The situation with Mahou Amberstone continued to weigh heavy on her heart. She had used the invisibility cloak that Marvo had given her to slip into Hogsmeade on the Sunday afternoon following the evening of the Quidditch trials and had spent some time with Anders.

She had told him at length about the incident in the woods and its aftermath. She declined to mention the slap she had received from Mahou. Some things are best not to be mentioned. However, she spoke of the frosty silence which now lay between them and her concerns.

He had cautioned her to keep an eye on things and offered to speak to Mahou if necessary. Nimue felt this could make matters worse and she expressed her hope that Mahou's involvement in the school team would help smooth things out.

They had fallen to speaking of happier matters. As he was wanted to talk to the teams about practice schedules, he had given her a lift back to school on his bike. She remained discreetly wrapped in the cloak of course.

Since then the situation had neither improved nor gotten worse between she and Mahou. Nimue had a lot of studying to do and it was easy enough to give each other a wide berth.

As she entered the Great Hall and approached the section of the Gryffindor table where her fellow Fourth Years were seated, she noted two things. First, that Anders was seated next to the Headmaster. She had seen him briefly before his lesson with Dumbledore so she wondered if he'd been there all night. He did look rather rumpled.

Second, was that Mahou was pouring over a letter and looking brighter than she had in some time.

"Good Morning." Nimue said to her Housemates in general. The only seat available was opposite Mahou and it would have been impolite not to sit in it. So she did and poured some tea and then helped herself to cereal and fruit. She was obviously curious about the letter Mahou but didn't think it likely the other girl would share.

She was happy that Mahou was being more open about her heritage. Not wearing a hat anymore and showing her ears.

Mahou glanced up at Nimue from her letter, reverting her eyes back to the flowing writing. Laying it on the table, Mahou gingerly placed the photo on top, touching the face of the elf almost lovingly.

"Tha's Uiliam.. th' boy I ha'e a crush on," she said lightly to Nimue. Pointing to the letter, she looked at Nimue with her strange eyes. "He wrote ta me ta tell me tha' there be a surprise. He wrote a letter ta th' Headmaster.. though I donnae ken wha' about.."

"I.. I be sorry abou'.. er.. th' other night," she said uneasily. "I was so angry tha'.. tha'.. a human, sorry, bested me in somethin' tha' I've always held dearest ta me. Tha' th' forest didna accept me.."

She wiped her eyes suddenly, willing back the tears. She had been crying about that every night. "I didna mean ta.. hit ye like tha'.. I cannae control emotions too well." She folded her hands on top of the table, her pointed ears drooping. Turning her eyes to the Slytherin table, Mahou saw Piotr and quickly looked away. She smiled awkwardly at Nimue.

"Dear Mahou." said Nimue, her voice gentle. "I didn't best you not really. That suggests we are in some sort of competition and I don't believe that is so. We are Housemates and we share a love of nature and have some perception of the invisible. What blood runs through our veins is surely part of our heritage but it is not all we are."

She was so relived that the tension between them had been broken.

She smiled and looked at the picture that Mahou was holding. "He is beautiful in a way that only the Elvenkind can be. He almost shines with a light, maybe you are used to it so take it for granted. Will you see him in the holidays perhaps? Have you told him about your being on the school team?"

Jian Hupi walked into the Great Hall without trying to draw any attention. People still stared at him sometimes. He could not blame them. He looked very, very different from the rest of them, plus he had caused such a scene during dinner two weeks ago.

He spent the week that immediately followed his "bleeding" incident in the Hospital Wing. He slept very soundly without waking, recovering from the strain and the blood loss. Since the incident did not have a very rational explanation from the very start, he opted not to tell the Mian-Ju-Tao about it. It might merit consequences he did not like.

Upon his recovery, he divided his time between four very important things: his studies, his duties to the Mian-Ju-Tao, and keeping up his martial arts training.

The fourth-and the most-important thing was praying for her.

Before sunrise every day, when very few people were awake, Jian would pass by the Hospital Wing and check on her. He would then go outside to light incense sticks, when he was still alone on the grounds. He would pray.

This week, he was beginning to suspect that no one was listening to his prayers. But he continued to pray.

After his prayers, he would train like a man possessed. He had doubled the intensity in his regular Mian-Ju-Tao routine. At least, he had an outlet by which to vent out whatever he felt.

What did he feel?

//Feelings are deceptive things and must be cast aside,// his great-uncle Xian had said repeatedly over the years, //especially if you are Mian-Ju-Tao.//

//Look at your father Hikou and your uncle Sung. They let their feelings rule. Now where are they, boy? Dead. And they died young.//

Jian shook his head slightly to clear it of memories. He reached the Gryffindor table without incident and took a seat among the fourth years.

Nimue and Mahou seemed to talking, but he thought it polite to issue a greeting. "Good morning, Miss Hawkwood, Miss Amberstone."

"Good morning, Jian." Replied Nimue, "Was that you I saw earlier this morning in the grounds? I was up early but I didn't venture far. I have to admit I really miss the morning walks I used to take last year with my...falcon."

She realised with a pang of guilt of how long it had been since she had even thought of Marcus and how much she missed his company whether in human or falcon form.

"Now I seem to spend all my time with my nose in a book."

Mahou chanced another glance at Piotr, curious about the dark-mooded boy, and looked back at Nimue. She smiled weakly at Jian and nodded a hello to him, her mood still not quite what it used to be. "I havena had a chance ta write ta him," she told Nimue softly. "He was always th' one ta help in e'erything. He taught me how ta talk wi' trees an' other spirits. He showed me how ta use Elf Magick. Elves donnae use wands." She smiled fully at that, proud that they didn't need such tools.

"I ken tha' heritage isna all we are," she said uncertainly, "but without heritage, we wouldna be. Our ancestors paved th' road fer us, an' I intend ta keep doin' tha' fer th' generations after me. I ken tha' I willna live.. as long.. as Uiliam.. but I'll live longer than a full human. Elves ha'e a longer lifespan. Th' oldest one be o'er four hundred years old. O' course, he cannae move around too well, but he can still teach an' talk wi' th' rest o' us."

Standing, Mahou took one last bite of toast before gathering her things. "I need ta go an' get th' books an' stuff fer th' next class. History o' Magic? I do like tha' class." Mahou smiled and patted Jian on the shoulder, her touch like a warm summer breeze. Elves had that effect.

Mahou made it a point to walk by the Slytherin table to glance at Piotr again, wondering why he's always alone.. and wearing shades.

Jian nodded to Mahou as she walked away. He really had nothing to say regarding interpersonal relationships, especially with people his age. As he was most of, if not all, the time, he was carefully, politely silent amidst other people's conversations.

Nimue had mentioned seeing him on the grounds a little while ago. "That was me you saw, yes," he confirmed. "It is my habit to go outside early morning, Miss. I run and I train." And I pray, fruitlessly, he added mentally. "An old Mian-Ju-Tao routine. I have asked Dylan and he said it is all right to run on the school grounds in the mornings."

"You say you have a falcon? I have no familiar, Miss, but Makura has been following me around plenty these days." He shook his head in confusion. "An owl who likes early mornings..." His voice trailed off in disbelief.

"A falcon would be a powerful familiar, yes. Keen senses, wisdom and an immortal spirit," he commented further. It was like hearing himself speak through a thick wall; audible but not that tangible.

"I had a falcon." said Nimue wistfully. "He's remained in London with my father. I have an owl now though we are still getting to know one another."

She noted his mention of Shinrei's owl. "I guess Makura is feeling pretty strange right now. I think he is summing up a lot of our feelings."

She looked at Jian earnestly, "I know that Professor Snape will be doing all he can to bring her back."

Dylan, true to form, slunk into breakfast late. With a muttered hullo to those assembled at the Gryffindor table, he tucked into his breakfast with a vigour only managed by very hungry fourteen year old boys in the morning. It was a dead typical morning, absolutely true to form.

Yvette dashed into the Great Hall, pink overcoat hastily thrown across her arm. Her curly hair had been let down, and looked even more wild than usual...almost as though she hadn't bothered to brush it. She dropped into her usual seat, looking around urgently. She hurriedly hung her coat on the back of her chair, and then relaxed completely.

"Good morning." She said with a calm voice. "I thought I'd missed breakfast." With a grin, she set about devouring two and a half plates of food.

Nimue grinned at Yvette's legendary appetite, "You miss breakfast? As if you would. You've cut it fine today though....been out?"

Yvette laughed. "Oh, I suppose so. But I -was- worried for a few moments there."

"Slept in. When I'm cold, I'm tired...I'm not sure why. In France it's always cold, but then again I'm usually indoors!" She finished her second glass of apple juice.

"Natural reaction I think being tired when it's cold. I guess we would all like to hibernate until the spring. Find a nice warm cave to curl up in." this image obviously amused her and Nimue smiled.

Now that matters appeared to be more sorted out between she and Mahou pretty much was all right with the world. Not that everything was very all right with the world anyway but her mind felt clearer.

"If you'll excuse me... I need to check something before class. Happy eating Yvette and to you too Dylan!"

*********

Nathaniel meandered into the Great Hall, looking half asleep still, with the mostly black kitten trailing in his wake as usual. Somehow he navigated automatically to the Ravenclaw table, to where Raph and Sarah were sitting.

Raphael, having just sat down, blearily looked up at the other. "That good, eh?" he asked, rubbing his own eyes after looking carefully at Nathaniel's. He had a feeling that today would be a "coffee mug stain" ring under the eyes day.

"Better." Nathaniel grumbled, and slammed his mug down three times on the table before it would give him coffee so black it lurked in the mug, and so full of sugar that he didn't bother stirring it because the spoon would have gotten stuck.

Having failed miserably at his feeble attempts to wake himself up with a few good slaps across his own cheeks, Raphael acknowledged that today would be a porridge day. Every morning he couldn't wake up in time it was always thick creamy splody porridge... and as the bowl arrived on Nathaniel's third strike of the table, Raphael set in with a wooden spoon. The burning sensation down his throat was always a way to get going. "You got that history essay? It didn't like completely confuse you, did it?" asked Raphael, who had had to stay up the night before to get it done.

Nathaniel stared at the plate that was trying to give him kippers. He took the plate off the table and put it on the floor at his feet to save time.

Found a new plate and got his extra-fried fried breakfast on the first try, Stalks by Night content at his feet with the kipper. For a moment he busied himself with the food.

The essay had written itself three times before Nathaniel had managed to grab full control of the quill. The first three he hadn't dare to read what his traitor hands had penned.

"Confused." he said truthfully an egg, two sausages and a bit of crunchy bacon later.

"Yeah," nodded Raphael wearily. He hadn't been able to remember if it was goblins or orcs that were the problem. "Hell," he muttered, "I can't remember if orcs or goblins exist or not."

He would have asked Nathaniel's opinion on the possibility of rebellion amongst the non-human races in England, except for the itch behind his left ear that kept him occupied for a second. When he eventually looked up slowly, he asked what Nathaniel was doing after school.

"Scarrrrrr...." Nathaniel was staring at his black pudding. "Carrrrga.Sca...ga."

Then he looked up, bewilderment in his eyes. "What? Sorry?"

"What? Huh?" For a moment, Raphael was in one of those spaces of time where nothing makes sense, and yet both he and Nathaniel were trapped, each looking at the other in a mixture of bewilderment and confusion. The moment of time had taken hold of them and they were as playthings to it.

But then it passed.

"Er..." said Raphael, and then started going over the futhark alphabet for Runes later. But then he got stuck on tracing one of them out, and had to turn to Nathaniel. "What does this one sound like again?" asked Raphael, scribbling on a piece of paper he found in a pocket.

Nathaniel made a complicated sound.

Raphael made a disappointed sound in response.

"No, I was just clearing my throat..." Nathaniel grinned brightly. "...it's a k'sol. I think."

Raphael repeated the disappointed sound. "I thought it was go'lnz," he told Nathaniel mournfully. His last Runes lesson had ended with Kacrik telling him that he had just issued the Unforgivable Challenge, and that any Viking sorcerer that he met would have to hurt him with extreme prejudice. He'd been trying to ask for the newt eyeballs.

"No, a go'lnz is one of these..." Nathaniel tried to demonstrate and caught his sleeve on the mug of coffee. The mug fell over. The coffee was too goopy to spill. "Quick dry coffee, great....."

"No, you see," explained Raphael as the coffee failed to go everywhere, "I thought that k'sol looked like this..."

In the dust of the table, Raphael sketched a quick sigil. However, something went wrong and he sparked his fingers, the dust creating a nice mini ripple fireball as it combusted. Raphael's fingers went straight into his mouth. "Tghat hwurgt!" he announced through the obstruction.

"No!" Nathaniel sighed patiently. "A thg'hat is pear shaped."

He looked at the debris that had been their breakfast. The extra calories in his food had been set fire to by the little fireball and was happily blackening.

"It's going to be one of those days. Again. And I swear if I get beaten into a small and bloody pulp during duelling again, I'm giving it up."

The incident in last weeks Duelling was still fresh in his mind: Smyth had yesterday made Raphael feel like he was the only student whose wand was not to be touched in Defence Against Dark Arts. "Well, just think," replied Raphael to the other, "you could be actually casting spells once in a while, like me. Then the teachers could properly think you're a nutter."

Nathaniel put his hand into his dark robes and pulled out the dark cherry wand and slammed it onto the table. Where it did nothing. "I think this is ... faulty."

Raphael picked up the wand curiously, and looked at it for a second. Maybe Nathaniel was right - the wand seemed dead.

Then it leaped out of his fingers and smacked him on the head. "I can see this is going to be a long day," he told the other mournfully.

*********

Once breakfast was over with, Anders took himself outside for an emergency cigarette. He had...time off. He wasn't used to that concept. And now he had it, he had no idea what to do with it.

He sat on the steps of the castle, smoking and considering what to do.

A moment later, Nathaniel - who had decided to try some fresh air as a solution to his general not'with'it'ness - fell over Anders.

The young man got immediately to his feet and helped Nathaniel stand. "Wow...I'm sorry," he said. "I should really stop blocking the steps. Are you OK?"

"Argh." Nathaniel said eloquently, untangling himself. "My fault, sorry sir, wasn't looking where I was going."

Anders waved his hand almost irritably. "Forget the sir. I had enough of that last year. Anders will do."

"Anders." Nathaniel corrected himself with a grin.

Anders ran his fingers through his tangle of hair. "You're the new kid...Nathaniel, wasn't it? How are you finding Hogwarts so far?"

"Confusing." Nathaniel took a seat on the steps, his attitude radiating defeat in the making.

"I can relate to 'confusing'," said Anders, nodding. "I remember my own first days here. I had the rip pulled out of me mercilessly for not even knowing the difference between a Knut and a Galleon."

"I've got that far." Nathaniel rubbed his hands over his face. "I can pull my own weight in potions... because as Professor Snape puts it, there is no silly wand waving in that class. Duelling I get smacked to the floor every time. I'm not even sure why I bother attending if I can't get sparks out of my wand, let alone anything offensive. History of Magic fills me with a nameless dread. I'm just.... trying to keep up, and failing."

"I gave some extra tuition to Dylan last year," said Anders, not even stopping to consider his already ridiculous workload. "I'd be glad to help out if you want. No skin off my nose, I can tell you."

"Just... tell me if this thing works." Nathaniel produced the black cherry wand and proffered it to Anders.

"Well...not all wands suit all wizards," said Anders, taking the proffered wand and testing its weight experimentally. He pointed it at a nearby shrub and said "Incendio!"

A flame shot from the end of the wand and the bush was reduced to ashes instantly. "Seems OK to me," said Anders, carefully. "Although maybe a bit...untamed."

Nathaniel tucked it away into his robes. "Untamed... is a good word. The wand has never worked for me yet. And the magic itself... uses me, instead of the other way round."

"How do you mean?" Anders was interested.

"It does what it wants when it wants." Nathaniel shook his head. "Like light. Like pulling things out of thin air. Like... " his throat closed up and couldn't say the words. He chose others instead. "Like.. writing things down .."

Anders nodded. "You could be one of the rare few who turns out to be a master of the art," he said, as nonchalantly as though he were saying Nathaniel had black hair. "You need to learn focus."

"I'm afraid of that." the words fell free from his lips before he could stop it. "I think... maybe it would be better just to... go back to being a Muggle again."

"I spent a lot of time as a Muggle. I considered going back to that life, too...before Dumbledore gave me the Defence Against the Dark Arts job. I was never outstanding at anything. Oh - illusions. I used to enjoy doing those."

Nathaniel nodded thoughtfully.

Anders excused himself a few moments later.

********

"Typical teacher," Niki muttered around a large mouthful of toast, "wave you over and then walk off...oh, sod Smyth." A deep sigh, and she pushed her way out the door. It was a beautiful morning, crisp and clear, and the trees were just beginning to turn. She stood for a minute, inhaling the smell of wet turf, then sneezed violently.

After wiping her streaming nose with her handkerchief, she looked around and waved at Nathaniel. "Morning! Is it always this cold in Scotland?"

"Good morning... Niki, isn't it?" Nathaniel smiled. "It gets colder. Not used to the winter?"

Niki shrugged. "I came here last December. It's been almost a year... But before that, I lived in North Africa, and it never gets even this cold there, unless you're up in the mountains. I don't much fancy snow...it melts and makes wet. Last year was the first time I saw it. You're...Nathaniel. Ravenclaw, right?"

Nathaniel nodded his dark head. "Nathaniel Greenleigh, of Ravenclaw infamy indeed. The other one that looks a lot like me is Raphael Lathander. North Africa.... which area, if you don't mind me asking? Morocco?"

Stalks by Night came pelting through the open door behind Niki, and tumbled pell-mell into Nathaniel's lap. Nathaniel fielded the ballistic kitten easily, and tossed it up onto his shoulder where the mostly black kitten perched like a reigning conqueror.

Niki nodded eagerly. "Morocco. It was...nice. And warm! My father's job moved here, and...well, doesn't matter." When the cat appeared, Niki grinned. "I used to have a cat. He stayed in Greece with my grandmother, though...I need another pet. I love cats, but I don't have any luck with them. I'm thinking of a snake this time."

Having seen Anders exit, Sarah decided that as Team Captain she would take the opportunity to have a word with the coach.

Spotting Nathaniel and Niki she bounced up as Niki was speaking about the idea of having a snake. "Not the cuddliest creature in the world, snakes. My Basil can be dead boring most of the time. I think he misses the rain forests though. It isn't perfect weather for boa constrictors in Scotland."

She stopped and smiled, "Whoops didn't mean to interrupt. I'm after the Coach...for a word about 'the team. You're Chaser 1 for Team B aren't you Niki?"

Niki nodded. "Yeah, I am. I wanted to be Keeper, but as long as I can get my hands on the Quaffle it's all right by me. And as for snakes--well, I suppose Basil's too big for that, but if you wrap them around your arm they'll be warmer. Or he could camp out by the fire. The cold and damp isn't good for snakes. They like to be warm and dry and near people..." Niki trailed off, smiling nervously.

"When Baz was little he used to curl up on the top of my head." Said Sarah. "He's still pretty cool about draping round my neck and round my arm or on the ole lap when I'm by the fire but he seems to like spending his time in Professor Sprout's sub-tropical greenhouse best of all. Be handy if I knew how to speak snake .. ha ha."

Sarah didn't dwell on the subject. "Well I expect you'll be the natural candidate to promote onto the 'A' team if Coach decides Shinrei is down for the count. I can't see she'll be flying for a while considering she's been in the Hospital Wing for over two weeks now."

Niki had grown more and more uncomfortable with the talk of Basil, and looked relieved, and a little flattered, when the topic of conversation turned. "Thanks! I mean, I'm not sure I did so well in tryouts... Raphael is much better than I am, really, and he's only just started...but thank you. I hope so! Do you know what's wrong with Shinrei? I've been hearing the most ridiculous rumours, and I don't know what to believe. Some of them sound true...but then so did some of the rumours about me last term."

Nathaniel sat listening to the girls chattering quite happily, scratching Stalks by Night behind the ears gently.

"I think the only thing anyone can say for certain is that she's been in some sort of coma since that night in the woods."

Nathaniel himself had confused memories of that night; even though he hadn't know about what had happened to Shinrei until the following day.

"I met her by the lake once... she seemed terribly suspicious and highly strung. Accused my contact juggling ball of being a pensive or something..." he shrugged a little. "Nice girl, just a little highly strung, I think."

"A lot of Gryffindor girls are," Niki agreed. "Comes from spending so much time with the Gryffindor boys, I expect...can you imagine the sort of mental damage that might be inflicted by seeing...oh... Marvo in pyjamas?" Her face assumed a dream-like expression. "Though I wouldn't object to being let in there for one evening. Anyway, I don't think your juggling balls are anything like a Penseive, Nathaniel. That's this sort of basin-y thing that you can put memories in...it doesn't roll around on your hands." She shrugged. "Some people just...like to sound big and important. I guess she's one of them."

Sarah nodded in agreement with Nathaniel. "Kat Black, our Prefect, was with a group of students who found her deep in the woods and she'd had a run in with the same entity that we did earlier with Mahou."

She made sure she included Niki and explained, "I don't know if you'd heard but the new Gryffindor girl - the one with the unusual ears - was also in the woods that night. This woody entity turned her into a tree. It was weird. Anyway, Kat's not one to talk about such things but she was the one who brought Shinrei back from the woods."

She smiled at Nathaniel's description of Shinrei as 'highly strung'. "I guess that's the whole Ninja thing. Lighting quick reflexes and stuff....ready for anything."

Sarah demonstrated this preparedness for action by taking a mock fighting stance. More of a dance movement than anything properly martial arts and she slipped on a bit of wet grass and landed with a bump.

After breakfast, Jian wandered out to the grounds for a short walk before attending classes. He did not like sitting around. At Mian-Ju-Tao, he could barely remember having ever sat still for a long period of time. It was work, training, more work, and lessons on the hills.

He saw three students talking a short distance away and recognised one of them to be Nicola. And the boy were one of those who had been Sorted along with him. The other girl, the yellow-haired one, did some kind of ridiculous move and fell.

Jian sighed and went over to them. "Good morning," he greeted. "Are you well, Miss?"

Nathaniel was on his feet the second Sarah fell, making a grimace as Stalks by Night utilised every claw at his disposal to stay aloft on his shoulder with the sudden movement.

"You ok?" He stretched a hand down to Sarah, who seemed more surprised than hurt by her fall. He glanced up, and nodded politely. "Hullo again. How's things?"

Sarah smiled and took Nathaniel's hand to get back to her feet, "Yeah, just being daft.."

She also smiled at Jian as she brushed the grass off her robe, "No doubt that was the completely wrong way to stand but then I am an *artist*" she emphasised the word a la 'British lovey school of acting, "not a fighter."

Nathaniel smiled warmly at Sarah as he helped her up, glad she wasn't hurt in any way.

"I have to head on in, I need to try and refresh my memory on some stuff before class." he nodded at everyone, and meandered into the castle, the cat still on his shoulder.

Jian had responded to Nathaniel's question with his own polite nod. He likewise turned to Niki and acknowledged her. He then watched Nathaniel leave with cat in tow.

He considered the yellow-haired girl's statement for a moment and nodded. "We all have strengths, Miss, I agree," he said at last.

"I do not think we have been introduced in the past." He gave the yellow-haired girl a bow. "My name is Jian Hupi, of Gryffindor House."