Transfers meet

[Salazar Strayde]

Salazar was trying to get to know the castle. Following the staircases, up and down, and any which way they moved, he'd eventually come to a staircase leading up to a tall tower. Climbing it, he came out in the North Tower. He had already been in to explore the owlery and was now standing in the tower, surveying the grounds of his new school. Well, his first school. Salazar had been home-schooled until now, and was quite nervous about being here. Not just because of what he'd run away from at home, but because now he'd have to attend structured classes, but mostly, because now he was surrounded by hundreds of people, and he couldn't tell who was pure-blood and who was lesser. This disconcerted him. There had been a few half- and mixed-bloods at home, but they'd been easy to tell apart by their shabby clothing and the scars they bore from the beatings the elders gave them.

Not sure quite what to do next, Salazar took out his wand and performed a Bluebell Flame Charm. The small blue balls of fire comforted and warmed him. He sat on the ledge of a window and amused himself by making the bluebell flames chase each other.

 

[Mark Stone]

Mark had been bored in the common room and had decided to get used to the school a little more so was jogging around the grounds once again. He liked the fact that there was more space for him to run in this school. It also meant he could run for longer. Mark loved to keep fit so this was a regular occurrence.

As he approached a tower Mark slowed to a walk as he started to ascend the light of stairs. He had not been here before but had a feeling that it was the north tower where the owlery was. As Mark reached the top he saw a boy by the ledge using his wand. On loser inspection he saw it was just a bluebell flame charm. Nothing sinister. Mark walked over and stood next to him. "Is it just me or is this place huge." He said starting off a conversation with the boy

 

[Salazar Strayde]

Salazar almost fell off the ledge in surprise when he heard a voice nearby. He flailed about and steadied himself with his arms, dropping his wand to the stone floor in the process. The bluebell flames danced about in a flurry, then slowly faded. Turning a fiery gaze to the boy who had spoken, Zar burst forth with a flurry of hot words, "Watch it, will you? What makes you think you can sneak up on people like that? Where I come from, you'd be beaten for treating a Strayde with disrespect. You better watch your step, buddy. And if you tell anyone I dropped my wand, you'll be sorry. I bet you're a mudblood, too!" He leapt to his feet, picked up his wand and trained it on the unsuspecting boy. He wasn't actually a mean person, he just felt embarrassed at the fact that he'd been so easily startled. He felt so uncomfortable here at Hogwarts.

 

[Mark Stone]

Mark was a little shocked by the boys reaction. He stood to his full height and tensed his huge muscles up in case the boy wanted a fight. "Someones touchy and i didnt sneak on you im surprised you didnt hear me walk up the stairs." Mark pulled his wand too, Mark knew a lot of magic and when he was in Durmmy he had spent a lot of his time making sure he learnt all the spells and that he could perform them well. "No im not a mudblood. But that would only matter to shallow minded people like Slytherins i suppose." He said bitterly at the boy who was acting the same way to him.

 

[Salazar Strayde]

Zar shrunk a little as the other, much bigger boy, stood tall and tense. Zar had inherited the Korean genes and was small and sinewy. He was confident he would win in any duel, but he didn't know what dirty tricks these muggle-lovers might have up their sleeves. If you took magic out of the equation, Salazar was a wimp. The guy spoke in a defensive manner that made Salazar realise he wasn't really trying to startle him. He realised he had been very focussed on his own thoughts and wouldn't have heard anyone coming up the stairs. He sighed and crossed his arms, not willing to apologise to someone who might be of lower blood than him, but not wanting to pick an unnecessary fight, either.

What the boy said next confused Salazar. He had assumed he'd be sorted into Slytherin. It seemed like the best house to him. He even shared a first name with the founder! But people kept intimating that it wasn't the best house. Making snide remarks about the Slytherins. Puzzling Salazar, who had only known the importance of being pure-blood until he'd run away from home. "As a matter of fact, I'm not a Slytherin, though I don't see what's so wrong with it. Are you another snake hater?" He didn't re-draw his wand, but he kept it ready anyway.

 

[Mark Stone]

Mark relaxed slightly when the boy seemed to recoil. This was good it meant he was in the mood to fight hand to hand with him which was a shame Mark loved fights, mainly because he won but he liked the rush out of them. "Im not a snake hater but i do hate people who think they are better than someone because of what runs through their veins. That never shows anything about a person what really shows who someone is, is the actions they take." Mark stated as he kept his wand at the ready. He would not be letting his guard down any time soon. Something he had learnt from Durmmy, as well as dark magic, was to never under estimate anyone.

 

[Salazar Strayde]

Salazar stood, confused, and listened to what the other boy said. Was it normal? This way of thinking? Daytona had told him the exact same thing. That blood didn't matter, but actions did. It was said with calm voices, not the uncontrolled frenzy in which he had been instructed, as a child, that mudbloods were filthy and ruined the good name of wizards, that muggles were beasts who sometimes attacked purebloods to produce said filthy mudbloods, and that being a Strayde, and being a pureblood placed he and his brother at the very top of the social spectrum. Somehow, it seemed to Salazar that it was Daytona, and this boy, who were telling the truth, although it went against everything he'd ever believed. He had certainly experienced times in his own life when he'd been defending a falsehood and gotten very upset, yet when defending what he knew to be truth, he felt calm and in control. "What's your name?" he demanded of the other student. He claimed not to be a mudblood, but that was no proof of his worthiness, yet.

 

[Mark Stone]

Mark studied the boy in front of him very carefully. He didnt know weather to give his identity out to this stranger who thought that he was better than every one just because of what was being pumped around his veins. "Mark." He said not giving his last name out to him just in case he may have used it against him. "Yours." He said evenly asking the boy his own name in return for him. Mark was careful not to give anything away as he didnt trust this kid yet, maybe if he bucked up a little he may but for not there was no way

 

[Salazar Strayde]

Salazar nodded as Mark gave his name, and asked for his in return. It was only right, after all. "Salazar," he said, then, feeling slightly foolish, he added "Strayde." It was difficult for him to mention his last name here, knowing it wouldn't get the same response it got back home. But he'd said it just before in his anger, and felt that Mark deserved to know why. Sure, he'd grown up under the impression that it was perfectly acceptable for a Strayde to berate a person of lower standing, but even at home he had never lost his head without explaining himself after he'd cooled off. Even to a half-blood. He wasn't stupid, and he knew anger didn't get him what he wanted. What he wanted right now was to stop having to be so jumpy all the time. "You startled me before. I'm new here. I'm not used to... things yet. I shouldn't have threatened you. It was improper." He took in the boy, who was not wearing uniform, just as he himself wasn't, although his normal clothing wasn't so different to the school robes. He wasn't sure what to say next, so he asked a question that seemed to matter to most people at this school, although it bore little meaning for him, "Which house are you in?"

 

[Mark Stone]

Mark stood still for a second, a little stuck about the boys speech. Deciding that he was no longer a threat Mark relaxed fully and lowered his wand and put it back in to his back pocket. It seemed like they now had something in common with each other. "Im new here too and im not used to it all so i can relate. Im in Hufflepuff. Same as my girl friend." He had originally wanted to be in Gryffindor so that he could be in the same house as his cousin so he could protect her better but he knew that she would want her own space and the house difference gave that to her. He still saw her as often as he could however. "Why did you transfer then?" He asked

 

[Salazar Strayde]

'Zar noticed Mark relax visibly and the tension seemed to drain from the air. Suddenly it was just like talking to anyone at home. "You're new? Well, I thought I was the only one. I um... " Salazar wasn't quite sure what to tell people about why he'd transferred. The truth was that he'd had his whole world view tipped upside down by a twelve year old girl at Hogsmeade, had a fight with his parents and run away, but that didn't seem like the kind of thing you'd tell people when you first met them. "I needed a change of scenery. I didn't think it would be quite such a drastic change, but what can you do?" he shrugged. Mark had mentioned a girlfriend and Salazar wondered what that must be like. He'd never had much luck - or, to be honest, interest in girls. That was his brother's domain. Salazar stuck to his art.

"What about you? What brings you here, and what did you do before?" Salazar had a hard time understanding the New Zealand accent, and realised it must be difficult for them to understand his Welsh accent, too. He hoped he wasn' too incomprehendible.

 

[Mark Stone]

Mark nodded when Salazar said about his reason why he moved schools. It was an understandable reason but he did have a sneaky suspicion that it wasnt the whole story but he couldnt be sure so he kept quiet. Mark did not know this boy even nearly enough to ask those kind of questions. He had the common sense to know that much.

Mark shrugged at his question. "Well I moved here to get away from my old school. And i wanted to be around my cousin and my girl was moving here so i wanted to be with her." He said passively. Mark didnt want to go into to much detail about how his memories of Durmmy were less than good after the death of his best friend and how his family were dying off one by one so he wanted to be around the youngest to protect her and to make sure nothing happened to her. "What year are you in?" He asked

 

[Salazar Strayde]

Salazar nodded, "Your old school, which one was that then?" he asked, wondering if he'd know Daytona, the girl from Hogwarts back in the UK who he'd met; who had challenged his very way of thinking. "I'm sixth year. Yourself? You finding the change easy?"

 

[Hilde Lindstrom]

Hilde was wandering the castle. She needed to send a letter off to Shane and was just heading back from the Owlery to the Dungeons, when she came across two boys chatting. They looked to be around her age, but did not look familiar to her at all. She watched them from a bit away before walking up to them. "So are you two transfers?" she asked, curiously. "I don't seem to know you, which is odd since I know most all of the upper years. Or, well, at least know who most everyone is." She stood with her hand on her hip, showing a bit of attitude, but not so much as to scare the new boys off. They were kind of cute, after all, but not as much as Shane.

 

[Mark Stone]

Mark shrugged. He had liked his old school but it had never really felt like home when he was there but this place he felt was different and he was starting to like it better. "I came from Durmstrang but yeah the change is easier than i thought it was going to be. I mean Durmmy never really felt like home so you know." He shrugged again as he looked over when another voice began to talk. He saw a girl who he did not recognise, not that he recognised anyone anyway. He smiled kindly at her and nodded his head. "Yeah im a transfer. Durmstrang." He said passively as he leant again the wall so he was facing both students.

 

[Hilde Lindstrom]

"Durmstrang?" Hilde said with a grimace. "I'm sorry. You'll be much better of here than in that stinky old place. I'm Hilde by the way." Her voice still showed her Swedish accent when she spoke, but not nearly as heavy as it once was. "So, what year are you two? Are both of you from Durmsville then?" She realized that she was asking a lot of questions, but she was curious. It was rare that new older students transfered into the school, and cute boys at that.

 

[Salazar Strayde]

Salazar didn't jump nearly as high as he had at Mark when he heard a new voice. He was still on edge though, so as much as he liked to think he was playing it cool, he was blatantly a mess. Turning to the girl who looked about his age, he replied, "How do you do Hilde, no, I'm a transfer too, but not from Durmstrang. I'm from Wales where I was privately tutored in wizardry." His Welsh accent was prominent, but so were his Korean looks. Sometimes he wished he had more of his grandfather in him and less of his grandmother. Although they were both pureblood, so it didn't really matter. "I'm Salazar, 6th year," he introduced himself warily, leaving out his last name for perhaps the first time in his life. It was so difficult for him to break the habits of a lifetime. He'd been brought up to introduce himself as a Strayde with pride. He realised now that that was not appreciated outside of his hometown.

 

[Mark Stone]

Mark listened to Salazar introduce himself to the girl. It was obvious to him that he was edgy around them. He didnt however know if it was his presence or the girls presence that was causing it more. He guessed the girl as she had only just introduced herself. "Yeah im a 6th year also. Hufflepuff 6th year." He said not really too sure about what to say next to the stranger. "What house are you in then?" He asked thinking it was an easy topic to talk about

 

[Hilde Lindstrom]

Hilde listened to the two boys speak, then quickly answered when she was asked what house she was in. "Oh, I'm in Slytherin," she said with a smile, "and I am a Fifth Year. That's really cool Salazar that you were privately tutored. My parents talked about doing that with my sisters and I before we moved to Australia." She figured they were mixed blood at best if they were not in Slytherin with her. It was rare that someone pure was sorted into a different house. Her boyfriend last year, Xavier, was pure and in Hufflepuff, unlike the rest of his family.

 

[Salazar Strayde]

Salazar looked at Hilde a little oddly when she mentioned it was 'cool' about being privately tutored. "Where I come from there's no alternative," he said shortly, then realised that would probably lead to questions. Like, what was he doing here? The last thing he wanted was for word to get back to his family about where he was. Sure, he'd been disowned, but if they found out he was attending school with mudbloods - well, that would tarnish the Strayde name, and that would require action. Something along the lines of a death sentence, Salazar guessed.

"Slytherin," he said, looking at her with more interest, "The more I learn of these houses, the more I believe that's where I belong." He didn't want to make a big deal of blood status again, as Mark had proven to be of a differing opinion to him, and it was clear Mark was bigger and stronger than Salazar. 'Zar could handle himself in a duel, but he was hopeless at physical rough and tumble.

 

[Hilde Lindstrom]

Hilde smiled, then chose her words carefully. "Well, the Sorting Hat is rarely wrong. Besides," she added, "The majority of Slytherin is pure blooded. Its not that there aren't mixed bloods among us, but there are more pure than anything." She looked over Salazar, wondering what house he was actually sorted into. "So, you never mentioned what house you did get."

 

[Salazar Strayde]

Salazar's eyes widened at Hilde's words. He KNEW that was where he belonged. He felt the fire of his anger well up inside him and slammed the underside of his fist against the stone wall of the tower. "I am pureblood! The sooner everyone is this stupid school realises that, the better!" he cried out. "That hat put me in Gryffindor. I'm a Strayde for Merlin's sake! Doesn't that mean anything to anyone any more?"

Well, he'd gone and lost his temper again. Never mind. Well, while he was on the subject, he might as well keep it up, "You, are you pureblood? Lucky enough to be placed in Slytherin, where you don't have to worry about mudbloods? You, Mark, what are you? Clearly not a pureblood, if your derision of the house of Slytherin is anything to go by." He didn't mean to sound rude, he was just straight-forward. After all, Mark was new here, too, and they'd likely share some classes. It wouldn't make sense to make an enemy of him.

 

[Hilde Lindstrom]

Hilde had to stifle her laughter as Salazar went off about the Sorting Hat. "Wow. Relax. Obviously the Hat found something Gryffindor in you otherwise you wouldn't be in that house. There are purebloods in every house, just more happen to be in Slytherin. My family has a string of them, which is why my parents talked about keeping us out of school and at home." She looked at Salazar, then put her hands on her hip, giving him a bit of attitude. "Of course I am pure. And we have some mixed bloods in our house. I would quickly get rid of the word 'mudblood' if I were you. Some people around here don't take to well to that word. You might find yourself proving just what a pureblood's blood really looks like." She wasn't threatening him, but more informing him that there are a few people around this school that would as soon beat him up for that word as look at him. And, seeing as he was rather cute, well, she didn't want to see him get beaten up just yet.

 

[Mark Stone]

Standing behind the two he listened to them speak. He was just getting a feel of the girl before he spoke. It wasnt something he usually did but seeing as the pair were talking and Mark would just wait a while before interjecting, he took the time to figure the girl out. It was the sound of Salazar punching the wall that caught his attention. It startled him slightly but he regained himself quickly. Mark should have been shocked by Salazars outburst but if he was honest, it wasnt hard to see coming.

Biting his lip when blood status was mention, Mark hated the way that some people spoke about it. It was uncalled for. Scowling he stood up strait. "Im a pure blood and housing mean nothing as does blood status." He spat as he stood to his full height. Mark was a very tall boy and could get very defensive. He hated people who thought that they were better than others just because they had pure blood. "If you dont like the fact im in Hufflepuff with my blood status then take it up with me right now. Because im not going to stand here and throw your toys out of your pram because people dont know you dam name." Mark said bitterly to the boy

 

[Salazar Strayde]

Salazar couldn't believe what he heard from the two people he was talking to. "You- you're both pureblood? But you- Mark, you- I don't get it." He paused a moment to try and take in all of this, "It really is like another world," he muttered to himself before looking at the Slytherin and Hufflepuff again. He felt like a lost little boy, and Mark's quip about him throwing his toys out of his pram hit home."You mean to say... I don't get it, are you blood-traitors?" He had a strange feeling he was digging himself deeper into a hole, but he just couldn't get his head around this. Purebloods who stick up for mudbl- er, muggle-borns? It didn't make sense.

Not knowing what else to do, he flicked his wand and cast a silent bluebell flames charm. The warm, soft blue flames floated from the tip of his wand and calmed him. Looking at them for a moment, he made a decision. "Okay, okay, I can play by these rules. I'm not trying to offend anyone, I'm just trying to find some order in this chaos. I honestly don't know what's going on!" It was extremely unlike Salazar to let his weaknesses show like this. If he'd been arguing with one of the half-bloods back home, he'd have used a far more impressive - and intimidating - charm than the bluebell flames. He was just lost in this world, away from his family, and the security of knowing his name and his blood made him better than most others.

Chuckling slightly, he said, "And I may not know what's going on, but I'm not stupid enough to fight you, Mark." He hoped Hilde neither of them would think any less of him for that. Back home it was the better man who stepped away from a fight (although a duel was another matter) - but who knew out here in this backwards world?