Chapter 8: Trains, Boats & Sorting Ceremonies

Harry quickly boarded the train with the five Wesley kids. Percy immediately separated himself from the others as if ashamed to be seen with them. The twins wandered off in search of some mischief to get into. That left Harry, Ron and Ginny to their own resources, but they found an empty cabin easily enough and took seats.

Both Wesley siblings were very interested in Harry's story. Like every other kid in the magical community, they were raised on stories of "The Boy Who Lived". Harry shrugged and figured it would take his mind off other things.

"My parents met at Xavier's. Dad was the leader of the first team of Marauders. Professor Xavier told me that every Marauders team since has tried to live up to that first class. He didn't seem to think any of them succeeded." Harry shrugged. "While Dad apparently came from one of the older families in the community, Mom was the first mutant in her family. She was a Defender. After they died, her parents raised me."

A shadow fell across his face. "They were murdered just a few days ago."

Shocked silence dominated the cabin as the train pulled out and began its journey. Ron and Ginny had no idea what to say. Finally, Ginny reached over and hugged Harry. Seeing this, Ron put a hand briefly on Harry's knee."

"So," Ron said awkwardly and at length, "what team do you expect to be on? Bill was a Protector and Charlie was a Corsair. Percy is team leader of Youngblood."

Harry jumped on the change of subject. "I heard there was one team, the Champions, who had their whole team graduate last year. Buffy, she's a friend I made during the orientation session, was raised at the school and says that's only happened once before and that was fifty years ago. She's already making plans for the Champions just in case."

Ron was impressed. "Champions sounds like a great team to be on this year."

"That's debatable," Helen said from the now open door.

"Ron and Ginny," Harry said, handling introductions. "This is Helen Grainger. Helen, this is Ron and Ginny Wesley."

Greetings were exchanged around, then Helen looked at the empty seat. "Mind if I join you guys?"

"Sure," all three responded quickly, then Harry added. "Was I projecting again?"

Helen smiled. "A little, but I only noticed it because we've come to know each other so well. You seem to be doing better now, though."

Harry turned to the others. "Helen's a telepath. She doesn't like to pry, but with my grandparents being killed on Friday and just buried yesterday, she's been helping me keep from going nuts. I don't know if I'd have made it without her."

"You would have," Helen insisted. "I know I've only known you a month, but you're one of the strongest people I've ever met."

He blushed a little at the compliment. "I don't feel all that strong. Half the time I feel like I'm hanging on by the skin of my teeth, as my grandfather used to say."

Helen nodded and changed the subject. "So, you know I'm a telepath. I'm actually not all that powerful, but I do have the advantage of total recall and rapid information absorption. What are your powers?"

Ron slammed his fist into the palm of his hand and suddenly there were two of them. "I create clones of myself by absorbing kinetic energy."

"Cool," Harry responded as the two Rons high-fived each other and merged back into one. "How about you, Ginny?"

Ginny immediately became mortified. "My brothers all have cool powers, but mine is lame."

Ron rose to his sister's defense. "Don't believe it. Her powers are really useful."

"I talk to plants," Ginny's tone spoke volumes.

"You do more than that," Ron insisted. "You talk and they listen and do what you tell them to. Our house has the best garden in our town because of her."

Ginny stammered a moment, then changed the subject. "What are your powers, Harry?"

"Snitch." Harry smiled as the little fractal popped from his bag and flitted around the room, playing with Jinx who happily joined in.

Before things got out of hand, Harry snatched Snitch from the air and wrapped his hand around it. This caused Jinx to land on his lap and bat playfully at his hand in order to get her little friend to come out and play some more.

"Wicked." Ron and Ginny exclaimed simultaneously.

"Wicked?" Harry didn't recognize the term.

"It's a Brit thing," Ron told him. "Our dad's from a small town outside Manchester. He says it a lot when he's impressed."

"What is it?" Ginny asked.

Harry shrugged. "As near as Professor Xavier and the other teachers at the school can figure out, it's me; part of me, at least. Professor McGonagall call it an expression of pure chaos."

"What can it do?" Ron asked.

"A lot of things," Harry admitted, "most of them destructive. It moves incredibly fast and is really maneuverable; like a snitch, which is kind of why I named it that. It can carry and move stuff, like a kind of long range remote telekinesis. Oh, and it can totally erase reality in a small area, destroying whatever is in that area. Fortunately, the reality disruption is only temporary."

Ron and Ginny were looking at him with a mix of awe and fear, so Helen quickly jumped in. "It sounds a lot worse than it is when he just out and says it like that. It's really only destroyed two things: an image of You-Know-Who and a force field that was blocking it from following Harry. Both within minutes of him first discovering the power."

"There was also a target sphere," Harry corrected, "but none of you saw that and the other two were far more . . . memorable. Thing is, Snitch is me. It's the physical part of my powers. With the exception of Apocalypse and maybe the people who killed my grandparents, I don't think there's anyone I'd ever want to kill or seriously hurt. I just wasn't raised that way."

Ron finally found his voice. "That has got to be the absolute coolest power ever."

"I don't know," Harry insisted. "Buffy's a Slayer. Clarice teleports and bends space. Wanda has her own chaos powers, but has a lot more control over them than I do. Buffy's cousins, Nathan and Rachel, are both telepaths and telekinetics, and each of them has other powers of their own. Peter has these cool spider powers and Helen can learn and remember just about anything. I can barely even control Snitch beyond making sure it doesn't hurt someone. I just sort of have to tell it what to do and hope for the best."

Ron shook his head in disbelief. "I so want to be a Champion."

"Be careful what you wish for," Helen warned. "Professor McGonagall, the assistant headmistress, told me that personal wants can influence the team you wind up on. Given that Buffy, Harry, Clarice and Peter all really want to be Champions, she's worried the team could become a chaos sink."

"Wicked!" Ron smiled.

"That's not a good thing." Helen frowned.

Four hours and more candy than anyone should eat in a sitting later, the train exited from the Nevernever and pulled into the station in Salem Center. Here there was no Platform 9¾. There was no need for it. The people of Salem Center were all members of the magical community. Outsiders knew it was there, but no one who wasn't a mutant or a relative of one seemed to have any interest in going there.

Helen told the others all of this, of course. "Several powerful wizards combined their powers to cast a massive spell on the town shortly after the Salem Witch Trials. It's a powerful version of the Arcane ability all wizards have to some degree."

As the students gathered and talked among themselves, the upperclassmen standing out because of the team colors on the collars of their robes, a harsh voice called out. "First Years, eighth graders or whatever ya call y'rselves, get y'r butts over here."

Logan stepped around a corner carrying a lantern held high and the youngest students gathered around him. He did a quick head count, then nodded and gestured for them to follow. He'd never been a man given to using a lot of words.

He led them to lakeside where eleven boats, each lit by a torch at either end, waiting. "This one's mine. Those r' for you. Four to a boat . . . unless ya like swimmin'."

Harry, Helen, Ron and Ginny, who happened to be the only ones brave enough to get close to Logan, grabbed the first boat. Buffy, Willow, Xander and Peter grabbed the next boat. The Magnus triplets and a kid Harry hadn't met yet were next and so on.

Once he was sure everyone was situated, Logan took a seat in the lead boat and they all pulled out, automagically forming an organized queue as they moved across the surface of the lake at a stately pace. It was a perfect night and an enchanting experience that had forty thirteen year olds awed to silence. A few minutes later, they came around a bend and the mansion came into view. It was lit up beautifully and garnered several "Ahhs" and "Ooos" from the students.

During the trip, Harry had to stop Jinx several times from trying to play with the fish and other creatures in the lake. He knew the dracat was an extremely capable swimmer, but he didn't what to have to deal with a soaked pet when she inevitably tired of terrorizing the grindylows and the lake monster; much less have to send Snitch out to rescue her if she got into trouble. When the boats finally beached themselves at the edge of the campus, Harry quickly climbed out if only to get Jinx away from the water.

"Don't wander," Logan warned them as he did another head count.

Several kids wondered why that warning was necessary, but he quickly explained. "Coupla years back, we lost three kids who decided to run ahead. Th' forest 'round here ain't safe. By th' time I hunted 'em down, there wasn't enough left t' mail home t' their mamas."

Whether it was true or not, and Harry was pretty sure it wasn't, the story served its purpose. All forty students stayed in a tight group and tried to maneuver as close to Logan as they could. Earlier they'd been afraid of him. Now, he represented the only thing between him and a painful death. Not even Pietro ran ahead. Of course, having his sisters on either side of him ready to stop him if he did probably had something to do with it.

Logan led them across dew damp lawns and through torch lit gardens up to a pair of double doors on one side of the main building. There, he knocked loudly. The doors opened to reveal Professor McGonagall waiting for them.

"Got forty First Years f'r ya, Minnie," he told her a bit too familiarly. "No one even decided t' go swimmin' this year."

Minerva McGonagall had long ago given up on berating Logan for using that atrocious nickname; at least in the presence of students. She simply rolled her eyes and frowned at him, then gave the forty thirteen-year-olds the withering stare that told each of them that on no uncertain terms were they to ever use that name in her presence or anywhere else for that matter.

"Come with me, students. Quickly now. No dawdling. We have a scheduled to keep."

The room they were gathered in was normally used as overflow storage for the pantry. On the night of the Sorting Ceremony only everything was moved out and it became a waiting room for the First Years. Its size and proximity to the main dining hall meeting perfect for this purpose.

Professor McGonagall gave a quick, terse and well-rehearsed speech informing the new students of the rules and reminding any students who happened to have attended the orientation and might expect erroneously that the more lax atmosphere they had enjoyed would continue into the school year. That done, she left them to await her return.

Everyone was decidedly nervous, even antsy; Harry and his friends included. The house ghosts choosing that moment to pass through the chamber only made things worse; for the students that had been introduced to them before, at least. Harry knew them all; the Fat Friar, the Bloody Baron, Moaning Myrtle, Nearly Headless Nick and of course the poltergeist. He had been an annoying wastrel named Wade Wilson in life. He was even more annoying in death and found great glee in pulling pranks most others found decidedly unamusing. Now they just called him Peeves.

Normally the only entity that could make him toe the line was the Bloody Baron, but in the last month Harry and Wanda had discovered that Peeves was vulnerable to chaos magic. When Peeves showed up after the other ghosts passed through and started cackling, Harry looked over at Wanda and nodded.

"I have this one," he said as he pulled Snitch from inside his robe. "Go away Peeves, or I'll sick Snitch on you. Even if you get away from me you won't escape Wanda's hex spheres. On this night of all nights, no shenanigans."

Peeves growled and gave Harry a raspberry, but left without incident.

"Hopefully," Harry sighed, "that will keep him out of trouble tonight."

Shortly, Professor McGonagall returned, form them into an orderly and escorted them into the main dining hall. The older students were all gathered around their team tables, while the faculty members present were seated at a long table sat on a small dais along one side of the room. There was a very festive atmosphere, complete with appropriately colored banners and bunting at each table. Candles floated in the air above everyone's head and the ceiling reflected the crystal-clear evening outside.

In the center of the dais in front of the teachers table stood a device that suspended a very high tech appearing helmet above a stool. Their task once Professor McGonagall called their name in alphabetical order by surname was to walk up take a seat on the stool and pulled the helmet down on their head. Beyond that all Harry knew was that doing so would help decide what team each of them would be placed on.

Professor McGonagall called "Astrovik, Vance."

A thin brown haired boy walked up and took his seat and pulled the helmet down. A moment later the helmet sent him to join the team known as the Wild Bunch. Next, Robert Baldwin was sent to the Corsairs. Davis Cameron was sent to the Rangers, while his twin sister, Heather, went to the Defenders. Then Cordelia Chase became the first new Hellion, followed immediately by Manuel De La Rocha.

Clarice was next, the first of Harry's friends to be sorted. When she was sent to the previously empty Champions table, Harry wasn't surprised. Helen Grainger was up next however and Harry, like Scott, expected her to go to the Defenders. He almost laughed when she was sent to join Clarice. The Champions were quickly becoming the team to be on, at least for Harry.

As expected, Paige Guthrie was sent to Youngblood. Harry wasn't sure how Scott called that one, but he'd been right. Willow's friend, Xander, was next up and was sent to the Troubleshooters. A few students later Remy and Jubilee were both sent to join the Wesley twins at the Marauders table, which had the most garish color scheme of crimson and teal. Harry found he much preferred the scarlet and gold that adorned the Champions table.

He didn't have much time to reflect on that however, as his fellow chaos wielder, the insanely lucky Neville Long, was sent to the Defenders, followed by a strange platinum blonde girl named Luna Lovegood, who was sent to the Troubleshooters. Then it was the triplets turn to come forward. Lorna was sent to fill out Alpha Squad. Pietro didn't even get the helmet on his head before it sent him to the Hellions, and Wanda was sent to the Avengers. So far, Scott had called everyone but Helen perfectly.

Peter was the next one called and he too surprised everyone, everyone but Harry that is, when he was sent to join the girls at the Champions table. Harry knew that Peter's sense of responsibility and heroism would be a stronger draw on him than his impressive intellect.

"Potter, Harry." The name caught Harry by surprise.

He blinked a couple times, then slowly walked up, sat down and pulled the helmet onto his head, which covered his eyes. At first there was nothing but darkness. Then he felt the presence.

"Now," a voice said in his head, "you are an interesting one. You, my boy, could do so well on so many teams. I sense great bravery, great intellect and great creativity in you, but great pride and anger as well. I've rarely encountered one student with as much potential for light as for darkness. The Hellions would be a good place to develop that promise."

"Not the Hellions. Please, not the Hellions."

"No?" The helmet seemed almost amused. "You could do very well there. Oh, well. That makes things a little more difficult. You have what it takes to make a good Marauder; possibly even as good as your father, but that might be a waste of your full potential."

Harry didn't know about that one, but Cerebro wasn't finished. "Hmmmm. You're definitely a fighter; enough to qualify you for several teams. Given your mix of strength and intelligence, however, few teams would develop your full potential."

"What about the Champions?" Harry asked silently. "Could you send me there?"

"The Champions, you say?" Cerebro mused. "Yes. That will work nicely. You, my boy, are a Champion."

As he took his seat with his friends and the collar of his robes turned scarlet and gold, Harry was almost too dazed to see Anna go to the Marauders and Willow to the Defenders. Two more in the win column, for Scott.

Moments later, a blonde blue-eyed cocky young man who Harry didn't know was sent to join them at the Champions table.

"Name's Johnny," he introduced himself. "Johnny Storm."

When Buffy joined them right after Johnny, the group was left with only one more opening, but that opening wouldn't be filled by either of Buffy's cousins. As predicted Nathan went to Delta Team. Scott hadn't predicted where Rachel would go, but she went to Excalibur.

As the line dwindled, the seventh seat at the Champions table remained open. When Ginny Wesley was sent to join her brother Percy on Youngblood, it was Ron's turn. This time Cerebro took a tad longer than most of the others. When it was finished however Ron became the seventh Champion. That left only one girl, Martinique Wyngarde, who was sent to the Hellions.

Then the food appeared. If Harry thought the spread at been impressive during the preceding month, it paled in comparison to the Start of Year Banquet. Charity Carpenter and her staff pulled out all the stops. The students and faculty in turn did their best to show their appreciation and do the effort proud.

At one point, Harry, like several others, got up and made the rounds of congratulating his friends on their placements. At the Alpha table, he congratulated Lorna and then turned to Scott. "Not bad predictions, Scott. I think you got everyone right but two."

"Your team threw my count off." Scott smiled. "I'd have sworn that Grainger and Parker would go to the Defenders with Willow Rosenberg. Of course, I might have adjusted my prediction if I met Heather Cameron and Neville Long before today. Still not too bad of an average, but with the students your team has, I'm going to be keeping a close eye on you. You're going to be an interesting team to watch."

Harry nodded. "I think I agree with you. Have a good year."

They shook hands. "You, too, Harry."

"So," Jean asked, "who's going to be your team captain?"

Harry thought. "I don't know who Ron or Johnny will vote for, but the five of us who were here for the last month are probably voting for Buffy as team captain."

"Good choice." Jean had a smile that lit the room. "It seems leadership is a genetic trait for members of the Summers family."

By the time the meal was over and Professor Xavier raised his chair to make some opening announcements, Harry wasn't sure he'd be able to walk with all the food he'd eaten. Of course Jinx had gorged herself and was currently sound asleep draped over Harry's shoulders.

"A few final comments so you can let that fantastic dinner settle and make room for dessert," Xavier announced. "First, to all our new students, welcome, and to all our returning students, welcome back. Since there were no faculty changes during the summer, I don't have any new teachers to introduce you to, but I do have a few admonishments. First, the forest on the southern end of the campus is off limits to all students; especially to Marauders."

That got a cheer from the Marauders table, but Xavier just smiled obligingly. "It's called the Forbidden Forest for a great many good reasons. Numerous dangerous animals live there. Those unprepared could get hurt and I don't want any more complaints about Marauders traumatizing the poor creatures. Firenze and the centaurs have made it very clear what they'll do if they even see certain students within ten feet of the tree line."

There were several ooos and aahs and glances towards the twins who seemed to bask in their infamy.

"Second," Xavier continued, "spell casting, unnecessary use of powers and flying are all forbidden in the halls between classes. There are numerous designated areas, both inside the school and throughout the campus where such things are permitted. You are encouraged to make use of them."

He paused. "Third, with seventeen teams this year, scheduling of practice time on the Quidditch field is likely to be tight. Time will therefore be set aside for practicing in one of the smaller Training Chambers, or Danger Rooms as they're more fondly known. Schedules for both will be posted by the weekend with the standard limit of five hours per team per week."

"Finally," he concluded. "The eastern section of the third sub-level is off limits to any student not seeking a painful death . . . or expulsion if they survive the experience. It's well marked and that level is only used for storage anyway, so there's rarely any reason for students to be down there. You have been warned."

He smiled and gestured dramatically. "Now . . . for dessert."

Despite feeling like he couldn't eat another bite, Harry managed to consume his fair share of dessert. This was followed by a rather strange school song that everyone sang in whatever style they chose, making for a rather interesting cacophony. The whole time, Harry's attention kept being drawn to the head table where Mr. Logan had changed his position at the table and was now sitting next to Prof. Xavier. Harry didn't know what they were talking about, but it was a rather intense conversation.

As the other teams filtered out to get settled into their new - - or old - - quarters, Buffy told the others to wait at their table. "I asked Dr. McCoy what they planned to do with the new Champions team. He asked why I wanted to know and almost laughed when I told him I was going to be on it. Then he told me to tell the rest of the team to just wait and our faculty advisor would take us to our dorm."

Harry nodded. "Guess he believed you."

She smiled calmly. "Guess he did."

"So," Johnny asked, "who is the Champions advisor?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "There are some professors who are tied to a given team, like Professor Frost is always the advisor to the Hellions, but other teams, like the Champions, can change advisors. Given the graduation of the whole team, Mr. Giles, the Champions advisor for the past several years, decided to focus on a research project he's been working on. There are about a half dozen other professors and staff members who it could be."

"That's what I told Chuck," Logan growled from a few feet away, catching them all by surprise. "He's determined t' have me do it, though, so y'r stuck with me."

Several of the others didn't know exactly how to take the squat warrior, but Harry looked over at Buffy and both of them grinned knowingly. They knew what having Logan as their advisor meant. Buffy knew both the man and the legend. Harry just knew the man personally, but hadn't been surprised to learn that he was legendary. Both knew enough to be extremely impressed.

"What 'r you two grinnin' at?" Logan growled, but couldn't keep just the slightest hint of affection out of his voice.

"Just wondering what it will be like to be Alpha Team next year, Mr. Logan, sir," Buffy responded. "With the combination of people we have on this team and you as our advisor, I'd say that next year is likely and the year after almost guaranteed."

"Keep that attitude, Summers. Y'r gonna need it." Logan nodded. "Now, follow me an' try t' keep up. Time f'r ya t' see y'r new home."

Logan led them quickly and efficiently through the halls and stairways until he reached a painting of a Rubenesque woman. "Evenin' Lizzy," Logan greeted her affectionately. "Got a new batch o' Champions f'r ya."

The painting smiled bemusedly. "Oh, how wonderful."

He turned to the seven students. "This fine lady was Elizabeth Spriggs in life; as brave a Champion as ever lived. Some o' th' other kids have taken t' callin' her th' Fat Lady. I hear any o' you callin' her that, y'll answer t' me."

The woman in the painting smiled enigmatically. "Ever the gentleman, James."

Logan could almost smell all the questions the students now had. "Before ya ask. Yeah, I knew her. We had history. Let's just leave it at that."

Buffy almost spoke up, but Logan cut her off. "No, I ain't gonna be tellin' ya any stories about her. Let's just say that if ya treat her with respect an' she'll do good by ya."

"Welcome students," she looked around to make sure no one else was in earshot. "I was chosen to guard this entrance because in life I was a magical security specialist. You will all be given a password to open the door behind me. Say it only if you're sure no one is near who can hear you. It will change several times during the school year. It would not be the first time someone tried to gain entrance to this dorm under the effects of a polymorph spell or power. They'll not succeed while I'm on duty, I promise you that. The current password is 'draconis caput'. Remember it well."

That said, the portrait swung out on a hidden hinge, revealing an oval doorway behind it. As soon as he led them inside and secured the door behind them, Logan gave the kids some final instructions. "This is th' common room. The girls' room an' bathroom are on th' left. The boys are on th' right. Don't get used to it, guys. This'll probably be th' last time y'r right about anything when it comes t' girls."

That said, he smirked. "All y'r stuff from th' train an' anything you summer students left behind in th' visitors' dorm is in y'r rooms. One last thing, no one is allowed in th' rooms of th' opposite sex an' there are a lotta wards t' enforce that, so don't be gettin' no ideas. Now, take some time t' get settled in an' get t' know each other. Choose a team captain an' anything else ya wanna do, but get t' bed before it gets too late, ya all got classes in th' mornin'."

As soon as Logan left to run a final security check before calling it a night himself, Buffy took charge. "Let's start with appointing a team captain, then begin making plans for the year."

"Captain's already decided," Harry announced. "While you were checking on your cousins, Pete, Clarice, Helen and I all agreed to vote for you. Ron and Johnny didn't object, so you got the job."

Buffy nodded. "Okay. Thanks for the vote of confidence."

Peter laughed. "Wasn't much of a vote. None of the rest of us wanted the job. We've been following your lead since we got here."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "First subject, Quidditch. Peter and I both have super strength and agility. We'll make good beaters. Harry's father was the best seeker in the history of the school and he's a natural in the air, so he'll be our seeker. We still need a blocker and at least two chasers."

Ron multiplied several times. "I'd like to try out for blocker. I don't think any quaffles are going to get past eight of me."

Johnny nodded. "As long as the quaffles are fireproof, I can fly under my own power."

"Excellent," Buffy high fived Johnny. "You fly and Clarice teleports. You'll be a killer pair as chasers."

"Guess I'll be your cheerleader," Helen said a little glumly. "I barely even passed my flying test after three tries."

"Wrong!" Buffy's response was so energetic that Helen actually jumped. "You, girl, are our secret weapon."

"Huh?" Helen was shocked.

Buffy had obviously been giving this a lot of thought. "Tomorrow, between classes, you and I are hitting the library and checking out every book on Quidditch we can get our hands on. You're going to become an expert on game tactics. Then when we play, you'll be on the sidelines guiding us telepathically. You can also scout the other teams for us. We let everyone else think you're just a bench warmer, meanwhile we help you get more comfortable on a broom and then blow their minds when you become our third chaser or beater. With your brains, you'll be great at both. You just need to trust yourself."

She let that comment stand and moved on. "As good as we're going to be at Quidditch, I think our biggest point getter is going to be academics. Johnny and Ron, you may not realize this, but we have two of the smartest students in the whole school on this team in Pete and Helen. For that matter, our class has five of the smartest with Willow Rosenberg, Kitty Pryde and Monet St. Croix. The only others in their league are Tony Stark and Nate Richards."

"How do you know all of this?" Johnny asked. "Nate's my sister's fiancé's kid brother, by the way. If you two are in his league, I'm impressed."

"I asked Dr. McCoy." Buffy shrugged.

"Buffy grew up here," Harry told Johnny and Ron. "She knows everyone and everything about the place."

"Cool." Ron was impressed.

"Actually," Buffy demurred, "Helen and Willow did some of my research, but I have lived here since I was nine."

"You were the one who thought of it," Helen interjected. "We just followed your suggestions."

"I've never been big time school girl," Buffy continued, "but I'm going to take advantage of having Peter and Helen on the team. I think all of you should too. We may not all be the biggest brains in the school, but we can all do a lot better together than on our own."

"So," Johnny said, "I'm a fire elemental, Ron's a duplicator, Buffy's a slayer, Clarice is a teleporter, Helen's some kind of specialized telepath. What do the rest of you do?"

"I have the proportional abilities of a spider," Pete started. "I can lift about ten tons and can dodge machinegun fire. I have a kind of a danger sense and the ability to communicate with insects and arachnids. I can also cling to walls and ceilings, and shoot webs from my wrists."

"You don't eat bugs, do you?" Johnny laughed, but not cruelly.

"Not since I was five," Peter countered quickly. "You?"

Johnny laughed even harder. "I like you, Pete. You got spunk."

"Be still my heart," Peter responded drily, but grinned.

"What about you, Harry?" Johnny asked.

"Oh," Ron gushed, Harry's got the best power of all of us."

"Snitch." Harry sighed and the fractal . . . creature slipped from his pocket and started buzzing around the room. "My power is chaos and Snitch is the physical manifestation of it; at least that what Professor Xavier and the teachers here think. It can do a lot of things, most of them destructive. Basically, it's part of me; my . . . uh, subconscious, or something, given physical form. It can dissolve reality in small areas, destroying anything in that area. One of the other students, who's now a Hellion, says it threw a lightning bolt at him when I sent it to get back a backpack he stole, but no one but he saw it. Mostly I use it as a kind of long range remote telekinesis."

"Damn!" Johnny was impressed.

Harry shrugged. "I can't really control it, but it generally does what I want it to. When we fought the Initiative last week, I used it to destroy a lot of their equipment."

"Wait a minute," Ron interrupted. "You never said anything about fighting the Initiative. Those guys are dangerous."

"We were all there." Helen knew Harry didn't want to talk about it, so she did her best to tell the story without causing him too much pain. "So were the Magnus sisters and Buffy's cousins, Nate and Rachel. Professor Xavier, Mr. Logan and a couple of the other teachers were with us, so were some wardens and a member of the White Council. The Initiative killed Harry's grandparents to set a trap for him. We don't know how they knew he was the boy that lived, but they made a huge mistake. There were about twenty of us against fifty or so of them. It was a tough fight, but we won. Let's leave it at that."

Both Ron and Johnny were appropriately impressed and chagrined.

"So," Buffy changed the subject after an uncomfortable silence. "With forty First Years, they'll probably divide us into two groups. At least that's the word around the Teachers' Lounge. We're the biggest class the school has had in like ever."

"How do you know so much about what goes on in the Teachers' Lounge?" Johnny asked.

Buffy grinned conspiratorially. "This is an old building with a LOT of secret passages and I have really good hearing. What can I say? I'm small and I like to explore."

"Regardless," Helen took over, "We'll all be taking the same classes. We'll have two classes with Professor McGonagall; Transfigurations and English. We'll have Charms with Professor Harkness and Magical History in the Library with Mr. Giles. Dr. McCoy combines Basic Science and Beginning Potions into one class, so that makes five. Then there's Magical Ethics with Professor Xavier and Defense against the Dark Arts with Dr. Strange; Mathematics and Introduction to Arithmomancy with Dr. Bradley, and Herbology with Professor Monroe. Then Professor Frost and Dr. MacTaggart teach a joint class in Astrology and Astronomy makes ten scholastic courses."

She paused, but she wasn't finished yet. "Of course everyone takes Fencing with Mr. Carpenter, Firearms Training with Mr. Logan and Magical Dueling with Professor Cassidy, and as our Faculty Advisor, Mr. Logan will also be responsible for our powers training. He knows more about fighting and survival than anyone else I know."

"Good thing each class only meets once a week." Johnny sighed.

"Powers Training is three times a week," Buffy corrected him. "That's sixteen classes a week, plus a lot of teachers offer enrichment electives for any student who wants to take them; things like Mundane Studies, Martial Arts, Creative Writing, Magic and Technology, Swimming, Driver's Education and various Shop Classes. We're expected to take at least four each elective courses, but can take as many as nine. We have until the end of the week to choose which ones we want."

"Studying at Xavier's isn't for the lazy or weak of mind," Helen concluded. "I had a tough time choosing my electives. There were so many good ones. I finally decided on Business with Professor Frost, Magical Law with Miss Whedon and Mr. Corsi, Arcane Science with Dr. McCoy, Technomancy with Dr. Hudson, Magical Theory and Basic Computers with Mrs. Xavier, Ancient Studies with Mr. Giles and Ancient Runes with Professor Harkness. I still can't decide on a ninth one, but I'm leaning towards Political Science with Miss Whedon."

"Wow." Buffy was stunned. "You're a glutton for punishment, girl. Half of those classes are college level. The only advanced course I'm signing up for is Advanced Vampire Studies with Dr. Strange. The rest of my electives are Combat Training, Martial Arts and Archery, all with Mr. Logan."

Peter nodded. "The only elective I'm sure I'm signing up for is Biochemistry with Dr. McCoy, but there are several other science electives that interest me. I may join you in Dr. Hudson's Technomancy class, though, Helen. I'm definitely interested in his Magic and Technology course."

"I haven't even thought about electives," Harry sighed, but was encouraged to learn that none of the others had either.

Writer's Notes:

This is the first new chapter in quite a while. I hope it's worth the wait. In considering team colors, I decided to give the Champions the Gryffindor colors of Scarlet and Gold. I also gave Alpha Team the X-Men's Navy and Gold, and the Hellions, of course, got Slytherin's Green and Silver. The Marauder colors are particularly . . . interesting. All the other teams have their colors, which will be revealed in due course.

Originally, I intended Professor McGonagall to be the Champions Advisor, but being as she's the Assistant Headmaster I decided against it. I had a lot of possibilities, but eventually went with Logan for a variety of reasons. It's not a role he's had for any length of time. I'm thinking he was given the assignment by Xavier once Harry was sorted to the team.

I also decided to give the Fat Lady, which guarded the entrance to the Gryffindor dorm in the books and to the Champions dorm in my story a name, as she was unnamed in the books. As the original actress playing her in the movies was named Elizabeth Spriggs; a proper Potterverse name if I ever heard one. I hint at a past relationship between her (in life, of course) and Logan, but have no plans to expand on the idea at this time, preferring to leave it to the readers' imagination.

I'm also giving her a bit more of a role . . . in this chapter at least than she had in the books or movies. She's still just a painting, of course, and therefore an extremely minor character in the scheme of things. The bit about her skill with security was not in the books or movies (to the best of my memory, so don't shoot me if I'm wrong), but was mentioned in the write up on her in the Harry Potter Wiki site. I felt it explained her affection for frequently changing passwords at least as well as anything I might come up with, so I decided to run with it and play it up a bit.

Some may think that since this is "Harry Potter and the . . ." and not "Buffy Summers and the . . ." Harry should be the team captain. That's a valid point, but I decided against it for several reasons. Most importantly, Buffy is a natural leader; Harry is not. He becomes more of one in Books Five and Six, but he's never comfortable in the role. Also, my Buffy is part of Marvel's Summers clan, which has produced some of the best leaders who aren't Captain America.

As hinted in Chapter Six and confirmed here, Tessa (aka Sage) is married to Prof. Xavier in this story. There's no real reason for it, except she doesn't have a surname in the comics and this gives her one. I don't intend it to become a major story factor, but who knows what will happen in future chapters.