He stood to address the class. "Ok, can we have a little quiet now please." He waited for the class to fall quiet.

"Thank you. As I am new to the school I'd like to run through the register for this first lesson, just so that I can work out who you all are. I know you are not all quite here yet, but I can find out who a few of you are while we wait."

He moved to the list that waited on the desk. There were quite a few students in the class, he started at the top...

As Aidan started to call the names on the list Randal strolled into the room. He seemed to have an interesting sense of timing as he entered just before his name was called. "Sorry if I'm a little late Professor."

He moved over to one of the empty desks and sat down waiting for the lesson to start.

Soon after Randal entered so did Marvo. "Sorry I'm late Professor Smyth. I had a meeting with the Headmaster. He took a seat (Next to Kat of course) and Smiled at her warmly.

Reaching the end of the register and having found that a number of students were still missing, Aidan decided to continue to introduce himself anyway. There weren't that many missing now after all...

"Now that most of you are here, I'll introduce myself. My name, for those that don't already know," he was looking at Arcadia when he said this. "Is Professor Smyth. I know that some of you will have noticed the change to the way the classroom is set out, and I ask you not to touch the items on the shelves unless I tell you that you can. If you would like to find out why I would ask that then I suggest that you try it, but only when there is someone else here who can get you to Madame Pomfrey quickly."

He grinned. There was always one who tried and he was prepared to bet it was going to be Arcadia. Or at least someone who she pushed to do it. He remembered the student at the muggle university who had been laid up in hospital with an unexplainable fever for several months, and another who had inexplicably gained a terrible phobia of clothes. That one had been quite amusing for a while. He wondered what this year's student would choose.

"I am not only a teacher of DADA here, but I also am one of the UK's best archaeologists. I have uncovered a large number of finds, some of which are displayed in here. Most have been retrieved from places that no muggle could access and many have been hidden behind some rather interesting and occasionally life threatening dark art traps. I hope that by the end of this year all of you will have learnt some of the most useful defence techniques and perhaps even some of the more interesting ones."

"I have spoken to Professor Grimalkin about your work last year, so I do know that you are well versed in the elements. Because of this I do not propose to cover the elements further, but look at a slightly more practical nature to the magic."

"Does anyone have any questions before we start?" He looked around the class, hoping that there were going to be no difficult questions...

Arcadia watched and Listened. Then smiled and glanced over to Oriana.

**********

Nathaniel listened carefully, and slouched a little further into his seat as the professor finished. Of course the others - save for Raph - were well grounded in the 'elements'. Nathaniel didn't even know what they were.

And they were going straight on to practical magic. After the morning of failure in charms that he'd had, Nathaniel wasn't exactly overjoyed to hear this.

Raphael, too, wasn't amazingly happy about the possibility of there being lot's of practical. Although, when he turned around and looked around for a desk and saw the look on Nathaniel's face, he couldn't help but give him a grin. The poor guy pulled off the moody depressed look so much better than he did, even adding a good dose of the old slouch, making yourself small and rebellious to show your displeasure.

Now, where should he sit? He ended up sitting down a row behind Sarah and Nathaniel... who weren't sitting together... for some odd reason... so why didn't he sit in the desk in between them? That way he wouldn't be on the row that the girl Arcadia was on with her Slytherin cronies. He stood up again.

And then seemed to stop... he probably shouldn't sit in between Sarah and Nathaniel, should he? I mean, he said to himself, he'll wanna sit next to her. Probably just catching up with Nimue, who already thought I was a weirdo within minutes of meeting me.

But he was up already. Where should he sit now? He looked back a row from Arcadia and Oriana, and saw Magnus and Piotr in their respective headgear. Sit with those two?

The carefully forgotten thought regarding what Piotr had done to Nimue and what had happened to Raphael afterwards slipped out of his reach just before he grasped it.

Nah, let's not, Raphael thought. And looked around some more at the class. And at Niki... he had to talk to her about... that thing on the notice board... Raphael moved forwards to ask her about it when she produced a scrap of paper and started talking about it. So in desperation and in front of everybody he halted twice, stuttering to himself, should he go up or not?

Then he caught himself and gave himself a mental slap. Walking straight across the room, Raphael dropped his bag heavily on the desk in between Sarah and Nathaniel, and then sat down himself. Don't be an idiot. "Hi," he commented to both of them.

"Am I that embarrassing to sit with?" Nathaniel glared mildly at Raphael, suddenly angry. "You know I'm gonna screw up in this class too, you know."

"Whu... what?" said Raphael quickly, stammering in surprise at Nathaniel. Without thinking about it, Raphael sat on the desk in front of his desk and put his feet up. "What idiocy you talking now, old man? You want a go with this wand?" asked Raphael in a snarl. Just because Nathaniel hadn't... he threw the laurel thing at Nathaniel, sharply. "Your name was on the register. Get over it," said Raphael.

He hadn't been able to do Anything in Charms either!

He turned around sharply, still on the desk but now putting his feet up on the one in front, and watched Niki rabidly. His cheeks were burning. How.. how on earth could Nathaniel... he had a damn excuse for being crappy at magic, and he had something that nobody else in his family did - magic. And then he was trying to make out that Raphael thought he was better than him!

Raphael bit his tongue in anger. And he didn't know why. School was starting to get to him.

Nathaniel fielded the flung wand neatly - contact jugglers were quick with their hands - and slapped it down on Raphael's desk immediately.

He was suddenly very angry indeed but in his usual manner bit back on it. Making a scene in the middle of class probably wouldn't avail him anything.

Old man. At least it wasn't as bad as Mudblood. Too many names for what was quintessentially just Nathaniel. He was tired of the names. He'd suffered names throughout Muggle school. New boy. Geek. Jerk. Other names that weren't as pleasant. Now it seemed he was doomed to the same kind of ostracism here, except worse. In Muggle school at least he'd been able to bite back on the anger, bury it deep down, put his head down and work as best he could. Nathaniel had never been remarkable at anything. Even his best scores were never the best. But at least he'd been a happy average.

Here he was nothing. Worse than nothing, because if he had no magical ability at all, the Hat would have sent him home.

The very thought of the Sorting Hat brought new bleeding edges in his mind. The very thought of home brought bright hard memories to mind, the kind that he was better off without. He had no home, not any more, not one with family.

Worse than nothing because he had used magic on Saturday and Sunday. Since then not a flicker of talent, not an iota of ability. Nathaniel had no idea how he had used the magic. He had a sneaking, unhappy suspicion that it was not so much a case that he had used the magic but that the magic had used him. He had no idea how to do it again.

Friendship was some consolation. Now Raphael was being difficult with him. Had Nathaniel done something to Raphael without knowing it? Or was this just the way his life was destined to work out, i.e. , badly.

Sarah looked up from her textbook which she had taken out of her book bag in an effort to look Ravenclawish and not as though she were interested in who the boys were talking to.

Raphael appeared very interested in Niki - was he blushing? Nathaniel seemed in a very bad mood. Was he upset that she hadn't sat next to him or didn't he care? The boys seemed to be on the brink of an argument.

"Hey you two!" she whispered, "This Smyth guy seems pretty laid back but I wouldn't push it too far. Both of you do have magic or you wouldn't be here. Give yourself half a chance."

Nathaniel was just angry. All the reassurance in the world wouldn't have helped. He just slouched a little further into his seat and scowled at the world in general. The mostly black kitten had sense enough not to interfere.

Whereas, a little bit forward, showing his back pointedly to Nathaniel, Raphael sat and fumed as his wand rolled off the desk and into his bag, and like the anger started to stir the silt up from underneath him, Raphael let himself reflect on where he'd ended up. Reflect was a bit too much of a nice word to use, though.

Feeling memory brand him was a better description.

Raphael stared at his hands, clenching them once, twice, three times. They were rough, callused, a criss-crossing of scars across them where he'd ripped and torn his flesh. And - they were so ugly, to him, suddenly. He was disgusted by his own hands. They weren't like the other Ravenclawers, not many of them: these hand of his were workers hands, hands that had seen wood and trees, hands that had leapt from cliffs into rivers and pulled themselves up on sharp rocks afterwards.

Nathaniel was behind him, all perfect and pearly white and gentlemanly, and totally being a grump when he'd won. It seemed unfair. Raphael was alone, still - he understood that, that was okay, and it was possible that Nathaniel was alone too. But Nathaniel should have been more grateful, for now with their little agreement, he and Sarah were probably set up for life. And Raph - Raph hadn't got anyone. So Nathaniel should have been happy, and his little... outburst... Raphael shuddered... was...was...

He could see himself shaking the other student slowly by the hand, knowing he'd look after Sarah. Raphael knew he couldn't look after Sarah - because of... because of... because of the whispered fears... that he heard in Zephyr's voice late at night, the whispered cries of pain and fear. The angel thought he was asleep... maybe he was asleep... but Raphael knew that the angel was crying at him, what was happening to him, fear and disgust mixed in with a need... to look after him... Nathaniel was the better of them for Sarah. Nathaniel was one of the people he needed not to be angry at him. And... Raphael was just Sarah's friend and when the time came he'd have to walk away.

-//-step-//-cloven hoof-//-slash-//-rip-//-tear blood splatter-//-snarl-//-lunge-//-

Raphael shuddered, his vision blurring with the fire that was burning across his arms and his torso, like his skin was bubbling and waiting to tear open. What Nathaniel had said... and how much... and the anger at him... hate... disgust at the pearly gentlemanness that he didn't really envy...why...

Symphony - falling, leaves, patter, slow, water, brook, bubble, peace, peace, peace

...why did he feel like he was tearing himself out of his own skin to... to... he didn't want to finish that thought. That thought was wrong. Gripping his own arm so tight that through the robe his... his... fingernails... made him bleed, Raphael stumbled to his desk and sat cradling his bag, trying just to hold it together, to hold himself in one piece, without looking at anyone, keep his skin from ripping apart...

With no thoughts whatsoever, Raphael pulled out his wand from his pocket and sat, swaying just a touch back and forth for a minute. This would pass. This would pass. This had to pass. This would pass. He hummed. This would pass. This would pass. Rose, this must pass. Please.

Symphony - ancient, strength, bind, swing, twist, strength, peace, strength, peace. And as his fingers curled around the oak, peace returned.

Nathaniel saw Raphael's reaction, saw it only too well. Guilt stabbed, tore, ripped. Words had been said that shouldn't have been said, thoughts thought that shouldn't have been given processing time.

It was wrong of Nathaniel to take his frustration out on Raphael, and he knew it.

Almost he stood and walked out of class. Almost, but that would have been even worse, if worse were possible at this stage.

He said nothing. Just wanted class to end so he could get out of here, so he could go down to the lakeside, out of Raph's way

With Nathaniel slouching and scowling Sarah wanted to do something to ease matters but took her cue from the mostly black kitten whose demeanour suggested extreme danger - moody adolescents.

Also after their sharp words, Raphael had decided not to sit next to Nathaniel and now had his back to Nathaniel as well as her more by default and his body language was definitely 'keep away'.

She felt perplexed at to what the problem was. Neither boy had been that communicative earlier either. Had they fallen out or was it just some 'boy thing' which females were excluded from?

She resisted the urge to give them both a hug. Not the right time and place and somehow she didn't think this would be an easy fix.

She looked around and spotted Piotr and Magnus having a whisper - well that was an intriguing combination and they'd no doubt wreck havoc with the female population and were currently honing in on the Slytherin girls.

Pleased that she was immune to their charms, due to not having one but actually two boyfriends, she flashed a smile and a wink at them for good measure.

********

At Professor Smyth's request for question, after some general murmuring from the class, Morticia had woken up finally when the teacher started to speak. She raised her hand. "Uhmm... what topics will we cover this year? Cause I've heard rumours about scholars trying to find ways to block the, uhm... you know... that curse... and I thought it's rather interesting..."

Niki raised her hand timidly. "Err, sir? I was in the library, doing some research for Runes class, and I ran across an interesting thing. I made a copy of it." She paused to dig through her bag and took out a crumpled piece of parchment. "Err...it's in Norse runes. I couldn't translate all of it, but it's about a hammer--no, a Hammer, a special one, I mean--that belonged to a woman named Helga, and it goes on for a while about how effective it is at crushing skulls of all Helga's enemies and things. Do you know anything about this?" She swallowed. "And...would this be the Founders? Helga Hufflepuff?"

Mahou took her seat and nodded when her name was called, pulling her hat down lower on her ears. She decided to sit by Shinrei, but turned around at the voices of Nathaniel and the others. Even though the other people in the class might not be able to hear them, Mahou had excellent, supernatural, hearing. She knitted her eyebrows together in concern, and hoping to catch eye contact with Nathaniel. If done so, Mahou smiled a little, a charming little half-smile, and waved absently. All she wanted was for others to be happy.

Turning back around, Mahou nudged Shinrei gently. "You donnae look so good, leannan," the Irish girl said softly, using a term that (loosely translated) meant 'loved one'. "Is e'erything alrigh'?" Her lime-green eyes glittered oddly in concern, Blackfoot putting her paw on Shinrei's shoe. "If ye e'er want ta talk abou' anythin'," she offered with a kind hand over Shinrei's own, "I be here fer ye, Shinrei.. leannan." She smiled and patted Shinrei's hand gently, stealing a glance back at Nathaniel and the others, hoping they were doing a bit better than a few minutes before.

Shinrei did not spare another glance at Jian after she had seated herself at the front row. She felt better when Mahou decided to sit down beside her.

She was very surprised and touched when Mahou said those few yet very comforting words to her. *Be here for you*

"Thank you," she said to the Irish girl, smiling sincerely for the first time that day. "Domo arigatou, Mahou-chan, but I am all right. Do not worry about me."

Mahou flitted her gaze to the objects on the walls and the shelves, knowing that she definitely wouldn't be the one to try out those things. She wasn't usually one for heroics.. but she was very curious. No. She couldn't. Could she?

Mahou's eyes wavered over some of the artefacts, wishing that someone knew something about Elves. but it seemed that the only things these wizards and witches knew about were House Elves.. and that was far below what Mahou was. Even though she was only half.

Raising her hand, Mahou tilted her chin up and asked, "Do ye think, L-um.. Professor Smyth," she stopped the 'Lord' thing immediately, "tha' Elves be considered Dark Creatures? Do ye think tha' they need protectin' against? I donnae mean House Elves, neither. I mean.. Elves." She put her hand down and folded them in her lap.

Sarah was trying to figure out whether Mahou was smiling at Nathaniel because she wanted to reassure him or whether she was smiling at him in a 'hi, I'm a pretty little Irish girl with floaty, dreamy hair - and a very sharp witchy wardrobe - be my boyfriend' sort of way.

Sarah was also having a hard time figuring out why Nathaniel and Raphael were getting on so poorly.

Then Mahou asked her question of Professor Smyth and Sarah's attention was somewhat distracted from the drama close to hand. *What an odd question* she thought but she was quite interested in what the new Professor had to say.

When Mahou turned to the teacher and asked her question about elves, Shinrei bent down slightly and reached for Blackfoot, who was half-perched on her shoes. She gently patted the little fox on the head.

She noticed Sarah Taverner looking in their direction. The girl seemed to be looking at Mahou questioningly. Shinrei inwardly shrugged, but gave a nod and a little smile of greeting to the Ravenclaw girl.

She then turned all her attention back to the class discussion.