Chapter 8 ~ School Begins.

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Karil sat on the bench by the station. Any minute now, the scarlet steam engine would come into view, students would pile out, filling the station. He gulped slightly. He didn't like crowds. But then again, his best friend would be part of that crowd. Right now, Karil desperately needed to talk to Lysander. 

Rolf was also there, holding the unnecessary lantern to guide the first years, even though the sky was only just dimming. The boats awaited the presence of the new students upon  the lake, the carriages awaited the rest of them. 

Karil lifted his head. The familiar, distant chugging could be heard, and with a smile, Karil rose and held up his arm to wave as the steam train came round the bend. He could see Lysander grinning like the Cheshire Cat, waving back. Rolf made ready to escort the first years, and in a matter of seconds, a torrent of students poured out of the carriages. 

''First years! FIRST YEARS! This way please!'' Rolf stood out among the crowd, a foot taller than most of them, and the tiny, nervous eleven-year-olds gathered in a small group around him.

''Rest of you lot, onto the carriages!'' Rolf directed the crowd towards the awaiting carriages. Karl let them pass until he too joined them as he greeted a tall, freckled blonde sixth-year.

''Karil!'' Lysander gave him a matey hug, followed by another wide grin. ''How were you're holidays? Sounded a bit dull from your letters.'' 

Karil flickered his eyes over the students. ''Well, they stopped being ''dull'' four weeks ago. I need to tell you something.'' 

Lysander raised his eyebrows. ''What's with the mystery?'' He chuckled. ''Haven't broken the law have you?'' Karil's face darkened as he caught sight of Maurelle standing near the carriages and watching the crowd go by. Lysander's grin faded. ''Seriously mate, what happened?''

Karl took his friends arm and lead him to a carriage. ''I'll have to tell you later.''

***

''So, you're saying..'' Ly was lost for words as he tried to take in the slightly rushed version of the events that Karil had witnessed in the past month. He believed his friend, he wasn't one of those people who though Karil was a loony because of his scar and he wasn't one of those people who gasped and says ''I don't believe it.'' He just stood there, silent for a bit, thinking. 

Karil and Lysander had been friends for the past six years at the school, but nobody really knew how it had started off. Lysander was handsome, charming, quick-witted and altogether quite popular with the rest of their year. Karil, however, had been quiet from the start and branded as a bit of a freak. But they'd become friends because of their similarities in the mind. Lysander, though laid-back on the surface, was actually quite a thinker, and Karil, well, we need not say. They were good together; Lysander saved Karil from most ridicule and Karil stopped Lysander from going to far in some departments. 

Karil let his friend be silent. He knew how he'd felt when he first had realised it was all true. Finally, after a minute or so of quiet, Lysander came round. 

''We have to stop her.'' He creased his brow. ''We can't let her kill Merlin.''

Karil, though quite surprised at his friends sudden determination, nodded. ''Thing is Ly, I hardly know anything about the circumstances of it all.'' 

Lysander opened his mouth to speak, but Professor Longbottom had just ushered the first years in and was unravelling the parchment for the sorting. The two boys remained silent, not really paying attention to the process, instead involving themselves in deep thought. Lysander was still on the subject of the fact that Morgan Le Fay's daughter was among them, Karil was thinking about the book he'd asked Maurelle to write. He'd have to get hold of it some time.

The sorting went by, a few additions to the Ravenclaw table joined them, applause came and went like an echo in their heads. And then Professor Longbottom reached P.

''Pendragon, Maurelle.'' Karil jerked his head up and nudged his friend as Maurelle stood, letting her head so the black curls revealed her face.

''That's her.'' Karil nodded towards her. ''She must be using her Mother's previous name.''

Lysander watched the girl make her way up to the stool where the sorting hat stood. He watched her expression, it was hard, focused. He watched her body language, determined, precise. He could see what Karil meant about her. She was definitely a Slytherin, even if she had the soft inner soul that Karil suspected might be there. Her face flickered with emotions as she listened to the sorting hat. There was anger, pride, and surprisingly, hope. Lysander could hear their male classmates murmuring among themselves. He turned his head to look at her face again. She was beautiful, no doubt about it, but the beauty seemed cold, hard. Grey eyes icy, pale face set in the same determined expression, raven hair curling about her refined face. He shivered.

A minute later, the hat opened it's mouth and both boys leant forward. ''Slytherin.'' Lysander murmured. Karl nodded. It must be.

''RAVENCLAW!''

Karil and Lysander jerked their heads to exchange glances. Ravenclaw! Karl turned his head back to watch her stride towards their table. Maybe he was right. Maybe there was more to Maurelle Pendragon that meets the eye.