((Friday, November 7th, around 3:05 in the afternoon. Ancient Runes for Fifth-years has just been let out.))


Aileen flipped through the stack of homework she’d received with a growing sense of dread. She’d expected it to be awful because of the dance and Hogsmeade trip over the weekend, but she hadn’t expected it to be this awful. At this rate, she’d run out of red ink after looking over the first two assignments.

It didn’t bother her as much as it should have, perhaps. She’d learned over the first few months of teaching that there would always be students who disappointed her, and there’d always be students who exceeded her expectations. By this point, she could predict the behavior of her students fairly accurately.

That was why Sasha Schlagenweit’s absence on Friday was so puzzling. A few other students had skipped to work on their Halloween costumes or to get an early start at Hogsmeade. Aileen had simply deducted points, handed out detentions, and thought nothing more of it. But Sasha? She highly doubted he’d waste an entire day obsessing over Transfiguration spells that would terrify the first-years. It just wasn’t his style.

So, Aileen had asked him to stop by her office after class. Soon enough, there was a knock on the door.

“Come in,” she called out, glancing up from the stack of dismal papers when the door opened.

“Mr. Schlagenweit. Please, sit,” Aileen gestured him towards the chair in front of her desk. She waited until he was situated, moving the papers over to the side of her desk and then shifting in her seat to look at him.

“You didn’t come to my class on Friday. I hear you missed your other classes that day, as well,” she told him, getting straight to the point. Because he was one of her best students- always on time, worked hard, did very well with the subject, and caused no trouble, Aileen sounded more curious than accusatory.

“If you were sick, I just need to see a note from the Healer. If you spent the time working on your Halloween costume, however, a note won’t cut it,” she raised her eyebrows, watching him.

Aileen suspected his absence had something to do with the ridiculous article Rita Skeeter had written about his family in the Friday morning paper. She refrained from handing out a detention just yet, curious about how he’d explain himself.

Much of the day had been spent slinking guiltily back into the classes Sasha had skipped the previous Friday and offering sometimes brief and sometimes more involved apologies to Professors.  Some were surprised, others were understanding, some were lenient on account of his previous track record.  None of the response really made the situation better, though. 

If there was one thing he had learned from this whole experience it was that he couldn't understand how some students cut class on a regular basis.  The act of returning to class, ashamed and entirely apologetic after that missed day was enough punishment in itself.  Though, he knew, he rightfully deserved more.  (Not to mention Sasha quickly discovered the embarrassment from the article hadn't magically disappeared during the span of the missed day - it had, simply, been delayed.)

He'd never actually experienced a Hogwarts detention.  Actually, he couldn't remember sitting any at Queen Ethelburga's College, either.  Presumably, there was a first time for everything.  And, Sasha knew, it was best to face and accept consequences full on and with sincerity.  Resisting them usually only made them worse. 

Sasha had taken care to make sure his uniform was spotless, wrinkle free and unquestioningly proper before knocking on the door.  It was rare his uniform was every out of sorts when he came to class but he'd taken special care to make sure it was proper today.  When he entered the classroom, his gaze was dropped, respectfully, but his posture was, as usual, straight and upright.  He took the indicated seat in front of Professor Reid's desk. 

He nodded his head, making no attempt to deny or contradict Professor Reid's summary.  "I was not sick," he admitted, without hesitation.  "And, I wasn't ... my costume wasn't nearly that complex."  No - it had been a straightforward, prefabricate Peter Pan outfit.  And, getting to the ball hadn't been a priority.  She was looking for an explanation.  Sasha took a deep breath, giving his words careful consideration.

"I was ashamed and -" He hesitated, finding the excuse almost as pathetic as the situation that had prompted it.  "I know I shouldn't have let my emotions get the better of me, and I definitely know I shouldn't have skipped class  But, I just left the Great Hall after breakfast and ... checking the morning paper and I couldn't convince myself to go back in.  I'm very sorry."

Aileen looked up when Sasha appeared, taking note of his impeccable attire and the appropriately contrite expression on his face. It was impressive how the boy managed to keep this up. At 15, she’d been much less careful and polite than he was.

She let him explain himself, surprised that he offered no sob story and didn’t gloss over the situation. She felt a flash of pity for him, then scorn. With the media sharks circling around him and the level of attention he was getting lately, he needed to have some barrier up, but he didn’t. At 15, she’d never been so guileless either.

Aileen sighed and gave him a small smile. “I see,” she said simply.

Punishing him or lecturing him seemed too cruel at the moment. Aileen settled back in her seat and decided that there were just more important things.

“I don’t know how many detentions, if any, you have from other professors, but I won’t add another to the list. You already know what you did wrong, and I trust that you won’t skip my class again.” She raised her eyebrows at him, emphasizing the ‘trust’ part. In his case, she doubted he’d make the mistake a second time.

“I will be deducting ten points. Though with Ravenclaw’s record so far, that shouldn’t be too much of a loss,” she added dryly. What a shame. Bombay would have yet another reason to gloat these days.

“You have until tomorrow, 5 p.m., to make up the work you missed. And one last thing…” she commented, pausing.

Aileen normally didn’t ask her students about their lives, nodding politely when a few of them freely confided in her. She tried to respect their privacy and expected them to respect hers. However, for some reason, Sasha Schlagenweit kept drawing the limelight whether he wanted it or not. She didn’t want to be clueless about a situation that others took interest in, and it also wouldn’t hurt if she could use the information to her advantage, somehow. Bonus points if she could infuriate Bombay in the process.

“Are you all right?” She dropped the cool, professional tone she used with her students and put on a gentle, concerned one. “Have your parents been informed of your magical abilities?”

She told herself that her curiosity didn’t have anything at all to do with the fact that Sasha was always pleasant and polite, and that she saw potential in him. However, he was a muggleborn. Sasha had even started the muggle club, and with his strict parental upbringing and clear interest in Frasier’s class, he’d likely waste away his life at a muggle university somewhere. Why those things irked her, she didn’t stop to think about.

The gesture was redundant but Sasha nodded his head.  The cards had been laid out on the table and Sasha hadn't attempt to hide or downplay any pertinent information.  Repercussions at school were a novel experience but, outside of school, he was no stranger to them.  He'd long ago learned getting caught lying or resisting the consequences would only make things worse.  Sometimes much worse. 

Man up.  Stand up and face the music.  Whatever one called it.  Sasha was well versed in it. 

"I don't have any detentions, so far," Sasha admitted.  He was stating a simple fact - there was no sense of victory or smugness.  So far, stern lectures had been the extent of his punishments.  He still had a couple more professors to contend with, so he wasn't out of the forest, yet.  But, again, it seemed Professor Reid wasn't going to give him detention; he'd somehow managed to dodge another bullet.  "Of course not, ma'am.  I don't - I like studying Ancient Runes.  I like this class - I just ... it was complicated."

Professor Reid laid out the terms of his punishment.  Ten points and making up the missed work.  The made up work was a given; Sasha would have done that anyway.  Loosing points for his house was unfortunate but he'd earned a hearty dose of the sapphire gems in the bulb of the Ravenclaw vase.  It'd be easy enough to earn them back.  "That's more than fair.  Thank you, Professor." 

He expected that to be the end of it - Sasha leaned forward to rise out of the chair to make his exit when Professor Reid spoke again.  Her concern took Sasha completely by surprise and that surprise showed as he looked up and across at the young woman.  Was he alright?  What, exactly, was she referring to?  In general or ... "I'm - I guess.  I'm just embarrassed."  A profound understatement.   

"Have ... have they been informed?"  Sasha repeated, slightly alarmed.  Was Professor Reid expecting them to be informed?  Did she think that someone might say something after having reading the article?  Did she think they should be?  It hadn't occurred to Sasha, yet, that any of his professors might disagree with the concept of keeping his parents in the dark.  Sasha shook his head urgently. 

"I don't ... I don't think so.  I mean, I'm almost certain if someone did, I'd know.  But, they can't - they shouldn't - you've got to understand.  They won't accept it.  They won't ... I don't know what they'd do but I wouldn't - I wouldn't be at Hogwarts anymore."  Whatever did happen, Sasha had come to understand that would be a given.  There was no way his parents would stand for it.

The boy’s anxiety showed on his face so clearly, that for a moment she felt genuinely worried for him. She was no stranger to intolerant families, but it was a shame that an excellent student like Sasha would be removed from Hogwarts if his parents ever found out who he was, what he could do.

“I understand. I certainly won’t tell them,” she reassured him quietly. Bombay would pitch a fit if he lost his best Ravenclaw, which would be oh so satisfying, and Aileen had to admit she was tempted. However, she liked Sasha enough that she wasn’t willing to make his life miserable just so she could play games. Merlin- first Myrni, now Sasha. She was losing her vindictive edge.

“However, you might want to think about what you’d do if they do find out,” she said seriously. “How you’d continue your magical education. If they wouldn’t allow you to go to Hogwarts, perhaps they’d allow a private tutor. Or perhaps that would be something you could look into when you’re of age and living on your own.”

“And,” she sighed, knowing this might cause him to panic again. “You might want to consider telling them before someone else does. Anyone who has read the paper or has ears could easily use this information against you.” Snark was one of them. Aileen could have been. “How are you going to protect yourself? It would be better to prepare and plan for it, to tell them in your own way, rather than let them hear it from someone else, wouldn’t it?”

If worst came to worst, his parents could have their memories modified until they came up with something that worked. It didn’t bother her in the slightest that his muggle family was being lied to or manipulated- they were simply people to be used, and they were getting in the way of his success.

“I don’t mean to upset you, and you’re under no obligation to take my advice, but I do hope you think about it,” she finished calmly, leaving it up to him if he wanted to continue this conversation or not.

The deep, full chested sigh would have been noticeable from across the room.  "Thank you, ma'am," Sasha said.  He was so relieved that Professor Reid wasn't planning on showing up on his parents' doorstep to inform them their son was in school in Scotland not Switzerland that he, at first, didn't catch the significance in Professor Reid's stressed I. 

At least, not until the Runes professor went on to elaborate. 

"How ... how would they find out?  Who would want to use it against me?"  Sasha asked.  There was an odd mixture of uncertainty and determination in his voice.  "I've kept it from them for five years - I ... the article didn't say where they are," he added - that hope (or perhaps, misconception) had been the source of the determination.  His mind was so accustomed to his parents' world and the magical world being held at arm's length from each other, he hadn't even considered that one could use magic to find them.  But, even as she spoke, his mind was starting to chisel away at its own fallacy. 

Slowly, he shook his head.  "I don't know - I don't know what I'd do," he admitted, shrugging his shoulders.  "They wouldn't - they wouldn't hire a private tutor.  They wouldn't do anything that'd -"  He hesitated, scratching uncomfortably at his elbow.  "It'd ... I think it'd depend on if they think it's ... curable.  And, how old I am when they find out."  If he could just hold off the inevitable until he was of age, it'd be so much easier. 

"But, I can't ... tell them," he insisted, shaking his head.  "They tried to tell them once - when they brought my Hogwarts letter but they reacted so bad the wizard had to modify their memories.  And, I don't know - It's not that easy.  There are complications - I mean, if they kick me out, where will I go?  How will I pay for school?  And, what if they don't kick me out?"  Sasha didn't know for sure, but he suspected Gerhard wouldn't be as quick to give up on him as he was Jacoba. 

Aileen felt simultaneously sorry for Sasha and exasperated with his naivety. The point was, anyone could use the information against him, and anyone could easily find out where his parents lived. She didn’t comment on his response, however. If he wanted to deny it and that’s how he dealt with things, so be it.

It depended on how curable his parents thought his magic was? Aileen struggled to hide her disgust. Muggles. They should be proud they had a wizarding son, but unfortunately even she had to admit that families didn’t always care about what was best for their children if it went against their own beliefs and attitudes.

Aileen sighed, thinking. Perhaps changing his parent’s minds wouldn’t be so easy, and perhaps Sasha should wait until the information became a problem before revealing it. She raised her eyebrows when he said that his parents could even kick him out. At 15? Even the Reid family wouldn’t do something like that.

She nodded at him and rested her chin in her hands. “Perhaps telling them isn’t the best move at the moment,” she conceded. “I highly doubt they would kick you out, Mr. Schlagenweit.” She said this more to reassure him- she honestly didn’t know. “If they did, do you have any relatives who might be more tolerant of your magical ability? What about your sister?” Aileen wasn’t sure if Jacoba had the financial means to take care of her brother, but it was a thought.

“As I’m sure you’re aware, Hogwarts also offers financial aid to some students. I wouldn’t worry too much about paying for school.” If he could just get through the next few years and graduate, with his grades and work ethic, so many doors would be opened to him.

“Does this Dreogan Eleor that the paper mentioned know what’s going on? Does he have any ideas?”

Dreogan would likely have a better idea of what Sasha was going through than she did. The other professors who taught Sasha, like Myrni and Isaac, might have some thoughts as well. However, she was not willing to speak to Bombay for any reason. He’d probably suspect she had a scheme up her sleeve, and the sad thing was she’d been considering it about ten minutes ago.

Slowly, Sasha shook his head in confirmation.  No.  Telling them wasn't a smart move.  He knew a time would come - he knew it was inevitable and he knew it would leave him on his own.  Well, with Jacoba now.  He knew he'd manage somehow - he'd been preparing for that eventuality for years.  Ever since Gerhard started letting Sasha keep most of his show earnings, he'd been tucking it away.  Saving it up.  There was a humble though distinct stack of gold in a vault at Gringotts - just in case. 

But, if he could just wait - Once Grandpa Rudolf passed away and Sasha was of age, things would become so much easier.  "It isn't," he reiterated with full confidence in his answer.  Telling them was probably the worst thing he could do. 

"Yeah, I don't know," Sasha admitted, quietly, shaking his head.  His voice shook slightly as he chewed his lip.  Would they kick him out?  And, in the end, which would be worse?  "No - no relatives, really.  Other than my sister.  She's homeless herself.  They kicked her out seven years ago.  She's staying on the couch at the brother's of a friend.  But, I've -" he hesitated a moment.  "I show a lot over the holidays.  Horses - you know?  Since I moved up to a higher class, my stepfather's been letting me keep what I earn.  I've been saving it, just in case.  If I could keep riding -" which, of course, had its own complications - "I make about 300 galleons a summer now.  If I qualify over the winter break, I'll be in a higher earning class next summer." 

"Yeah, I know."  Sasha nodded his head.  Of course, if he was truly on his own balancing everything would just get more difficult.  "But, I couldn't do that and school.  Not if I'm at school during the year.  I'd be - summers would - I don't know.  I'll be coming into a pretty sizable inheritance when my grandfather dies.  Even if I end up on my own, I'll be fine, then.  And, he's ninety - so ... if I can just wait long enough." 

Slowly, Sasha nodded his head.  "Yes - Dreogan does ... he would know what to do.  And, I know he'd help.  I think he wouldn't hesitate.  But ... I don't want to be a charity case.  It'd be embarrassing.  It's not -"  It went against everything he'd ever been taught. 

Aileen listened as he explained, nodding at the right moments and politely ignoring the catch in his voice. So his sister was worse off than he was. He had some money saved up from his riding, and an inheritance from his grandfather. The situation was far from ideal, but the inheritance might help. She understood a bit better now why he was so adamant about covering up his magical abilities for as long as he could.

When he told her that Dreogan would help him, but that he didn’t want to be a charity case, Aileen piped up again.

“I know,” she said calmly. Money had never been an issue for her, and she tended to take material comforts for granted. However, she understood complicated familial situations, with the intolerance and secrets, shame and scandal, and all those things that a dysfunctional family thrived on.

This time, she didn’t have to affect the sympathetic, serious expression on her face. It happened without her thinking about it.

Pride made him resist help, which was understandable. He’d still need to do what he could to survive.

“Accepting aid when it’s offered won’t make you a charity case,” she pointed out, rubbing at a sudden stiffness in the back of her neck. “I suspect Mr. Eleor wants to help you because he sees that you could go far if given the chance.” She also suspected that Dreogan hoped Sasha would go into his line of work, but professors and mentors had a tendency to do that with gifted students. Aileen was guilty of it too. After all, no one was clamoring to help Figaro, a mediocre (at best) student, with his family problems.

“If it truly bothers you, you can ask if there’s anything you can do for him in return,” she added reluctantly. From what she’d heard about Dreogan, he’d probably want Sasha to do research for him or something similar. Aileen considered telling Sasha to be careful about how much help he accepted, because some people would use it as an opportunity to cash in on a favor later. But she’d already scared him enough with her dire warnings. She’d keep quiet about it for now.

She sighed and gave him a small smile. “I realize this conversation was much less helpful than I’d intended it to be.” It seemed all she’d accomplished was throwing around ideas just to discover from Sasha why those ideas wouldn’t work. She did know more about his situation, at least.

“I’ll let you know if I come up with any possible solutions, but don’t hesitate to ask me for help if you need it. We’ll figure out something to keep you in school,” she finished with an encouraging smile. Aileen mentally patted herself on the back. She wasn’t half-bad at coming across as a caring professor. With any luck, he’d start to trust her, and she could start slipping in comments about Runes offering the best career options and what kind of opportunities she could set up for him once he graduated.

Oh, and the look on Bombay’s face if Sasha asked her for help instead of him= priceless!

Professor Reid seemed to be understanding - an observation that brought no small sense of relief to Sasha.  If she was  understanding than it made sense.  If it made sense, it was logical and Sasha's own perception had some foundation.  And, it was acceptable. 

And, she seemed to understand that he had no desire to be a charity case.  Though, she did put her own spin on it.  She put her thoughts in general terms - but Sasha was well aware of Dreogan's hopes.  The man's encouragement and enthusiasm when Sasha spoke of his studies was quite obvious.  "Yes, I know," he admitted.  "He thinks I have a lot of potential in muggle mage relations.  I've been talking about my ... other studies - muggle academics ... since the beginning of the year."  Since before the rest of the school knew any of it. 

Sasha nodded at her recommendation, finding it far more acceptable than simply asking for help.  Or accepting it for free.  "Yes, ma'am.  That's a good idea.  It would also look good on my transcript."  And, hopefully, open more doors.  The more people he could impress, the better.

With a shake of his head, he dismissed her slight apology.  Professor Reid had been more helpful than she seemed to realize.  It may not have provided any concrete answers or solutions but Sasha hadn't been expecting any.  He knew his situation well enough to know such a solution was unlikely to come in a half an hour conversation.  But, she was willing to help - she was willing to continue thinking about a solution.  The more allies he had, the better.

"Thank you, ma'am.  I appreciate your efforts and concern.  Your understanding of my missing class is generous enough."