Sasha Liliana Jackson & The Secrets of Hogwarts

Chapter Seven: Friends From Beauxbatons & Durmstrang

It had been a few weeks after the furry problem with Chiara, Sasha and Rowan helped Professor Snape gather the ingredients for Chiara's wolfsbane potions. But after they had done their home in their free time, Sasha helped Talbot stayed away from the castle in case another boggart incident happened again and Talbot was more than happy to do so.
During Charms class, they were learning how to do the Body-Bind Curse by Professor Flitwick.
"Today, we will be learning the Full Body-Bind Curse," Flitwick announced. "It is a sure way to stop your enemies in their tracks, before they have the chance to attack. You simply wave your wand like this and say, 'Petrificus Totalus!'"
Waving his wand in front of him, he had tried to show them the curse on a metal dummy. But nothing seemed to have happened to the dummy.
While the class gave Professor Flitwick confused looks, he grinned sheepishly and said, "Miss Jackson and Mr. Copper, will you please help me demonstrate for the class?"
Ben reluctantly stepped forward along with Sasha, while Rowan held her hand up. Sasha had a sense she wasn't going to like this demonstration too much.
"Yes, Miss Khanna?" Flitwick asked.
"Isn't something like this normally taught in Defense Against the Dark Arts?" Rowan asked curiously.
"That is correct," Flitwick nodded. "But due to popular demand, I am going to teach you how to cast this curse safely."
Unsure of what Flitwick was talking about, Sasha stood across from Ben who gave her a nervous look as she raised her wand up.
"Now, cast the spell I just recited on Mr. Copper," Flitwick instructed. When Sasha hesitated, he assured, "Don't worry, Miss Jackson, I'll reverse the spell after you cast it."
She caught Rowan's eye and she nodded to her encouragingly, though she had a sympathetic look in her eyes as she looked at Ben.
"I'm really sorry about this, Ben," Sasha apologized, doing a half-circle motion with her wand followed by a straight line and a downward wave while annunciating, "Petrificus Totalus!"
A bolt of purple energy shot from her wand, hitting Ben which bound his arms and legs together causing him to hit the floor instantly.
"Well, done, Miss Jackson!" Flitwick said proudly. "Ten points to Ravenclaw and Gryffindor since Mr. Copper was a good enough sport to help."
In response, Sasha thought she had saw Ben's eyes blinked.
"I think he blinked," noted Rowan as she looked from her desk and down at Ben in concern.
After class, Sasha and Rowan were both comparing their notes about the Full Body-Bind Curse to each other at the Grand Hall, while Philomena was busy eating some bacon and watching them when they were joined by an overexcited Penny.
"Girls, guess what?" said Penny with a bright smile. "My pen pal, Aurélie Dumont, is coming to visit Hogwarts from Beauxbatons Academy."
"That's great news," Rowan said with a smile.
"When is she arriving?" asked Sasha curiously.
"Later today," replied Penny.
"She's not the only one arriving," Ben added as he joined them. "A student from Durmstrang is coming here too."
"What's he like?" asked Sasha as she looked at Ben.
"No clue." Ben shrugged. "I just know his name is Martinus Jäger Quidditch player and that's it."
"You know there are four parts of Quidditch players," pointed out Sasha. "The Keeper, the Chasers, the Beaters, and the Seeker. Which role does he play in?"
"I think he's the Keeper of the team," Ben said thoughtfully. "But that's all I know about him, I'm afraid."
"I heard that they study the Dark Arts there," whispered Rowan. "The headmaster there was a former Death Eater named Igor Karkaroff."
"Didn't that guy had dump a whole bunch names of Death Eaters to get out Azkadan?" asked Penny with a frown.
"Pretty much." Rowan shrugged uncertainly before she continued reading.
Sasha knew that Sirius Black is innocent, he just needs a fair trial to prove his point and gain custody over Harry Potter as his role of a godfather. Before she could finish her train of thought, Mr. Filch had came running in with Mrs Norris hot on his heels towards the teachers' table.
Sasha scanned the table carefully. Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, was sitting on a large pile of cushions beside Professor Sprout, the Herbology teacher, whose hat was askew over her flyaway gray hair. She was talking to Professor Sinistra of the Astronomy department. On Professor Sinistra's other side was Professor Snape, who was listening to Professor McGonagall as she spoke to him. Next to it, and in the very center of the table, sat Professor Dumbledore, the headmaster, his sweeping silver hair and beard shining in the candlelight, his magnificent purple robes embroidered with many stars and moons. The tips of Dumbledore's fingers were together and he was resting his chin upon them, staring up at the ceiling through his half-moon spectacles as though lost in thought.
When the puddings too had been demolished, and the last crumbs had faded off the plates, leaving them sparkling clean, Albus Dumbledore got to his feet again. The buzz of chatter filling the Hall ceased almost at once, so that only the howling wind and pounding rain could be heard.
"So!" said Dumbledore, smiling around at them all. "Now that we are all fed and watered, I must once more ask for your attention, while I give out a few notices. Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to tell you that the list of objects forbidden inside the castle has this year been extended to include Screaming Yo-yos, Fanged Frisbees, and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs. The full list comprises some four hundred and thirty-seven items, I believe, and can be viewed in Mr. Filch's office, if anybody would like to check it." The corners of Dumbledore's mouth twitched. He continued, "As ever, I would like to remind you all that the forest on the grounds is out-of-bounds to students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all below third year. Today, we will be having some special guests from both Beauxbatons Academy and Durmstrang. I want everybody in their best behavior today."
The doors soon opened it had revealed the largest woman she had ever seen in her life. The size of Thowra the Abraxan, was immediately explained. A few people gasped.
Sasha had only ever seen one person as large as this woman in her life, and that was Hagrid; she doubted whether there was an inch difference in their heights. Yet somehow — maybe simply because she was used to Hagrid — this woman (now heading towards the teachers' table and looking around at the waiting, wide-eyed crowd) seemed even more unnaturally large. As she stepped into the light flooding from the entrance hall, she was revealed to have a handsome, olive-skinned face; large, dark, liquid-looking eyes; and a rather sharp nose. Her dark hair was drawn back in a shining knob at the base of her neck. She was dressed from head to foot in black satin, and many magnificent opals gleamed at her throat and on her thick fingers.
Dumbledore started to clap; the students, following his lead, broke into applause too, many of them standing on tiptoe, the better to look at this woman.
Her face relaxed into a gracious smile and she walked forward toward Dumbledore, extending a glittering hand. Dumbledore, though tall himself, had barely to bend to kiss it.
"My dear Madame Maxime," he said. "Welcome to Hogwarts."
"Dumbly-dort," said Madame Maxime in a deep, French voice. "I 'ope I find you well?"
"In excellent form, I thank you," said Dumbledore.
"My pupil," said Madame Maxime, waving one of her enormous hands carelessly behind her.
Sasha, whose attention had been focused completely upon Madame Maxime, now noticed that a young girl around her age, had emerged from the hallway and was now standing behind Madame Maxime. She has her brown hair drawn back in a shining knob at the base of her neck and her eyes are silvery-blue. She had an anxious expression on her fairly skinned face. She was in blue robes seemed to be made of fine silk, and a wrapped scarf around her neck.
"'As Karkaroff arrived yet?" Madame Maxime asked.
They soon saw a man leading his charge was wearing furs of a different sort: sleek and silver, like his hair.
"Dumbledore!" he called heartily as he walked up the slope. "How are you, my dear fellow, how are you?"
"Blooming, thank you, Professor Karkaroff," Dumbledore replied. Karkaroff had a fruity, unctuous voice; when he stepped into the light pouring from the front doors of the castle they saw that he was tall and thin like Dumbledore, but his white hair was short, and his goatee (finishing in a small curl) did not entirely hide his rather weak chin. When he reached Dumbledore, he shook hands with both of his own.
"Dear old Hogwarts," he said, looking up at the castle and smiling; his teeth were rather yellow, but Sasha noticed that his smile did not extend to his eyes, which remained cold and shrewd. "How good it is to be here, how good... Martinus, come along, into the warmth... you don't mind, Dumbledore? Martinus has a slight cold..."
Karkaroff beckoned forward his student. As the boy passed, Sasha caught a glimpse of his tanned skin and warm brown eyes. He seems pretty handsome, but Martinus seems a little lonely. The two accidentally caught each other's eyes, but Martinus looked back to his professor. Sasha struggled to muffle her laughter at the awestruck expressions on the boy Gryffindors.
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Sasha started researching some advanced spells in third years at the forest's edge when she heard loud neighing and the flapping of huge wings. Sasha looked up and stuffed away both her wand and her books into her satchel. She was amazed to see such huge and beautiful golden palomino Abraxans at the forest's edge. They kind of reminded her of a certain incident when it had involves helping Hagrid, Penny being an apprentice to Sasha, and a wild, but friendly Abraxan named Thowra.
That's when Thowra and the other Abraxans had noticed her, the whole entire herd of Abraxans had started sniffing her and nuzzling her, making Sasha laughed and started petting their muzzles. The whole entire herd of Abraxans had started grazing around her and Thowra stood next to her, in the center of the herd. Though, occasionally, one of the French Abraxans will sneak a quick nuzzle on her before going grazing again. Thowra is a little protective of her, but he is a great Abraxan still.
As Sasha pulled out a book and continued reading a book about alchemy and leaned against the tree behind her. When she was done reading, Sasha chuckled softly when Blossom and the other fairies flying around eagerly and shining their light around her and the Abraxans.
She patted Thowra's leg as she stood up with a smile, the Abraxan nickers softly and blew his grassy breath into her face. Sasha gently blew into his muzzle and Thowra nuzzled her before he neighed to the other Abraxans had they each flew off into the fields. Sasha got up and went searched for Sundancer the Niffler, Blaze the Porlock, Loco the Pixie, Thornbush the Knarl, and Indradhanush (or just simply Rainbow) the Diricawl. She each greeted them in their own special way after she gave them their lunch: Sundancer crawled over her before giving her a hug, Blaze nudged her leg till she petted him, Loco tried to steal her wand and it kept backfiring, Thornbush rolls over his pile of flat stones and being tickled in his belly once he enters her arms, and Rainbow and her two chicks (Khilana and Chhamak) keeps playing hide-and-seek with Sasha by disappearing and reappearing, which usually ended with the two chicks on the top of Sasha's head.
Once she was done feeding the forest critters, she started playing with them: The gnomes played a game similar to whack-a-vole, only she doesn't whack gnomes, she just tries to catch the mischievous ankle-bitters (mind her, she has trouble naming all of them). The bowtruckles likes it when she lets them climb up her hands and gives them each a gentle cuddle (she also has trouble naming them too). She played pick-a-boo with Meadowbrook the gentle Welsh Green Dragon and took a slight doze in the dappled sunlight next to a motherly Meadowbrook.
Lastly, Sasha had walked carefully towards Wildfire the Hippogriff. Trotting towards her was a the most bizarre creatures Sasha had ever seen. He had the body, hind legs and tail of a horse, but the front legs, wings and head of what seemed to be giant eagles, with sharp, steel-coloured beak and large, brilliantly amber eyes. The talons on their front legs were half a foot long and deadly-looking. Once you had got over the first shock of seeing something that was half-horse, half-bird, you started to appreciate the Hippogriff's gleaming coat, changing smoothly from feather to hair, gleaming chestnut with a mix of gold.
Wildfire had turned his great, sharp head, and was staring at Sasha with a fierce amber eye.
Sasha didn't feel much like exposing the back of her neck to Wildfire, she gave a short bow and then looked up.
The Hippogriff was still staring haughtily at her. It didn't move.
But then, to Sasha's enormous surprise, the Hippogriff suddenly bent his front legs, and sank into what was an unmistakable bow.
Feeling that a better reward would have been to back away, Sasha moved slowly towards the Hippogriff and reached out towards him. She patted the beak several times and the Hippogriff closed his eyes lazily, as though enjoying it.
It wasn't long till Wildfire had made her inched closer to his back. This was more than Sasha had bargained for. She was used to a broomstick; but she wasn't sure a Hippogriff would be quite the same.
Sasha put her foot on the top of Wildfire's wing and hoisted herself onto his back. Wildfire stood up. Sasha wasn't sure where to hold on; everything in front of her was covered in feathers.
She wrapped her arms around Wildfire's neck. His muscles bunched and expanded as he charged into the clearing. He flew close to the ground, his neck stretched flat and his wings pinned to his sides like the fletchings on an arrow.
Sasha drew in her elbows and knees as they flew past the trees in a blur. Wildfire's body twisted, sometimes sideways. He dodged the trees, his wingtips grazing against the damp leaves.
Wildfire surged forward. Sasha had ridden many animals, but Wildfire's strength and speed were unexpected for his size. She kept her arms wrapped around his feathery chestnut neck, feeling the bite of his flowing chestnut feathers against her skin. His lean and strong muscles rippled, and his wings shaped the wind. He swerved and ducked, startling birds and excited climbable critters.
They were soon gliding over the Black Lake that was surprisingly clear today. Wildfire startled the water fowl and made them scattered. But Sasha could see bright fish schools and water dragons swam as slow as sharks. The Giant Squid's tentacles rested on the shore. Sasha caught sight of their reflections: a hippogriff, wild and windblown, with Sasha astride him riding bareback, her clothes soaked, her legs pressed tight, and her eyes bright, looking just as wild. Wildfire dropped lower and let one of his talons skim over the water, cutting long ripples.
Ahead the lake had became a river, then into a flowing waterfall. Wildfire bent his wings and dropped with it, buzzing over the edge and down, gliding gracefully like a hangglider. Sasha's belly fluttered as they dived hundreds of lengths towards the glimmering pool at the bottom. Fresh spray soaked her to the skin as Wildfire gently pulled out of his dive and banked, heading back to the forest outside of Hogwarts. Straight ahead fluttered a kaleidoscope of butterflies, thousands of them. Wildfire flew straight into them. Sasha glanced down at Wildfire. With his chestnut wings enveloping him, the dusky sky shining above, and the lush green foliage flashing below, he looked serene as a storybook illustration. Sasha felt winded with excitement.
Sasha caught her breath and watched the world pass underneath her feet, blurred and beautiful. They re-entered the forest, and then suddenly, Wildfire lifted his beak and shot to the tops of the trees. Wildfire flared his wings and braked, hovering above the treetops. Here the wind filled Sasha's ears and blew her hair up. The horizon shrank as they began to land. She closed her eyes and breathed through her nose.
Wildfire landed in his clearing and folded his wings. He turned his head and stared at her, and Sasha knew exactly what they wanted. Sasha slid off his back and had managed to land on her feet without collapsing.
Wildfire dropped his beak into Sasha's hands. It was the first time he's sought physical contact with her. She stroked his beak and Sasha tensed when she heard,"Wow, zat waz amazing." Sasha turned around to see Martinus and Aurélie had been watching her and Wildfire the whole entire time. Their eyes were all wide with amazement and their expressions were awestruck.
Sasha calmed herself down and smiled at them modestly as she continued petting Wildfire. The hippogriff relaxed and churred at her gentle touch. Sasha placed her forehead against Wildfire's feathery forehead, the two of them had both exchanged soft breaths, an exchange of their scents.
Sasha smiled at Martinus and Aurélie after she had sent Wildfire away, feeling a little awkward and shy from their sudden attention.
"Aren't you two supposed to be touring the school with Penny?" asked Sasha nervously, she soon figured that she had ask the question wrong. "I mean, I find some peace and quiet out here." Along with easing some of my homesickness, Sasha thought with a wince and started stepping back. "I could leave if you want. I'm pretty sure Hagrid won't mind giving you two a tour."
"'Ctually, we wanted to meet you." Martinus' response took Sasha by surprise, she thought everybody had told their children to keep away from her. Apparently, children outside of Britain didn't really get the message.
"Penny had spoke and written quite highly of you," Aurélie said with a surprising English accent. "Penny had already given us a tour of Hogwarts. But right now, she's tutoring some younger years and she told us you might be interested in giving us a tour in the preserve around the school."
"Umm... Okay." Sasha was surprised to see that the duo were interested seeing the natural world through her eyes. Maybe she can have friends with students from other magic schools.
In the next few minutes, Sasha had shown Martinus and Aurélie her world in the nature preserve.
Sasha has introduced her two new friends to her magical animal friends. Sasha had taught them how to feed the beasts their meals and occasionally their medicine, how to bond with them, and befriending the critters. They had hitched rides on the Abraxans and dragons, though Wildfire and the other hippogriffs were all napping in the sun. They played with small critters in the fields, the forest, and in the snowy mountains. They had to keep their distance from the Yeti though, he was in a bad mood apparently.
When they were done, Sasha had led Martinus and Aurélie to the courtyard. They sat down by the fountain together, the two of them both looked flustered from their time in the nature preserve.
"That was amazing Sasha," said Aurélie with a brilliant smile. "Thank you for showing us from your eyes."
"Your welcome." Sasha looked at duo curiously and nervously. "But you're not going judge based off my brother?"
"Not at a'll," Martinus said with a shake of his head. "I've a problem weth my brother too."
"Zame here," said Aurélie. "Me brother waz the mozt talented student and they expected me to do reach hiz expectations. I want to zhow them I can be good az my brother. I'm tired of being constantly compared to him and I want to zhow them who I'm true am."
"What about you Martinus?" asked Sasha curiously as she looked up Martinus. "Do you have the similar situation as Aurélie?"
"Aye," Martinus confirmed with a gloomy look in his expression. "I'm the fifth in our family to go to Durmstrang. You could say I've got a lot to live up to. Santiago and Lucas have already left — Santiago waz Head Boy and Lucas waz the Captain of Quidditch. Adrian and Julian playz a lot of jokez, but they still get really good markz and everyone thinkz they're really funny. Everyone expectz me to do as well as the otherz, but if I do, it'z no big deal, because they did it first."
"You both feel overshadowed by your brothers. I can understand both of your points of views." Sasha smiled at her two friends empathetically. "Many people had made assumptions about me before they could actually get the chance to know me. Both of the assumptions with the good and the bad. That's why I spent so much time in the woods. It feels in a piece of myself that just wants to be accepted for who I am, not who am I related to. My forest friends gives me what I wanted. But Rowan soon came along and well..." Sasha looked at Aurélie and Martinus with a nervous expression.
"Rowan had given you the friendship that you had been searching for," finished Aurélie with a gentle smile.
"That's right." Sasha nodded with a grin. "Then, over time, I had started to opening up into meeting new friends here at school."
"Now, you have us as friends just as well." Martinus smiled and gently nudged her on the shoulder, she gently nudged him back playfully. "We can all be pen palz, if that'z all right?" He looked at Aurélie, as if he was asking her for permission. Sasha almost chuckled at the adorable sight, she had faint sense that these two will get together.
When it was time to leave, Sasha and Penny both met up with their friends by the Black Friday to watch them leave. They watched as the Abraxans flew away with the carriage flying behind them and the Durmstrang ship sailed away, while sinking into the water. Sasha was surprised to see that she had befriended two students from two different magic schools. At least, she's not the only feeling the way she was about her brother.