Servants of Wizards

Disclaimer: There is no ownage for me here... the only ownage I have is originality and when I play my hunter on World of Warcraft...

Authors Note: I know it has been a little while since I have updated and I'm sorry. Just been slack with no inspiration...

That and I have been busy trying to make 5200 gold in World of Warcraft for my Epic Swift Flying Mount... So far I have only 1600... --sigh--

Stupid Time Consuming Game! Why Am I So Addicted To Thee?!?!?!

Okay... I'll stop with the excuses and get on with the chapter.

Chapter Three: First Day

Albus woke feeling slightly disorientated and lost. For a few moment he lay awake wondering where he was and how he got there. Finally after a few moments he remembered the day before. The train ride, the lake trip, the sorting and meeting and making friends with Artimus. Someone sneezed and he jumped, turning to see his new friend pulling faces in his sleep in the bed across from him. Sitting up in his bed, Albus took in the red and gold décor and the rooms other three occupants. He grinned maniacally as he looked around, not only his memories of the day before coming back to him, but also his excitement. He was finally here, here at Hogwarts! Here to learn magic! Here to meet new people and make new friends and to read new books. Albus needed to share his excitement with someone else so he scrambled from his bed and jumped on Artimus'. The blonde boy woke suddenly due to the sudden weight on his legs and the shout that followed.

"Artimus!"

Artimus opened his eyes and stared frantically about for a moment, no doubt feeling the same initial disorientation as Albus had felt. When the boy finally looked at Albus he groaned in disgust and buried his face into his pillow.

"Artimus come on, get up! We're at Hogwarts! To learn magic! To..." Albus' list was cut short by Artimus lifting his head high enough off the pillow to pull it out and hit Albus with it, he then buried his head under it. Albus blinked in shock, rubbing the cheek which had been assaulted and then focussed back on his friend.

"Artimus, come on! There's so much to do! We have to explore! Find the library and meet other people!" There was no answer from the blonde boy.

"Artimus! ... Artimus?" Albus scowled, how could the other boy not be as excited about this as he was? He began a new assault on his friend.

Poking.

"Artimus." Poke "Wake up" Poke "We're at Hogwarts" Poke Poke "To learn magic" Poke Poke "Hogwarts Artimus, Hogwarts!" Poke "Do you understand me? HOGWARTS!!!" Multiple Pokings.

Artimus rolled over and sat up suddenly, knocking Albus off balance and grabbing the front of his nightshirt, pulling him closer to his face. Albus was horrified to see what was quickly going to become his greatest fear, Artimus' Glare of Death.

"Albus Dumbledore." Came the flat threatening statement. "It is Sunday. It is very EARLY on a Sunday. Go. Back. To. Sleep."

"but... Hogwarts" Albus managed to squeak, always persistent, even in his terror.

"Huzzah" Came the dull reply. "Hogwarts in Nine Hundred years old, Albus. It's not going anywhere!" The blonde boy shouted the last part. He let Albus go, shoving him away from himself. There was a 'fwump' as Artimus' head the pillow again.

Albus sat silently on the end of Artimus' bed, quivering slightly in fear and relief that he was still alive. After a few minutes of silence Albus managed to calm himself down. He looked out the window next to Artimus' bed, then at his own bed, then at Artimus again. There was a long silence, Albus sighed in a bored sort of way, then leaned back over the other boy.

"Artimus! We're at Hogwarts! To learn magic!"

-----

After ten minutes, several pillow beatings, a lot of poking and then being shouted at by the other occupants of the room, Albus managed to get Artimus out of bed and dressed. Together they made their way down into the deadly quiet common room. September the First had been a Saturday this year which meant that today was Sunday. Which gave them the entire day to acquaint themselves with the castle and its grounds so that they might have an easier time finding their way to their classes come Monday.

Artimus it seemed was not a morning person. He had stumbled downstairs with his eyes closed, Albus found himself wondering if somehow the other boy had fallen back asleep again.

"I'm starving, come on lets go get some breakfast" He encouraged, trying to get Artimus to show signs of life. A small nod was his only response. And Albus wasn't sure if it was a nod, or just a trick of the light. He shrugged and led the way out of the common room and into the corridor, pleased to hear Artimus stumble after him.

Once out in the corridor, Albus looked around excitedly, until he realised something.

He had no idea where to go.

They were faced with three choices, left right and forwards. When he looked to the left, he could see the corridor there split into another two, the one to the right split into three other corridors, and the one directly head of them ended with a staircase which went up.

"Errr... Maybe we go... or maybe... or perhaps." Albus wound up walking in a full circle, eying all the options, trying to recognise something. Desperately wishing he had paid more attention the night before. He heard a sigh behind him and turned to look at Artimus who was finally showing signs of more life than the average slug.

"This way" he mumbled, heading to the right. After a long walk up and down and left and right, and something which felt awfully like a circle they reached a place Albus recognised. His jaw dropped, they had just entered the entrance hall. Albus followed Artimus into the almost entirely empty Great Hall, staring at the back of his head in shock. They sat down facing each other on the completely vacant Gryffindor table, Albus still staring at Artimus. After a while of poking various breakfast foods, Artimus seemed to realise that he was being stared at and looked up.

"What's matter?" He slurred sleepily.

"You just... and the... HOW??" Albus was dumfounded that Artimus had managed to find his way around in this miserable rabbit warren.

"S'not that hard"

Albus continued to stare.

"I has good memory" Came the dull explanation.

"Better than your English at any rate" Albus finally managed.

"Go'way"

Albus snickered and began to serve himself up some breakfast, piling food onto his plate. He was hungry! Finally deciding he had enough food for now, he began to eat. While he ate, he eyed the empty hall, noting that the few teachers up at the staff table seemed slightly surprised to see students up and about at this hour on a Sunday. He gave them a polite wave, seeing Professor Maison smile slightly and shake her head in what appeared to be humoured way.

Albus went back to concentrating on eating. After a while he began to notice that he was the one being stared at. He looked up at Artimus questionably, chuckling at the disgusted and bewildered look on his face.

"Have you got enough food, or do you want me to fry you up a dragon for seconds?"

Albus scowled fiercely at Artimus, though it didn't seem to have any affect.

"I'm serious, I know you're tall but that is a lot of food. It's a good thing no one else is being sensible and normal and sleeping otherwise you would be eaten them as they reached past you for food."

"Haha, very funny" Albus snapped, the amount he ate was a bit of a testy subject to him. He had an auntie who claimed that it wouldn't be long before his eating habits made him fat.

"I'm a growing boy" he muttered darkly, repeating what his mother so often said.

"Boy or Oak-Tree?"

"You're not very nice when you get woken up are you?" Albus complained.

"I'm fine when I get woken up, it's getting woken up at seven in the morning, on a SUNDAY! That makes me not very nice" Artimus retorted, "Evil things happen to morning people, Albus. You'd do well to remember that."

Despite the fact that Albus had much more food than Artimus, he still finished his breakfast long before the other boy. It was a while before the blonde had finished, he seemed to pick more at his food than actually eat it. After waiting impatiently for another five minutes Artimus finally sighed and looked away from his plate, pushing it away.

"Alright, well I'm up now, at this disgusting hour on a Sunday. What are your big plans for the day?"

Albus leapt to his feet, excitement flooding him again.

"We have to go explore!"

"No you want to go explore. I don't feel we have to do anything, especially not on a Sunday."

"You are not going to let that go anytime soon are you?"

"Absolutely not"

-----

They spent the next two hours wandering around the castle, taking note of classrooms and certain corridors and paintings and statues. Albus was glad that he was with Artimus, every time he thought they were hopelessly lost, Artimus was able to find the way back again. Albus secretly hoped that Artimus would be as good at remembering what happened in their classes. With Albus' brains and Artimus' memory, they would no doubt be the best students in class. Albus allowed himself a slightly smug smile, he wasn't one to be rude or boast about being smart, but it would be nice to prove to the teachers early that they were good students.

"Don't smirk like that, it makes me uneasy" Artimus said, his voice lowered to the soft gentle tone Albus knew meant that Artimus was nervous, scared or upset about something.

"Nah, it's okay. I'm just thinking that we're going to do really well here"

A worried look crossed over his friends face.

"You might" he muttered. Albus sighed, he really had to help his new friend get some self confidence in his abilities.

"I'm sure you're better than you think you are. Cheer up. I'll help you." He tried to be as encouraging as possible. He didn't want Artimus to be upset so early in the morning on their first day. He tried to think of something that would take the other boy's mind off of their lessons.

"Come on, let's go outside and see the grounds." He insisted, "it looks like it is going to be a nice day."

This brightened Artimus up a lot.

"I like being outside" he confessed. Albus grinned remembering his comment the night before about Artimus being a vampire.

"You're not supposed to say that. You're supposed to hiss and deny the sun!"

Artimus it seemed remembered too and scowled at Albus, the smirked.

"So that means that you were wrong!" He cried triumphantly.

"I am never wrong!" Albus retorted, playfully affronted, "I merely misanalysed the signs is all"

"You were wrong and you know it"

The two continued their playful bickering out onto the grounds and all the way over to the edge of the lake.

"Yuck, water" Artimus complained as they looked over the smooth grey surface.

Albus chuckled, "Maybe you are a cat who is a human-magus" Artimus snorted at that.

"For someone who is apparently really intelligent, you are really stupid."

"Here kitty, kitty."

"Meow"

The two burst into laughter, which was suddenly echoed cruelly behind them.

They spun in surprise to see a small group of other students in the black robes with silver and greens cuffs and ties of Slytherin. All of the Slytherin students were smirking or smiling at them nastily. At the fore of the group were two students, an identical male and female. While the twins seemed younger than the rest of the students there, the others seemed to respect them as leaders. The twins were tall and slender, with black hair and cold as stone blue eyes.

"Well, well, well. What have we got here?" Questioned the male twin. He was smirking boldly, his eyes cruel and hard.

"Little Gryffies out on their own," Mocked the female, her face lit up with disdain and dislike.

"Come on" Albus muttered to Artimus, who was looking slightly terrified. He grabbed his friend's wrist and tried to go around the Slytherins, hoping that they would leave them alone.

It was a futile hope, several of the group split away to move in front of them, the other moving behind. The twins closed in on them,

"Now, now, little Gryffies, you shouldn't be out on your own like this. You could get lost or hurt, and nobody would know." The male mocked, idly twirling his wand in his hand. The other Slytherin also had their wands in sight, still smirking and chortling.

"Leave us alone" Despite Albus' attempts to sound like he wasn't bothered by these bigger older students, his voice wavered and cracked.

"Not so brave, are you, little Gryffies?" The female twin crowed smugly. "Awww... poor wittle Gwiffies." She continued to mock them in a babyish voice. As they talked, the twins moved, the male going to Albus' left side, the female to Artimus' right. Albus turned his head away, making sure not to meet their eyes as he tried to think of a way to escape. The Slytherins moved in closer, changing their formation slightly as they did so. Albus felt his heart skip a beat as he saw a gap appear directly in front of them between two of the lackeys. He could see the open doors to the entrance hall ahead, maybe a hundred to a hundred and fifty meters away.

"Maybe it's time these new Gryffies got initiated" The male continued, his statement making the others laugh. Albus barely heard him as he tried to calculate whether or not they could make it. He tightened his grip on Artimus' hand, hoping to draw his attention to their possible escape route. He heard Artimus inhale sharply yet softly and swallowed, waiting for the right moment.

"Grab them" The female ordered smugly. Albus moved.

"Run" he yelled and ran forward in the gap which had widened when the thugs had moved forward yet again.

They ran, faster than Albus felt he had run ever before in his life. Thankfully they had moved fast enough and suddenly enough that there was a split second where the Slytherins were left wondering what had happened. Then the female and the male both screeched at the same time.

"Get them you idiots!"

Albus and Artimus continued to run, half dragging each other along, the sound of the larger students' footsteps closing in behind them faster than they were making the distance to the doors. Albus pushed himself harder, hoping for an extra burst of speed, knowing Artimus was doing the same. They both glanced behind themselves as they flew up the steps and through the wide open doors, seeing the Slytherins inches behind them. He turned his head back forwards just in time to see someone standing right in front of them, facing the other way.

WHAM!

They ran right into the man, the air being forced out of their lungs with the impact. They fell to the ground along with whomever they had run into, followed closely by the Slytherins who hadn't been able to stop themselves in time. For a moment everything was clouded and dark and then colour and sound came back in a rush. Albus' head was spinning, the energy and adrenaline his body had drawn to help him escape flooding from his system, leaving him exhausted shaky and gasping. He could hear people shouting, laughing and talking around him but couldn't take any of it in. The heavy weight on top of him was suddenly removed, and he was hauled upright, causing everything to spin faster. More people were shouting, adults perhaps, Albus couldn't tell. He had a feeling someone was speaking to him, and a blurry face was suddenly in front of his own, but he couldn't focus, he managed a groan and the face disappeared. Whatever was holding him upright tightened it's grip on him and he was being lead along, someone was talking to him softly, though he couldn't quite recognise the voice or even the words. After an indeterminable amount of time he was shoved gently onto something long and soft. A bed. He liked beds. Beds were good. He was held into a sitting position and forced to drink something which tasted horrible. Yuck. He didn't like that. He tried to tell whoever was forcing him to drink that fact, but couldn't figure out how to use words. A groan from nearby suggested that whoever he had been with didn't like whatever they were being forced to drink either. Stupid person who forcing him to drink liquid yuck.

Hehe... liquid yuck, sometimes he was so funny.

He was forced to lie down, that was better. Things didn't spin so much now. He closed his eyes and waited for everything to make sense again.

Whatever it was he just did, when he remembered what it was, he would have to make sure he never did it again.

-----

Albus opened his eyes sometime later to see that he was in a large bright, sterile looking room. He sat up, glad to see that everything had stopped spinning and was finally in focus once more. Everything that had happened that morning came flooding back and Albus groaned. Glancing to his left he saw Artimus lying on his back with his hands on his face. The other boy turned his face towards him and peered between his fingers.

"That was more fun than I think I ever want to have again" He muttered hoarsely, his voice muffled slightly by his hands.

"I agree" Albus muttered.

"Oh good, you're both awake" Announced a voice. A young woman in light grey-blue robes and a nurses' hat bustled over to them. She came over to Albus first, checking him over briskly.

"How are you feeling?" She questioned,

"Better than I was earlier. I can see now." Albus replied happily. He liked being able to see, rather than the blurry spinning colours that had been pretending to be sight earlier. The woman chuckled softly and moved over to Artimus' bed.

"And you?"

"Sore" Complained Artimus, sitting up and wincing, his hand going to his chest.

"Yes, well not surprisingly you bruised a few ribs, that's expected from having someone much bigger than you are land on you. However you should be fine in a day or so. Hardly worth giving you a potion for them." Artimus' looked like he didn't know whether or not to be relieved or not.

The woman, finished with checking Artimus, straightened up just as a new man entered. Tall and handsome he chuckled at them and shook his head. Albus thought he looked vaguely familiar and then realised that he was the one whom they'd run into.

"How are they?" He questioned the nurse.

"They are free to go" She declared, then turned an admonishing look on them, "Do try stay out of trouble boys"

They simply nodded and got off of the beds, the man in the doorway beckoned to them, and they walked over to him. The nurse turning walking into her office at the back of the room muttering about first years who got into trouble on their first day.

"Mister Dumbledore, Mister Stonefalcon." The man, probably a teacher, acknowledged "Are you boys alright?"

"Yes, Sir" The two chorused.

"I'm Professor Lawson," a soft smile crossed his face; "the one you ran into earlier today," Albus and Artimus winced. "I'm your Defence against the Dark Arts teacher" He continued. They both nodded, not sure how else to respond. Professor Lawson smiled again, "the students who were chasing you will each be disciplined for trying to cause you trouble. I doubt this will stop them from doing it again in the future however, so I suggest you avoid them from now on" He stated flatly. The two nodded again, a lot more enthusiastically than before. Artimus rubbing his ribs with a wince as he did so. Professor Lawson walked them to the Great Hall where the noise of several hundred students.

"Well I'll leave you two to lunch, I'm sure your mornings antics have made you hungry" He stated kindly.

"Thank you, Sir." Albus replied, "and we're sorry for running into you"

"Not to worry boys" Chuckled the Defence teacher, and he separated from them to sit at the staff table. Together the boys sat down, glancing up at the Slytherin table to see the Twins from that morning glaring at them. It seemed they had avoided getting caught. Artimus cringed and then turned back to Albus giving him a look.

"This is all your fault." He accused, though his tone was perhaps not as hard as he wanted it to be.

"And think" Albus said with a grin as shifted his attention to his lunch, "It's only lunch time."

He laughed under his breath as he heard Artimus bang his head on the table.

End Note: Well I hope that this was worth waiting for, it took a lot longer for me to write this and a lot less happened than I expected. I have to admit I am pleased with myself for this one!

Hope you enjoy it folks.