and for the next two terms I will be your Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

"Only the next two terms?" Padma asked.

"Correct, Miss Patil, my contract is very explicit. One year, no longer. Allow me to explain. I am not a wizard." Graham waited a moment for the surprised muttering to pass and raised a hand. The room quieted quickly. "I am a mage, formerly of the Time Space Administration Bureau. I served in the Navy for most of my life and gained the rank of Admiral. I have nearly fifty years of military service and saw combat in three separate campaigns and numerous smaller incidents. It is that weight of experience that I will teach in this classroom."

"What about spells?" Terry shouted.

Graham smiled. "The style of magic you are learning is extremely flexible, but limited in that you must learn a spell specific to the task. Your book for this class is filled with simple spells that should not overly task your ability to learn. In fact, books such as this," he held up his own copy of 1001 Schoolyard Jinxes for the Creative Prankster, "are the most common medium by which adult wizards learn their spells."

"You're teaching us pranks?" Padma asked dubiously. "How's that supposed to be defense?"

Graham's face became a stern mask. "Miss Patil. What do you expect to defend yourself against?"

Padma's eyes widened. "Um...well..."

"Dragons?" Graham asked. "Vampires? Dark wizards? Centaurs? Giant three headed dogs?"

"Yes?" Padma eeped.

Graham nodded. "As your schoolmates in other houses have said. Now listen carefully, everyone. This class will not teach you to fight anything or anyone that is trying to hurt you. There's a better defense than that. Can anyone guess what it is? Miss Takamachi, I can guarantee your answer is wrong, put your hand down."

Nanoha blinked, her hand only half raised, and blushed as Fate failed to repress a snicker.

Graham stared out at a dozen blank faces. "Run away," he said precisely.

"What?" came from a few mouths. Nanoha was perhaps the loudest.

Graham smiled. "This is not a military academy. This is not a savage frontier. This is a civilized society with a government whose duty is to police and protect its citizenry. If you are faced with something that is trying to harm you, your best bet is to get away and call for help. There are professionals who can deal with the threat far better than you can." He glanced at the two heartbroken mages in the front row. "Some of you are or will be in training to become professionals," he amended, "in which case these tactics will become part of a greater arsenal."

"That's our defense?" Michael groused. "Run away and cry for help?"

"Against anything that could kill you, yes," Graham said severely. "Never underestimate the strength of organization. Any thinking creature knows that to attack any of you is to invite the wrath of aurors or worse. Does anyone here seriously think they can offer a scarier threat than an auror? Miss Takamachi, please put your hand down."

Nanoha couldn't swallow her groan and slouched in disappointment.

Graham cleared his throat. "If you enter a dangerous job where you will need the spells and skills to defend yourselves and others, you will take NEWT classes in Defense and continue your training after Hogwarts to learn those skills. But here and now, you are children. Now is the time to let those who are already professionals do their jobs. Remember, you are here to learn.

"This year you will learn about unknown magic. By unknown magic we mean magical effects, or fields, or artifacts that you don't know about. Would everyone please stand up?"

The students had a moment of incomprehension at the nonsequitor, but soon the room was filled with the sound of chairs sliding and children...

Nanoha moved to stand up only to find that her rump was bound to the chair by some invisible spell. She reached for Raising Heart and listened to her classmates' struggles.

"Hey, what gives?"

"I'm stuck!"

"Aaa!"

"What the bloody hell?"

"A point from Ravenclaw for language," Graham called out. "Aria, let them go."

"Okay," one of the cats said, flicking her tail. Several students, still struggling with their invisible bonds, catapulted out of their seats.

Graham nodded. "That was a variation of a minor sticking hex, and may I say one far more obvious than the wizarding variety. It is, from what I have learned of your culture, a fairly common schoolyard prank. It is on page twenty of your textbooks."

He smiled at the classroom of gaping faces. "Over the next week you will learn to spot this prank before you sit in it. So we might as well begin. Open your books to page twenty and we will begin dissecting this spell and what to look for."

Graham turned around to the blackboard and proceeded to draw a diagram of the sticking hex's construction. Thus he was not looking when the students opened their books and were met with high pitched explosions and showers of confetti. "Oh, and homework today is the party cannon jinx on page twenty five," he said calmly.

Author's Note: I'm back! And I'm gone again! I'm just a figment of your imagination. See you next year!

In all seriousness, I have no idea how often or even if I'll keep writing. I had an impulse and I followed it. Maybe the feeling will last a week, maybe a month, maybe another five minutes.