111 The Board

"Does Anna know?"

The question asked by my best friend brought me out of my thoughts.

I turned and looked at Cedric. Like me, he was dressed in fine robes, although his were dark black stitched with golden threads. His dark hair made his skin look even paler.

Seeing that Cedric's grey eyes weren't focused on me, I turned in the direction he was looking. Immediately, I understood the origin of his question.

It was Jessica, my girlfriend.

She was over with her parents, who seemed to be networking. They worked directly for the International Confederation of Wizards. Their main job was to monitor muggles, make spells, and offer suggestions that would help keep wizardkind hidden from the rest of the world.

Jessica's blue eyes sparkled as she noticed me glancing at her. She sent me a smile that made me lose my train of thought and brought a dumb, goofy grin to my face.

Damnit, why does that keep happening to me?

"What did you ask?" I murmured, trying to distract myself from my pretty girlfriend.

Cedric repeated himself, "I asked if Anna knows that you and Jessica are a thing?"

Feeling a little defensive, I crossed my arms and muttered, "It's not like it's any of her business."

Cedric gave me a look that made me fidget uncomfortably.

Feeling the urge to defend myself, I explained, "It's not like I'm hiding it from her. I just haven't had the chance to tell her yet."

My friendship with Anna had been a little rocky over the past year. We never really talked about our escalating prank war. Even though it had been over for months, there was an uncomfortable wall of silence between us. Of course, we were still friends. We still hung out. But, things were still a little tense.

I wanted to fix it, but I didn't know-how. Whenever I tried to say something, my mind would blank, and I wouldn't know what to say. I missed the easy friendship we had before.

Breaking the uncomfortable silence, Cedric suggested, "Well, you should tell her before she finds out from… other sources."

Cedric's eyes shifted in Jessica's direction, leaving no doubt she was the source in question.v\

I wanted to shake my head and protest, but memories of Jessica and Anna constantly sniping at one another came to mind.

Cedric had a point. Jessica would definitely tell Anna. And knowing my luck, it would come out the worst possible moment.

"I'll tell her," I promised. "I just need to find the right moment."

I fell silent and forced my attention back to the dinner party.

Sensing that I was done talking about this topic, Cedric stopped pushing and casually changed the subject.

"So, how did you two get together?"

I paused upon hearing the odd tone in Cedric's voice. It was like he was asking for directions rather than just wanting to know how Jessica and I began.

My suspicions were proved correct when I prodded him with a sly grin.

"Why Cedric, it sounds like you have an ulterior motive. Has some lady caught your eye"

Cedric's cheeks flushed red, and he pointedly turned away and ignored my childish antics.

I patted Cedric's shoulder and teased him, "Don't be embarrassed."

"Come sit, let me share my wisdom on how to approach girls." I bragged with all the confidence of a guy who now had a girlfriend and thus knew everything.

Cedric snorted in response.

But after a few awkward moments of silence, he turned back to me.

"Well," he demanded. "Where's all that wisdom you were claiming to have.

As Cedric was staring at me, waiting for me to say anything, I quickly realized I didn't know what to say.

I raced through my memories, trying to piece together exactly how Jessica and I had gotten together.

Jessica and I had gotten really close last year with all the competitive challenges we did in class and late-night study sessions.

The night our feelings were made clear was a bit of a blur. We were studying and mentioned that I would miss this next year, which led to a conversation on how I volunteered for the student exchange program.

That was followed by Jessica's deep blue eyes shimmering with tears and then a lingering hug. During which I couldn't help but be distracted by how good she smelled. Well, one thing led to another, and before I knew it, we were kissing.

Damn it, now that I think about it. I didn't do anything to get Jessica; she's the one who got me. I just was kind of along for the ride.

Damn me and my big mouth.

I can't tell Cedric that… Or can I?

I took a deep breath, as if I were about to reveal a great secret, then I started spouting out nonsense.

"Let the girl do all the work."

Cedric blinked for a moment, trying to wrap his head around my advice.

"You know," he pronounced, "That might be the dumbest thing I've ever heard you say."

I held up a finger and countered, "Wrong, the dumbest thing I ever said was telling Athena to go off with Hagrid's before we went deep into a monster's lair.

Cedric nodded, agreeing with me.

Getting back on point, I pointed out the obvious, "Besides, who's the one with the girlfriend?"

As the night went on, I continued to spout more BS rather than admit I didn't know what I was talking about. Thankfully, Cedric was a good enough friend not to call me out on it.

I kept busy enchanting outside of the dinner parties that our family was using as insurance against the Syndicate.

On the last day of July, I found myself slumped over my table, my head leaning on a thick heavy tome. The book's title read A Charm-Crafters Guide, Vol 1.

The book series could only be obtained from the Charm-Crafters Guild. It was one of the benefits of belonging to the guild. Dad had got it for me at the beginning of summer and told me to have fun.

After blazing through the first volume, I couldn't wait to get the next. I found dozens of complicated and high-level enchantments not taught at Hogwarts.

I wasn't shocked at finding so many new spells. It wasn't like Hogwarts taught every spell in existence. The School's strategy was if you could obtain an OWL or NEWT in a subject, you had a good enough foundation in that subject to learn new spells on your own.

I followed Dad's advice on becoming a great charm crafter and went on an enchanting spree this summer. The only way I would become the best was to practice repeatedly, building both skill and experience.

With that thought, I pushed myself up with a groan and looked at my latest creation. At first glance, it looked like a plain feathered quill. But, my magical senses told a different story. The magic I could feel told me there were almost a dozen spells crafted onto the quill.

While that doesn't seem very impressive, my enchanting table was covered with burnt-up failures. Quills were so fragile that they had a good chance of breaking once you put more than a couple of spells onto one.

Picking the white, feathered quill up, I began testing it to make sure my spells were in working order.

Floating above a blank piece of paper, the quill's white feather seemed to dance as it began recording my every word.

Seeing that the quill's primary enchantment worked correctly, I started working on its other spells, starting with the grammar charm. I deliberately began speaking improperly to see how the quill would react.

I was pleased to find the charm working properly as the quill would instantly rearrange anything I said into a well-written sentence.

After that, I started testing the quill's ability to deal with homonyms and other tricky areas of the English language.

Seeing everything was working perfectly, I switched languages running through Spanish, French, Arabic, Latin, and even Gobbledegook, the Goblin language.

With all that writing, the quill never had to be refilled because I added a refilling charm to the ink so it wouldn't ever run out.

In the end, everything was perfect, and I was left with an enchanted quill that could be sold for around a single galleon.

It's too bad these types of quills were banned at Hogwarts; it would make writing all my essays a breeze.

Of course, not all my projects were successful. My eyes narrowed as they darted to a seemingly innocent-looking glass cup. While I had been testing the quill, it had been inching its way across the table, getting closer to me.

"Don't you dare," I warned the cup.

I rolled my eyes when the glass froze in place, trying to pretend to be innocent.

The class cup was designed to be a never-ending cup of ice-cold lemonade that would appear before me whenever I was thirsty.

Technically, I succeeded. The glass cup did indeed provide a never-ending glass of refreshing lemonade.

However, I must have screwed up somewhere because I was left with a cup that seemed to have a fanatic need to be used whether I was thirsty or not.

Even worse, I had given it the ability to move on its own. So now, I was constantly stalked by a glassy cup that was determined to fill my stomach with lemonade.

I've also learned that I have to lock it up at night because it tends to douse me with lemonade in the middle of the night.

Part of me was tempted to vanish it into nothingness after that first night, but I decided against it in the end. Who knows, maybe one day I will find another use for it.

"Alex!"

My younger sister Rebecca shouted, interrupting my thinking.

"What!" I shouted back.

"You got a letter."

I let out a brief sigh. Sometimes I missed having the tower to myself.

I found Mum on the fourth floor dressed in her brewing robes and looking a little frazzled as she searched for potion ingredients.

As soon as I entered, Mum turned to me and fumed, "I hate this place. Nothing is where it's supposed to be."

I could see why she was having issues, unlike her brewing room back at the house where everything had a proper place. The brewing room in the tower looked like some had tossed in jars at random.

"It won't be forever," I soothed. "I'm sure Dad is almost finished with the house."

Dad had taken the possible threat from the Syndicate seriously. Over the summer, he had stripped our home of every enchantment and was in the process of weaving new spells into every inch of the house, turning it into a magical fortress.

More than once, he had joked that it would be as secure as Hogwarts. I didn't have the heart to tell him that Hogwarts wasn't as secure as he thought it was.

Getting back on track, I said, "Rebbeca said I got a letter."

Mum pulled out a sealed letter and handed it to me before turning her attention back to the jars that had been stacked in seemingly random order.

As I left the room, I glanced down at the letter. The font and spelling of my name tickled my memory. Then, after a brief moment, I realized it was nearly identical to my invitation to Hogwarts.

Tearing the letter open, I eagerly read the contents.

Mr. Alexander Fawley.

Your presence is requested to appear before the Hogwarts's Board of Governors this Saturday on August 7th, 1992. This meeting concerns the Student Exchange Program that you volunteered for. Should you not appear, your spot in the program will be given to another.

Your best regards, The Board of Governors.

I wasn't surprised by the contents of the letter. Grandma had told me I would be summoned before the Board. She told me they would be giving us information about our trip overseas and a lecture on how we would be expected to behave. Thankfully, I wouldn't be alone during the meeting. My friends would be there as well.

On the day of the meeting, I got dressed in my favorite set of blue robes. Grandma would throw a fit if I showed up in anything casual. I used to find it annoying, but ever since I started Fawley's Arcane Solutions, I had truly begun to recognize the importance of one's appearance.

When Grandma caught sight of me, she gave an approving nod. Since we were both going to the same place, she volunteered to escort me to the meeting.

Unfortunately, we couldn't leave directly from the tower. When Anton built the tower, he refused to put any fireplaces, so there was no way to connect the tower to the floo network. And due to Dad's new security measures, no one could apparate on the family grounds.

With Anton, Dad had found an eager collaborator. Dad would spend hours on the top floor with Anton's painting, going over spells that would make our house secure.

The only issue was Anton was a little crazy and had a skewed idea of what reasonable defensive spells were. After convincing Dad that it was a good idea to put a flaying curse on anyone sneaking through one of our windows, Mum put her foot down and demanded that she have final approval over each spell.

Normally, Dad is the level-headed one in our family, having to reign in Mum when she goes overboard. But I don't hold it against him. Everything he's doing is making sure our family is safe. So, if we have to leave our property to apparate, it's a small price to pay.

Once Grandma and I were outside the grounds, she reached out with her left arm. I grabbed on tightly and braced myself.

There was a slight twisting sensation, then everything went pitch black, and I felt the familiar sensation of being forced through a rubber tube two-sizes-two-small.

Just when I thought I would suffocate in the darkness, we reappeared on the edge of Hogsmeade.

We had reappeared in front of a small stone building that had ivy climbing the walls. The few windows were smoky and prevented anyone from seeing inside. If there was any doubt that this was our destination, the Hogwarts crest carved on the stone wall next to the door chased them away.

I followed Grandma's lead as she opened the oak door that guarded the entrance. Inside was a small waiting room with wooden chairs. Cedric and Anna had already arrived with their parents and were seated in the far right corner.

Arriving last was Alicia, who showed up with both of her parents. Mr. and Mrs. Spinnet appeared to be in high spirits as they both had gleaming smiles on their faces.

It probably had to do with the fact that they were graduates of Uagadou. They both moved to Britain after completing a Competitive Healing Apprenticeship in Egypt. From what I understand, Mrs. Spinnet is a standard healer, while Mr. Spinnet's job has more to do with trying to find new treatments for incurable magical damage.

When it was time for the meeting, my friends and I were led into a large room with half a dozen lamps floating in midair, giving off a warm glow.

On the floor beneath the floating lights was an enormous polished table that filled up the room. I blinked in surprise when I noticed thirteen people seated rather than the twelve I was expecting. The thirteenth member was a familiar face. She was the Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts, Professional McGonagall.

Professor McGonagall and the twelve Governors were all seated on the far side of the long table. Our transfiguration professor was seated in the middle and was flanked by six governors on either side.

Professor McGonagall waved for us to take a seat in the four empty chairs situated on the opposite side of the table.

As I took a seat, my eyes drifted towards the other board members. They were all familiar faces due to the many dinner parties I had attended with Grandma over the years. Each board member was well connected and highly respected in the magical community. While being a Governor didn't give you much power, it was a high mark on someone's social status.

My eyes paused on the least trustworthy governor, Lucian Malfoy. His long blonde hair was so pale it was almost white. He was dressed in expensive dark robes etched in silver. The blue veins on his hand stuck out starkly as he absently gripped his cane that had a silver snakehead. Although I hadn't ever seen him draw his wand, I knew from the books that the cane held his wand.

This would be his last year on the BoardBoard if things remained faithful to the books. He's supposed to blackmail or threaten the board members into suspending Dumbledore as Headmaster. I had always been a little puzzled by this; there was no way Lucius could bully Grandma into doing whatever he wanted.

The way I saw it, Lucius probably only needed to get a majority of the Board to vote his way. But, I could also see Grandma playing along, giving Lucius just enough rope to hang himself.

Grandma had never liked Lucius. Although she couldn't prove anything, she had kept track of people who had vocally supported Voldemort's ideas before he showed his true colors.

She couldn't prove anything, but I knew she privately suspected Lucius had been a death eater. I know it galled her to rub elbows with him constantly. More than once, I had seen her lock her jaw when Lucius suggested our families had a lot in common.

During and shortly after the war, there had been whispers about both our families being Voldemort supporters. It wasn't until an investigation revealed that Grandpa had been killed on Voldemort's orders that the whispers about our family faded.

Lucius pleaded innocent, claiming that he had been under the influence of the imperious curse. His plea and family connections had been enough to remove any suspicion. However, I would bet that there was some gold involved as well.

What made it easy for people like him to slip back into normal society was that Voldemort and his Death Eaters had enslaved hundreds during the war. It was a time of great confusion, and after Voldemort's 'apparent death,' the Ministry just wanted it all to go away.

Idiots.

Professor McGonagall's curt voice brought me back to the present.

"As you all know, this meeting concerns the Student Exchange Program." She briskly stated.

"You four were selected out of many candidates. I hope you understand what an honor it is to represent Hogwarts as you go abroad. I expect each of you to act accordingly. I will be most displeased should I find out that you weren't on your best behavior."

As Professor McGonagall paused, I squirmed in my chair as I noticed she seemed to be staring at me rather than my friends.

What was that look for?

I've always been on my best behavior. It's not like I go looking for trouble. The Grendel, the portkey, the trolls, none of those were my fault.

Ok, maybe the Grendel incident was a little bit my fault. But that's it. I'm innocent of the rest. Save that judgey look for the golden trio.

Satisfied that she had made her point, Professor McGonagall continued, "With that out of the way, I would like to bring up one more point. Next year will be your fifth year, and you will be taking your OWL exams. Therefore, I want to caution you that you may find yourself slightly behind when you return to Hogwarts next year.

Professor McGonagall waved her wand, and four similar pieces of parchment appeared in front of us.

"Here is a list of books you would have used this year at Hogwarts. I highly recommend you get them and take them with you and study them in your free time."

Alicia raised her arm and asked, "Why do we need these? My parents told me that Uagadou teaches similar classes."

Professor McGonagall eyes her for a moment before replying, "While it's true that you will find magical disciplines to be similar to the ones taught at Hogwarts. You will find that their incantations and approaches are different from the ones taught at Hogwarts."

Professor McGonagall sighed before adding, "Had you requested to visit Ivormeny, Beauxbatons, or Durmstrang, this wouldn't be an issue as they all use similar spells. You will find Uagadou's spells to be the equal of the ones taught at Hogwarts, but that won't matter on your OWL exams as you will be tested off of Hogwarts curriculum."

Looking us each in the eye, Professor McGonagall said, "If any of you have any doubts about keeping up, there is no shame in backing out. I can't stress enough how important the OWL exams are to your future. They will dictate what advanced classes you can take and will have a huge impact on your future careers."

Seeing how none of us planned on backing out, Professor McGonagall turned to her right and nodded toward the plump witch sitting next to her.

The witch's name was Martha Goldvein. I wasn't quite sure how old she was, but I know she and Grandma attended Hogwarts at the same time.

She had warm brown eyes, and every time I met her, she always had a smile on her face.

Martha smiled at us like there wasn't any other place in the world she would rather be.

She winked at us and cheerfully said, "Alright, with that out of the way, now we can get to the good stuff."

"I know most of you are probably wondering how you will be getting to Uagadou."

My friends and I nodded. We all had different ideas on how we would be transported.

Martha pointed towards a governor I recognized as Stewart Rowle. He had short graying hair that did little to cover his giant dumbo ears. While his hairline was receding, the opposite was true for his thick braided beard. Even at his advanced age, he still had large arms that were thicker than my legs. He looked more like an aging warrior than a wizard.

"Luckily for you, Stewart has a good relationship with the Elders of Uagadou, who are our equivalents. He was able to get a port key set up that will take you to the outskirts of Uagadou."

Before I could ask, Martha answered my unspoken question, "You'll meet up at King's Cross Station like normal, and portkey from Platform 9 3/4."

"Are there any other questions?" She asked.

Cedric raised his hand, and when Martha nodded at him, he asked, "What about books and supplies? Has Uagadou given us a list of what we need?"

This time it was my Grandma who spoke up.

"The headmaster at Uagadou has informed us that they will be supplying any books or equipment that you need. As for other supplies like quills and ink, I suggest you bring anything you normally bring to Hogwarts."

Thirty minutes later, the meeting came to an end. Before we were dismissed, Martha asked us a question.

"So, what made the four of you choose Uagadou? It's quite unusual to have all four students choose the same School."

The other governors subtly leaned forward. Apparently, they were all curious.

My friends all looked at me to answer.

I hesitated for a moment. I wasn't all that happy letting Lucius know I was planning on becoming an animagus, but it wasn't like I was going to be able to keep it a secret for long. Professor McGonagall already knew about our plan, and she would definitely ensure we registered with the Ministry.

With a shrug, I explained, "My cousin goes to Uagadou, and he's an animagus. He told me around 80% of students become animagus by 14, and by the time they graduate, almost all students from Uagadou become animagi."

I nodded towards my friends and added, "So, this year, we are all planning on becoming animagi."

"Hmph."

Everyone turned to look at the oldest member of the Board. It was Fredrick Bones. Having been forced by my Grandma to attend his last birthday celebration, I knew Roger to be 120 years old.

He was old, bald, had a face full of wrinkles, and was in a generally grumpy mood all the time.

"I knew it," he exclaimed. "I knew these rapscallions were up to no good."

The other board members shot us looks people customarily reserved for family members they were embarrassed by but had to invite because they were family.

Fredrick continued speaking without realizing that the other board members were glaring at him, wanting him to shut up.

"Only the untrustworthy become animagus," he continued to preach.

Most of the board members subtle glances at the elephant in the room or rather the cat. Professor McGonagall was one of 7 registered animagi in Europe.

"That's enough," Grandma stood up and scolded. "Becoming an animagus is a worthy pursuit and has no bearing on a person's character."

"But, they're always up to no good," Roger grumbled. "Always sneaking around."

"Roger," my Grandma warned.

I tried to hide a grin. Grandma used the same tone on the twins when they were doing something wrong, and she wanted them to stop.

Roger fell silent and settled into his chair, but his face had an unhappy expression l had only ever seen on toddlers when they were told no.

Embarrassed by the actions of one of their own, the governors rushed the rest of the meeting. Before we left for the night, we were given packets for our parents. They covered everything that we went over in the meeting.

The rest of the summer flew by, and before I knew it, September had arrived. Finally, it was time to go to Uagadou.