Chapter 561 - Quattor Academy

On the first day of four Academy's opening anxious and relieved parents woke their children early to put on their school uniforms. And after brunch being sent to wait on the road for enchanted school bus designated to pick them up and take them to school. There were small children, and even older squib and muquibs teens semi-excited to attend school.

On the edge of a small village is a group of over a dozen individuals gathered to see the pups of their pack off. Those that were going to Hogwarts in the following week were present as they still wished to see their younger siblings off to school. The most excited out of the bunch is the youngest member of their pack, a seven-year-old boy with wiry hair.

Reuben is rather excited as he bounces on the edge of his toes and keeps peeking down the road in excitement, before glancing back at his pack. At his side is Cody, the only muquib member of their pack, a glossy haired nine-year-old boy with a button nose. Rolling his eyes, Cody glances over at Jeremy.

The twelve-year-old boy almost thirteen shrugs as if to say, "You'll survive." Jeremy glances back down at the book he was reading and resumes where he left. Though every few seconds he'd glance up before glancing back down.

Sadie, an impish young woman with a crooked nose and older than Timothy takes the opportunity to tweak the tail of one of the young ones. Sadie gleefully tousles the neatly combed hair of Jeremy causing him to slap her hands away in a huff and try to fix his hair again. She rather gleefully dances away as the rest of the older pack members sigh at her antics.

Heskel, an old wizard with grizzled hair and bright eyes glares at the clever minx. "Sadie," he warningly said. "Behave yourself, set an example for the pups."

Sadie merely innocently bats her eyes at their surrogate father figure and says, "But you're all so tense. They are only going to school and will be back later in the afternoon. Right Timothy?"

Everyone turns to glance at the recently turned seventeen-year-old, Timothy. The once thin youth had finally had a growth spurt over the last few months and now easily towered over most of them. Much more confident as a member of the A.P.D. he carried himself with pride and confidence.

Subconsciously Timothy touches the edge of the three vicious claw marks across his face, before removing his hand. "Although Sadie has a point," he acknowledged, "but we should also maintain some measure of decorum."

Heskel flashes the minx a triumphant grin as Sadie pouts and crosses her arms over chest. "Spoilsport," she hissed to Timothy, who innocently grinned back.

However, before a mild argument can break out the sound of footsteps cause them to glance up. The entire pack turns around to face the source of the footsteps. Only seconds after two golden haired female figures wearing school uniforms come into view. Both girls pause to blink and stare at the large group in front of them, before finally relaxing at noticing all the children wearing matching smaller uniforms as theirs.

Once closer the older more stern-faced girl says, "Hello, there. Are all of you headed to Quattor too?"

"Yes!" Reuben, their youngest gleefully said.

"Oh good, so are we," the older more stern-faced girl said. "I'm Pauline, and I'm sixteen years of age."

"Pleased to meet you," the pack murmured politely in chorus.

The younger girl smiles flashing her dimples causing Timothy to feel a flush of heat on his cheeks. "I'm Sophie, and I'm fifteen years old."

"Hello Sophie," the pack said again reply.

Ever curious, the bouncing Rueben asks, "So are the two of you squibs or muquibs?"

"Rueben!" Timothy hurriedly said. "That is very rude and should not be asked!"

Rueben begins to wilt, but Sophie's entrancing blue eyes blink at Timothy. "It's alright, we don't really mind," Sophie confessed. "Both Pauline and I are squibs, but our younger brother will be starting Hogwarts next week."

"Wicked!" Rueben exclaimed no doubt excited for the day, he took could go to Hogwarts.

With the ice now broken, the girls begin to freely chat with them as they wait for the bus. They did not have to wait for long, when five minutes later, a brightly silver, and cerulean colored double decker bus suddenly appeared right in front of them as it came to a screeching halt. The doors were swung wide open to reveal the bus driver, a squib in a neat blue bus uniform with a matching cap, and a curly mustache.

The mustached squib asks, "All aboard for Quattor?"

"Yes, sir!" Ruben instantly replied.

"Well, young man, climb aboard," the squib said with a good-natured smile. "Some of the seats are already taken, but feel free to find a buddy."

Ruben almost darts up the steps, before turning back and saying, "I'll see you all later," before rather excitedly rushing up the steps.

Slowly the rest of the pups head inside followed by the two squib girls until the doors at last close, and with a whirl, the bus vanishes away a few feet away from them. The older ones are quiet for a moment, before chattering and heading back to the house in order to floo to their respective places of works. They had asked their bosses for the morning off, which they had been permitted to do.

The younger pups that will all be off to Hogwarts to next week excitedly chatter about when their turn would come. The two girls, Lucky and Martha happily skip along chatting about how they would surely be in the same house and all. They did not have any thoughts otherwise.

However, as they walk, Heskel subtly pulls Timothy back for a private chat. With the group a short distance away, Timothy worriedly asks, "Heskel, what is it?"

"You like the younger girl, don't you?" Heskel said with a bit of a leer in his voice.

"Heskel!" Timothy sputtered. "I do not!"

Heskel roughly pats the seventeen-year-old on the back and says, "You're an a.d.u.l.t now, and she's a rather fine lass. You would do no wrong in properly courting her. You have a steady job, and nothing really to cause offense. If anything, the lass will probably be more open minded than most witches since she is a squib."

Timothy coughs and mutters, "I'll think about it."

"Just not for too long," Heskel roguishly said. "A pretty lass like that won't be left alone for long."

Grumbling about pesky, nosey wolves, Timothy hurries ahead leaving Heskel chuckling after him. The older, and once former werewolf stares with pride at his pack, his family. He had thought his lot in life was to die alone and lonely. And yet here he was in a household that was always full of laughter and voices. He could not have asked for a better reward.