The lings had moved to the Gates where the crowd of ponies and students were standing and excitedly waiting to see their parents. Elly and the other three made a point of waving to the parents as they passed, and said they were waiting for their own relative to arrive.
That they planned on soaking up ambient love from the pony reunions when the pony parents arrived, too, they didn’t mention.
It was worth waiting for the ponies to arrive, given how much more effusive they were than the humans. It was almost as good as when the Hogwarts train returned to King’s Cross Station at the end of term. Only it would be longer, more sustained, and over a smaller area. They wouldn’t lose out on any simply because they were too far away.
For the humans, though, most of those reunions would take place in the Common Rooms, and the lings were cut off from three of the four. Hence their concentrating on the ponies here at the Gates.
They would need a few more jars, Elly realized. They might be able get an entire year’s worth of love for the four lings just from the next two days. The extra beyond their needs would, of course, be put in stasis for emergencies.
The Brunton Hive lings had their own supplies, and any dipping into those by four at Hogwarts might be noticed. Although, it really shouldn’t be that difficult for the gatherers to reserve a bit of what they had collected from the official tally.
In the meantime, she planned out the letter she would send the goblins. She wondered if she could get the goblins to teach her apparition instead of waiting another four years.
Maybe she could ask Harry about that teleport spell he had used in the Great Hall? If he could do it, then they should be able to do it, too. It would be a powerful tool in the future. Especially for her lings working for the government. No one would ever suspect they could use “wizard” magic as easily as the “official” Technical Specialists. Especially given that the lings had been very upfront with the government that most lings’ skills with Equestrian magic were on par with what the average unicorn mastered. Teleportation was one skill only the most advanced of their unicorns and Infiltrators could master. Plus, it was very much a short-range skill only. Short-range as in only a few tens of miles, not hundreds!
Only their Queen-mother had skills that approached those of the wizards — and she had usually relied on simple brute-force instead of finesse. Elly had promised herself that with the magic provided with wands, she would never resort to such unwieldy tactics. Subtle was so much better.
Elly was curious how he had done it, though. It was supposed to be impossible to use apparition on school grounds. That would come in handy if she and the lings could do it, too. Even if it was a cut-out that Princess Twilight had put in just for the ponies, the teleport would be useful outside the school. Obviously.
She wondered if a ling would be able to use her magic abilities to hide a wand in one arm, like they used to do with other things in the holes in their legs? They could still cast with their innate horns, but it was so much harder and their spell repertoire was so much smaller. Which made a wand extremely attractive and versatile to use. If they could hide one in one of their arms, it would be impossible to find by anyone, magical or not, without a special wand-detecting charm — and yet it would still be instantly available.
She didn’t know if there was a wand-detecting charm, though. She would have to scour the library. Plus, see if there was an anti-summoning charm they could permanently cast on their wands so that they wouldn’t have to worry about that being issue even when they had their wands out.
^-~-^
Harry had to admit, he was not surprised that one of the first couples rushing up the road from the gates were Arthur and Molly Weasley. They, along with the dozen or so other couples behind them, must have been waiting at the gates for Hagrid to open them!
He was surprised that that the thestral carriages weren’t being used.
“Ginny!” Molly loudly called as soon as she saw them, and almost ran to the group. The others quickly stepped away from Molly’s victim, abandoning the girl to her fate. At the last second, Ginny tried to evade what she knew was coming, but it was in vain.
Her mother picked her daughter up into a hug, showering her with kisses as her husband caught up and gave them all a careful look. “I was so worried!” she exclaimed.
“Mom!” Ginny belatedly complained, squirming as she struggled to escape, which made her mother hold the pegasus that much tighter. After a few more moments of theatrics, Molly grudgingly allowed the girl to return to the ground. Ginny pouted at her treatment.
“Now, Molly,” Arthur said consolingly as his wife carefully inspected Ginny for any signs of bruises or cuts. “The Headmaster assured us that none of our children were harmed.”
“I’m fine, I’m fine,” Ginny said quickly. “But you might want to see Ron and the twins. They were in the thick of it!” She clearly was more than willing to throw her siblings under the bus if it saved her from her mother’s overbearing attention. “They’re all waiting for you in the Common Room,” she concluded.
Her father raised his eyebrows, just as clearly seeing what she was attempting to do.
“Ronny? The twins?” their mother gasped, staring up at the castle. She snatched up the small pegasus a second time, hugged and kissed her again, then set her down. She gave her daughter a quick glance, then looked at the rest of them. She nodded. “Well, stay out of trouble, dear.”
She turned and started off for the castle with a hurried stride. “Come alone, honey.” She called over her shoulder.
Arthur smiled at them, “I’m glad none of you suffered any injuries,” he said kindly, then hurried off after his wife.
Ginny looked at the others, who were all not-too-successfully hiding smirks, and huffed. She glanced at Scootaloo and smirked. “Race you to the gates,” she said, flapping and lifting off the ground, already starting to turn.
Scootaloo squawked out a “Hay! You cheater,” and transformed leaping into the air, beating her wings hard to catch up to the other, quickly accelerating, pegasus.
Harry and the other three just shook their heads and started down the road.
They met several other couples already almost at the castle as they started down the road to the gates. The wizards and witches gave the ponies an evaluating, curious glance, but didn’t slow down or stop to talk. They did nod as they passed, though.
They weren’t people any of them recognized. Not surprising since the only parents they had met were all their year-mates, and, as Hermione put it, “Most of them seem more concerned about their dignity than their children.”
That was an attitude the fillies still had a hard time wrapping their minds around.
Harry was surprised, at first, to see Elly and her three cousins already at the gate. However, on reflection, maybe it wasn’t that much of a surprise. Elly was surprisingly on the ball, despite her appearing to be in the middle of their year, academically. He had to smile at the thought that while she might not be the smartest in class, she had what he had heard other kids in primary call street-smarts. From what he remembered, they claimed that street-smarts frequently trumped book-smarts. Knowing what the books say about pugilism versus knowing when to simply run.
Ginny and Scootaloo had been sucked into a pegasus game of some sort, which seemed to be who could spot and name the Equestrians on the road to Hogwarts, first. Of which the very first group had just reached the gates.
Just as Harry had expected, the Equestrians were all ponies. Their escort of six EUP guards probably shouldn’t have surprised him as much as it did — it only made sense considering how unfamiliar with the world the pony parents were. As soon as the ponies passed onto Hogwarts’ ground, three of the guards turned and headed back to Hogsmeade.
All the guards were wearing mini-gun saddle-harnesses, with a six-barrelled gun on each side of the saddles. Oddly, to Harry’s eyes, there didn’t appear to be a box of ammunition. He wondered if the ammunition boxes were hidden using witchery expanded-spaces. The barrels were shorter, too, barely reaching their shoulders. Wouldn’t that be a hazard? Did the barrels telescope forward when used?
In any case, the new arrangement made each team of three ponies a veritable powerhouse. Anyone crossing one of the EUP would immediately regret the experience for the rest of their very short lives.
Harry doubted anyone who saw the guards would realize just what they were seeing.
The sergeant looked around at the clustered foals whose parents weren’t in the group that had just been brought over. The pegasus guard had already taken off for the foals flying overhead.
It took only a few moments for all the ponies to be on the ground, or perched on the roof of the gate house.
“Alright,” the sergeant bellowed loudly. “We’ll be bringing your parents over in groups. We expect all the parents to be here in the next two hours. The next group will be here in thirty minutes. It would be better, and more efficient, if you waited at the castle.”
“Aww,” came the disappointed responses of the gathered ponies.
The sergeant frowned as he looked them over. “However, you are all old enough to make your own decisions. If any of you decide to wait here, which I guarantee will be very boring, stay out of the way of the other parents who will be arriving. They are all as anxious to see their foals, as you are to see your parents. That is all.”
The ponies were exchanging guilty looks. Most hadn’t considered that.
The sergeant walked over to Harry. “Princess Twilight said I might see you here. She told me to tell you that she doesn’t expect to be able to come, herself, until noon, or maybe later.”
Harry nodded. “That’s what I expected,” he said quietly.
The sergeant nodded at him approvingly, and turned to Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. “Your sisters are helping organize things and expect to be here before noon.” He turned to Scootaloo, “Your aunts should be in the next group.”
Having delivered the messages he had been given, he looked over at the adults. “Gentlestallions and gentlemares, if you are ready?” At their nods of ascent, he nodded to his compatriots and started trotting off up the road to Hogwarts, saying, “If you’ll follow me, please?” The pegasus took up station circling overhead while the earth-pony followed the group so they didn’t lose any stragglers to curiosity.
The parents were caught between staring around at the new world, and their hyperactive foals clamouring for attention and desperate to show their parents everything about the castle that they had learned in the last nine months. From the sounds of it, the slides were very popular.
“On our left,” the sergeant continued, “the cottage you see is the home of the human who let us through the gates, Rubeus Hagrid, behind it is the Forbidden Forest.”
A good portion of the waiting pony students turned and followed the guards, including one of Elly’s cousins. The pegasi returned to flying, but most seemed to be headed to the castle. They probably would lurk around the front doors instead of going to their Common Rooms.
The sergeant’s voice slowly faded out as he gave the parents a summary of the creatures found in the forest — to many gasps — and that it was off-limits to all students. There was a collective shudder from the parents when he mentioned the centaurs. He made sure to add that even the parents should not enter the forest without one of the Hogwarts’ Professors or an EUP escort.
Harry glanced at his herdmates. “I think we should stay here and help Hagrid,” he said. The girls looked a bit sceptical. He shrugged. “Maybe show the others the Dancing Feet Spell? Or one of the other Shield Spells to keep them from pestering Hagrid too much?” he said looking at Hermione. Hermione was only paying him part of her attention. She was looking at the open iron gates and worrying her lower lip in anxiety waiting to see if her parents would soon be here.
However, she perked up at his suggestion. After a moment to think, she called out to small group of ponies left, “Who knows the Dancing Feet Charm? Who would like to learn it?” In short order, she had the eight remaining ponies surrounding her, transformed back to children with their wands in hand, slowly copying her wand movements.
Sweetie Belle joined her a moment later.
Ginny and Scootaloo had already lifted off to take advantage of their ability to coast and watch both the village and the castle. And, of course, to fly.
Harry trotted over to Elly, who was watching him while pretending not too.
“Good morning, Miss De Rippe,” he said formally, bowing, after returning to being a human. Apple Bloom, who had come with him, startled at his action, but quickly caught on and copied him. She eyed him curiously as she straightened.
Elly blinked at him for a moment, then said, “Good morning, Mr. Potter-Sparkle,” with a small curtsey of her own. Her three cousins watched, heads tilted slightly, curiosity evident in their expressions.
Keeping his posture correct, Harry continued speaking. “I thank you for your warning after Spring Break. I don’t know if you noticed during the initial attack, but Goyle, or whomever was possessing him, once his ruse was uncovered, made an immediate move against me and mine with a powerful blasting curse. Without that warning I am positive I, or one of my herdmates, would have suffered grievous harm or death. If there is anything you require in the future, ask. If it is within our power, we will assist you and your family, Elly De Rippe. We are in your debt. This I declare in the name of the House of Sparkle.”
The small group felt a small pulse of magic flow through them. Hermione and Sweetie Belle both looked over at them, frowning, and Harry knew the two pegasi who were suddenly arrowing towards them from above were Scootaloo and Ginny. He wasn’t as surprised as he thought he should be, almost as if he had been expecting it. Another memory from Tom? He suppressed a shudder. At least the knowledge was useful — this time.
Apple Bloom and Elly and her cousins stared at him, eyes wide, but not quite gaping slack-jawed in astonishment. Elly dropped into a deep curtsey, bowing her head. “I am honoured at your offer, Harry Sparkle. I provided that warning simply because I felt that to fail to do so would be remiss on my part, not for any reward to myself or my family.”
Harry nodded his understanding. “Which makes your reward that much more deserved.” He grinned at her. “Last year you saved my life, this year you saved my life and Hermione’s . . . . I wonder what you will do next year? You are much more observant than anypony else I know.” He sighed and looked around. “My mum invited you to visit us in Equestria, and I’d like to repeat that invite. Should you or any of your family like to visit Equestria, just say the word.” He stopped and gave them a wry grin. “I’m sure you find the change from your home in Papua New Guinea to England enough of a challenge for the moment, though.”
Scootaloo and Ginny had landed beside them, now, and were looking around with puzzled expressions. Harry glanced at them and shrugged again. “You go on back to what you were doing. I’ll explain later.”
They both gave him uncertain looks, then Scootaloo nodded. “Okay,” she said happily, and launched herself upwards. “Race you to the castle and back,” she called to Ginny as she started that way.
“Hey! You cheater!” cried Ginny, lunging upwards and flapping her wings furiously.
Fading laughter was her only reply.
“So,” Harry said, after shuffling his feet awkwardly in the silence, “Are you planning on waiting here for your guardian?”
Elly looked at the gates, fidgeting self-consciously with her hands. “Oh, yes. She should be here this morning.” She looked up at the pegasi whirling and swooping overhead. “It’s too nice a day to just sit around in the Common Room waiting, anyway.”
“I know what you mean,” Harry agreed. “My mum and my herdmates’ sisters are going to be busy helping at the portal. My mum will be lucky to get here before dinner, if something else doesn’t drag her away.” He sighed. “But that’s okay. She’s visited me here several times and the others haven’t had that opportunity.”
Apple Bloom nodded, but was already looking at a nearby tree that seemed a bit sickly compared to the others. She began to slowly drift closer to it.
Essie, at least Harry thought she was Essie, walked over to the gate and started asking Hagrid some questions about the unicorns in the forest. There had been quite a few more sightings from the castle of what looked like magic-sparks being cast in the forest at night — more than could be accounted for by one unicorn foal.
Emmie had already joined the other students clustered around Hermione and Sweetie Belle, and trying her hand at mastering the Dancing Feet charm. She seemed to be picking it up a bit quicker than the others. Was she better at magic than Elly?
After a few minutes of more awkward silence Elly looked over at the others, then looked at him. She slowly nodded her head sideways, back towards the castle, then slowly started moving that way.
Harry kept pace with her, as if they were aimlessly wandering. He was well-acquainted with the signals the fillies sometimes had used in the past when they didn’t want anypony to know they were about to go off cutie mark crusading. That others used such signals wasn’t a surprise.
Once they were several dozen yards from everyone except Earl, who had accompanied them, she stopped and faced the forest.
Hesitantly, looking at him from the corners’ of her eyes, she said, “Um, well, there is one question I do have . . . ,” her lips were barely moving, and her voice low. “You teleported from the Head Table platform to the wall.” She looked directly at him. “That’s not supposed to be possible, I’ve read.”
He looked around carefully, then used his wand to cast one of the privacy spells Blueblood had insisted he master. It wasn’t perfect, but no one would be able to hear them without being obnoxiously close.
“I didn’t tell anyone, not even the aurors, it’s not their business,” she hastened to add as he did that. “Anyway, I was wondering if you could teach me how to teleport. There are a couple of spots close to the edge of the lake where the school’s spells don’t reach and we can’t be seen.”
He hesitated, thinking. “I haven’t a problem teaching you the teleport spell, it depends on a number of factors. It took me months to master it properly in Equestria. Sweetie Belle was still struggling when she tried it with a wand and got it to work immediately. Hermione spent like five minutes studying it, then did it last year.” He frowned and pulled his lips to the side. “If you aren’t familiar with Equestrian spell patterns or a genius like Hermione?” He shrugged.
“I don’t know why I was able to teleport in the Great Hall.” He shook his head and pursed his lips. “It might have been just fluke, maybe whoever was possessing Goyle did something. I don’t know. In any event, I’m not sure I want to try that again.”
He looked over at Hermione. The firsties would take a bit more practice to get the spell, but they appeared to have the wand movements, and the incantation right. Now it was just a matter of getting enough magic in it to get it to work as more than an impulse to dance in their victim. He idly wondered if it would be possible to make the spell a specific dance. It would hilarious to cast the tango on someone and have them grab anypony nearby and start dancing.
He motioned Elly with his head, cancelled the spell he had cast, then turned and walked over to the girl.
“Hermione?” he said when he was close enough.
She looked over at him, eyebrow raised in question.
“Could I borrow a parchment and quill?”
She shrugged off her rucksack — she almost never went anywhere without her bottomless bag — mumbling, “Sure!” She rummaged around in it for a moment then stood up with both a self-inking quill and a sheet of parchment. “That enough?” she said with a quirk of her eyebrows.
“Thanks,” he said, taking the proffered items. He led the other two away for more privacy, then recast the silence charm he had used before. He tapped the parchment with his wand, using a spell Hermione had found that stiffened and locked it in place in the air as if it were on a table, at the height he wanted.
He quickly started drawing out the improved teleportation spell his mum had designed. In a few moments, he was finished. He tapped the parchment again, this time with a spell to instantly dry the ink, then cancelled the other spell holding the parchment in place. He turned and motioned Elly and her cousins, who were watching carefully, closer.
“This,” he said, pointing, “is the basic form of the spell. First and foremost, see this line of numbers and symbols? Memorize it. Don’t even think of doing anything else until you can instantly recite it forwards and backwards without stopping to think.” He looked at them, alternating, until they had nodded their understanding.
“Second, look at this diagram. Memorize its every detail.” He gave them another look to make sure they understood how serious he was. “See how the numbers and characters loop around and back to here? And the rest of the numbers and characters loop over here? And that symbol is in this circle where they both end?”
He spent a few moments highlighting different sections of the diagram. “This section is for your safeties. This one checks if the destination is blocked, This one, if there is room for you at the destination. This part checks if it’s safe at the destination — not on fire or collapsing or something, for example.” He pointed a finger at a section on the parchment, and looked at Elly to see if she was following along. She was, frowning intently. Earl wasn’t as intense in his examination of the diagram.
“Here’s the integrity routine, beside it is the power required versus your power available. Over here is the section the looks for anything that might interfere.” He gave them all another steady look, trying to impress upon them how important this was.
“If you’re thinking of teleporting, close your eyes. When you close your eyes, you have to see this diagram floating in front of you. Just thinking of teleporting should make it pop up — complete and ready to use. If this image isn’t floating in front of you, you haven’t memorized it. You have to picture this in your mind, every detail,” he said forcefully.
Elly nodded solemnly, eyes on the parchment and brow still furrowed in concentration. Harry was rather impressed, actually.
Earl was clearly following along, but wasn’t as . . . fervent.
“Stop and go back to revise it until it does appear that fast, complete and detailed.”
They again nodded.
“When it’s an instinctive image, picture your destination. It has to be somewhere you have been, so you know everything there is to know about where you will appear. Your wand has to be in your hand, or you firmly pressing on it. Keep a clear image of what you want to take, too. It is possible to leave your clothes or wand behind, or bring along something you didn’t mean to bring. Contact isn’t always necessary once your accomplished at it.”
He smiled, reminiscing, “My mum has teleported several others with her, even though they weren’t touching, but running from a hydra at the time.”
“Then, set your safeties. Next, with all those in mind, push your magic into the spell. Lastly, release the spell! Nothing happens until all the safeties are satisfied, which takes almost no time at all. Then, if you’ve done everything right, you teleport. If not? Nothing happens.”
They nodded as one.
“Oh, and you have to want to go. Just picturing you destination, laclusterly, isn’t enough. You have to want to be there instead of wherever you are.”
Elly reached over and took the parchment as he held it out to her. She looked at it, still frowning and studying it.
“Before you actually do it the first time, though” he cautioned, holding a hand up as if to halt someone, “Come to me or Sweetie Belle to check that everything is correct.”
Elly tilted her head questioningly. “How will you check?”
Harry smiled. “Like this . . .,” he stepped closer. “Close your eyes and picture the diagram in your mind.”
Hesitantly, looking him intently in the eyes, first, she complied.
Surprisingly, she didn’t jerk back as his forehead touched her. He closed his eyes and . . . pulled with . . . something in his magic.
It was foggy, at first, but a shining version of the diagram slowly became visible. He studied the vision carefully, then overlaid the one he used, tweaking the other until the two matched perfectly. He straightened.
“Very good,” he said softly as he straightened, impressed. Based on what he knew of her academic record — rumour, in other words — he had expected it to be only vaguely close to what was needed. “You’re almost there.”
She had a startled expression, and was blinking rapidly.
“If you work on it tonight, then tomorrow I can check again,” he said. “If it matches mine perfectly, then you can give it a try.” He paused. “If you want to, that is.”
She slowly nodded, still thinking on the experience.
He smiled. “It’s something my mum taught me. If we were in Equestria, I could cross horns with you and do a much better job of transferring information. But most unicorns don’t like to do that. It’s too, um, intimate, I think I heard one say. Plus, you have to be really organized in your mind and imagination for the images to form right.”
She again slowly nodded. Earl didn’t seem that passionate about learning it. Perhaps because he was a firstie?
“ ’ARRY,”- he heard from the gates. Looking over, he could see Hagrid waving to him. He waved back, then turned back to Elly and bowed slightly, “If you’ll excuse me?” and headed for Hagrid.
As he drew closer he recognized Madam Longbottom, the Dunbars, and the Macmillans. He had met them all at Neville’s birthday party in the summer.
Hagrid grinned widely as Harry got closer and the rest of the herd, except Scootaloo and Ginny, quickly joined him.
“ ’Arry,” Hagrid repeated. “Would ya watch the gates fer a few? I gotta get a carriage fer these folks.” He gave the adults an apologetic look.
Madam Longbottom raised an eyebrow and stared down at the half-giant imperiously — Harry wondered how she did that being half his size. “I’m too old to walk up to the castle with the floo’s down,” she stated in the sort of voice that had Harry suppressing the urge to head for his cupboard under the stairs. The tone promised that whomever had shirked their duty was going to receive a right taking-to, if not the application of a belt.
The only reason that Harry didn’t immediately retreat was because she was staring at balefully at Hagrid.
“I’ll be right back,” the half-giant mumbled as he quickly lumbered away to harness a few of the thestrals and carriages. There was no way that every parent seeing the carriages on the road wouldn’t ask for one, too.
Harry had the impression he was rather glad to be out of the old witch’s sight.
Madam Longbottom stared after the half-giant until he disappeared around a bend in the path. As soon as she did, she turned to look at him. He quickly bowed as Blueblood had taught him to do when meeting mares, especially important ones.
“I hope you are well this morning, Madam Longbottom,” he said on straightening. “I can tell you that Neville is well and waiting in the Gryffindor Common Room for you.” He turned to the other adults, “As is Faye, Mr and Mrs Dunbar.” He turned to more directly face the other couple. “Ernest is waiting for you in the Hufflepuff Common Room, Mr and Mrs. Macmillan. He too, is uninjured.”
Both couples looked relieved, but they were also half-watching the pegasi wheeling overhead.
“If you wish,” he added, “You can walk on up to the castle.” He looked at them hopefully.
Madam Longbottom shook her head. “They will be riding with me,” she said, quietly.
Harry nodded and moved over to the gates, chasing a few of the ponies who were edging outside back through the open gates. “School rules,” he said as he waved them back. “Gotta stay within the walls.” He pulled the gates until they were only wide enough for one person at a time to make it through. He could push them wider if needed.
Several of the pegasi overhead suddenly went into dives. Several larger pegasi rose up from the ground to meet them.
Apparently, the next group of ponies were being escorted from the Three Broomsticks. And one of the diving ponies was Scootaloo, so that meant she had spotted her aunts.
^-~-^