Seymour pushed open the heavy door that led to their class and he stood aside to let Luna enter. It was cold… the first thought that popped into his head. The once windowless grey stone walls were now hidden behind large hangings attached from the corners of the room. Large symbols had been crudely painted onto the surfaces and hinted at some magical infusion that Seymour knew nothing about. A few of the large gas lamps hung from the ceiling flickered from the breeze emanating through the opened door.
The room as a class was divided by four rows of two-seater desks reaching out to the back of the wall and a solitary desk sat at the front covered from head to toe in books, parchments, empty cages and recycled daily prophets. On the wall behind was a large chart on the lunar cycle and planet alignments. Another large oak door loomed at the opposite end of the classroom obviously a private study for the current professor, along the edges of the door frame were yet more roughly torn pieces of white parchment adorned with similar shapes and symbol to that of the hangings.
The cold cell like room was also skirted with old workbenches which contained an array of strange measuring instruments, large glasses of odd coloured liquids, roughly drawn out maps and other random artefacts which were just as hard to explain as they were to look at. Seymour winced at the sight of the room and it made his whole body shiver. He was more than happy to turn his head away when Luna spoke. "That's a concealment charm." she explained pointing to the large hanging draped above the office door. "And that one stops anything that isn't human from entering." she looked around the room as if she had just entered a sweet shop and her eyes lit up. He smiled at her and then looked back at the room full of students that he until now had failed to realise were all staring at them.
He quickly gave her a little push in the direction of an empty desk at the back of the room to which they both sat at as the rest of the class went back to chatting. "Isn't it fascinating?" Luna declared, every part of her gushed with enthusiasm at the visual delights displayed around them.
"Well it's interesting, I'll give you that." he gave her a weak answer and pulled out his heavy textbook placing in the middle of the desk. "Wouldn't like to live in here though." he added thinking of the type of odd creature who'd feel at home here.
"I would?" she replied instantly bringing a guilty smile to his face.
"Seymour." someone called from the front end of the class and he spotted Robin's hand waving frantically from a desk in the corner. Robin pointed to the empty chair next to him and motioned for him to come sit. Alice and Lloyd were at the desk beside him looking just as awe struck by the room as he was. Luna had noticed the direction of Seymour's glance and peered over at the boy still frantically waving one hand with a big smirk on his face.
"Your friend is calling you." she explained as if he hadn't noticed.
"Yeah." Seymour replied awkwardly, glaring in Robin's direction.
"Come on Seymour, I've saved you a seat mate." he piped up over the loud rumble of small talk.
"Why don't you go sit with him?" she suggested picking up her bag and taking out her things. Seymour didn't really feel like going anywhere as he glanced at the girl beside him. He felt a lesson spent sat next to Luna would be far more entertaining than a whole hour listening to Robin explain why he thought Ginny had a crush on him.
"I'm alright Luna, here's fine." he smiled and made to take his quill and ink out his bag but Luna gave him a soft push with her eyes worriedly cast on the empty space next to Robin.
"No it's alright Seymour, you don't have to sit with me just because we turned up together. Robin is it? Well he's saved a seat for you." she smiled cheerfully and nudged him again.
"He's only got a spare seat because no one in their right mind would sit next to him." he explained with a grin not making to move from his seat.
"But still, I don't want to stop you sitting with your friends. I think one of my mine is taking this class and she hasn't arrived yet. She can sit with me." Luna continued to push his chair and Seymour couldn't explain why her eagerness not to have him sit with her was irritating him more than Robin's constant waving right now.
"Oh right." he murmured feeling rather stupid that he thought she wouldn't have someone to sit with. He slowly eased up off the chair with a confused look as she flicked her eyes down to the desk in front of her. "Is it alright if I use your book?" she asked still not looking at him.
"Yeah sure, won't your friend have one though?" he asked looking over at the still unopened door.
"Just in case she hasn't." she glanced up again and smiled before going back to fiddling with her satchel.
"Right well... see you later then?" he asked with more hopefulness inflicted into his question than he had planned.
"Yes of course." again she smiled, her large eyes fixed apon him before being drawn to the book infront of her. Seymour picked up his bag and slowly wandered through the lines of seated students until he came to his empty seat next to a still smirking Robin who patted the seat and chuckled. Seymour frowned and slung his bag onto the desk.
"What did you do that for?" he asked feeling agitated and slumping into his seat.
"You're welcome." Robin replied looking confused at his friends expression.
"What do you mean. I was already sat with Luna." explained Seymour casting his eyes onto Alice and Lloyd who were busy starting their Transfiguration homework. Robin burst out laughing and patted Seymour hard on the back.
"I was saving you mate, you can't have wanted to be sat next to little miss madness? Probably spend the whole lesson going on about Grundle Worms or Ministry conspiracies." he snorted and crossed his arms as he leaned back on his chair.
"So what?" Seymour grunted back realising that part of him had been secretly hoping that this may have been the case.
"I was just saving you the pain of having people talk behind your back." Robin grumbled giving him a cautious glance. "If you wanted to stay sat with Looney then be my guest mate."
"She didn't want me to, she insisted I came and sat with you." Seymour admitted begrudgingly trying to ignore Robin's snigger.
"Oh that's bad Sey, even Luna Lovegood is avoiding you." he patted Seymour on the shoulder and continued to chuckle.
"Shut up." he mumbled back shoving off his hand.
"Anyway forget that, I think I might be right about Ginny being into me…" But before Robin had the chance to continue the classroom door burst open and in walked Professor Goodwin. He strode across the room his tattered red cloak draped across his shoulders, aiming his wand at the old gas lanterns making them stutter into life shining brighter than they had before.
"Good morning class." His voice evoked an instant command of respect the tone deep and gruff but with a hint of youth long since past by his physical presence. Seymour hadn't noticed in the pub but the man now stood at the front of the class was a lot taller than he had first thought, he towered over their gaze as he stood with both hands on the table eyeing up the room as if begging a challenge. His dirty shoulder length hair had been tied back with a simple ponytail and his eyes sharp, almost black if it wasn't for random specks of deep brown that hid deep within. He was unshaven, casting a grey shadow across the bottom half of his chin. The scar on the side of his face looked deep and more foreboding up close as it carved it's way across his skin.
"Please take out your books and turn to page 24, chapter 3 Vampires: their weaknesses and how to defend yourself." he commanded the class to do so but when he realised that half the class was still gawping at his haunted demeanour, he grasped his wand from inside his robe and brandished it across the room causing all the textbooks within it's aim to jump up and whiz open to the correct page.
A few murmurs spread across the classroom as they sat up straight and peered at the text. "Now listen carefully I will only be saying this once. I want you to take that page and rip it out of your book." he came to a halt from his pacing and stopped at the centre row tapping his wand impatiently onto his folded arms. Everybody cast fretted glances at their neighbours with confused expressions plastered across their faces but slowly after a moments silence the classroom was filled with the rapture of ripping paper as one by one the page was evicted from their book.
A small quiver of a smile coursed over his thin dry lips and then was gone. "Now I want you to screw it up into a ball and throw it at me." This command caused the loudest outbreak of nervous muttering as they pondered on the insane request. Robin looked over at Seymour and then at Lloyd and Alice, Lloyd staring down at the torn page in his hand as if he just committed murder. Then with a shrug he launch the screwed up missile towards his teacher which triggered the rest to follow suit as ball after ripped up ball bounced off his chest and landed on the floor in front of his scaled boots.
"That page Ladies and Gentlemen is about as useful as it gets when defending yourselves against vampires." he surveyed the room with a glare that landed on Lloyd who had decided to conceal his crime against literature in his robe pocket instead of throwing it at his teacher. "Vampires have no weakness and if you happen to be misfortunate enough to be staring into the eyes of one of the very few that are left amongst the population then I suggest you start praying with the very few seconds you have remaining of your life, for you will never need to defend yourself against such a lighting fast and vulgar species. You either die quickly or you avoid them at all costs." He went back to pacing as more talk broke out between the desks. "The same goes for Demons, Night Vapours and Manticores, these creatures will not announce their presence and are not stupid enough to give you a friendly warning before they attack. So unless you are willing to spend every day of your life training to become a decent challenge for these beasts then I suggest you pay the thought no mind as you are not that likely to ever meet one anyway."
His deep scowl then suddenly lifted as he grinned across the room at his unblinking audience. Then he walked over to his desk and sat on top of it with one foot rested on the table in front of him. He took off his blood red apparel and draped in on the chair behind him revealing a similar red shirt under a grey waistcoat and grey trousers. All of which was consistent with his overall impression of neglect. He pointed his wand at the blackboard behind his desk allowing a piece of chalk to write out the letters "C.W.G".
"Let me introduce myself properly. I'm Professor Clement Goodwill, the W stands for Wilfred but I'd rather you didn't spread that about." he suggested with a smile prompting patches of tittering to emerge from the students. He then reached into his breast pocket and produced a small black leather bound book, the pages within thick and cluttered with other pieces of parchment and notes. The rough surface of the book looked ancient and was embossed with two gold letters "C.G" in the top hand corner. "And this ladies and gentlemen is the only book you'll ever need if you want to learn how to defend yourself against a magic fouler than anything you could dream of. Why? Because I've seen it all and then some and it's all in here." with a smile verging of smugness he tapped the book proudly with a emerald ringed index finger. "Everything I've worked on, everything I've discovered, everything I've ever achieved is in this book." he placed it on his desk and gave it another reassuring pat.
"If you want to learn how to die quickly then feel free to carry on reading the book sat in front of you but if you want to give yourself any chance at all out their in the real world then you'll listen up and listen good." suddenly as if sat on a spring he launched himself onto his desk and towered over the class all of whom look slightly taken back by the mans gun ho attitude.
"Now I've gone over the notes taken from your class with Dolores Umbridge last year and it's clear you are further behind than I dared imagine. So lets delve straight into the good stuff shall we, who can tell me about the revered unforgivable curses?" he peered around the room, a hungry expression danced on his face as he waited for someone to speak up.
After a few seconds silence he frowned and paced the short length of his desk. "Come on, come on. No need to put your hands up, just shout out if you know the answers. I'm sure all of you have heard of at least one of them?"
The room remained silent until finally a boys voice piped up on the desk next to Seymour who turned to find a very red faced Lloyd who had decided to put his hand up anyway despite the teachers instruction.
"Sir, they are the three most feared spells in the wizarding world. They all carry a life sentence in Azkaban if used and only the most darkest wizards and witches have been known to use them." after reciting his knowledge Lloyd shot his hand back down looking like the whole ordeal had been most painful. Alice on the other hand smiled and nodded at his speech where as Robin pulled a mock face of horror, pointing at Lloyd and mouthing "Death Eater".
"Good lad, yes that's pretty much spot on, although a bit too by the book for my liking. Yes it's true that they are pretty much the staple spells associated with any dark wizard or witch but anyone who thinks their only use is for dark magic is a fool. The next time you find yourself staring death in the face they might not seem so evil if they are your only option of survival." Professor Goodwill turned his attention to the rest of the class and continued.
"So who can give me one then? Don't be shy."
Another voice spoke up this time in a far more casual voice than Lloyd. "Crucio." The boy was in Slytherin, his short black hair matched the sharpness of his gaze. He smiled at his answer and nudged the boy next to him. The professor merely nodded at the horrid looking child.
"Yes, well done. The Cruciatus curse is a nasty little trick. Would you happened to know the affects err…"
"Russell Blacknall." the boy hinted a sneer on his face at the teachers lack of knowledge on his students. The professor paused for a moment and studied the boy carefully before asking. "Your father… Alton Blacknall I presume?"
"The very same." the boy smirked and crossed his arms as he leaned back on his chair.
"Yes… very well. Go on then Russell what are the effects? I'm sure you're father has told you all about them no doubt." from the tone in the teachers voice it was clear to Seymour that he did not hold a very high regard for this boy's father.
"Yes he has." the boy smiled proudly. "Pain, so bad it'll make you beg for death. Not one part of your body won't be screaming out for mercy. In one word torture, in another agony…" All eyes were on Russell as he continued with his explanation. Seymour on the other hand who had grown bored of the boys prattling let his eyes wander over to the desk on the other side of the room. To his surprise he found Luna looking back at him, she quickly averted her eyes to her book when he met her gaze but he didn't look away for he was drawn to the glaring omission of a student in the empty seat next to her. Where was this friend then? He thought to himself trying not to pay attention to the slight ripple of annoyance that over came him.
"… you'll not only wish you were dead but be perfectly willing to end your life yourself, you'll never want…"
"Yes that's enough Russell. I think we get the gist of it." The professor cut him short and once again focused his attention on the rest of the class. "Well as you can tell the Cruciatus curse is not a pretty sight to behold. You can fight it, as you can any element of pain but it'll take more than a few drops of stamina and willingness. In my short term as an Auror I've been unfortunate enough to be on the receiving end of that one and I can tell you it's far from one of thebest things I've experienced. I can teach you how to fight it and if you pay attention and give it some effort then you'll stand half a chance if you happen to be in the same boat as me, although I hope you never will."
The teacher kicked off an old text book from his desk and stood with his hands in his pockets. "Can anyone apart from Russell and his father tell me another one then. Come on let's go for the big one, I know that you've all heard of it." he stood there impatiently tapping his foot waiting for a reply. A small Hufflepuff girl called Lucy sat up straight in her chair and answered.
"Avada Kedavra?" she winced at the words as they passed her lips. Clement looked less happy with this answer, his face solemn as he nodded towards the girl.
"Correct. Can you tell me what it does young lady?" his voice was calm and he smiled reassuringly towards the girl.
"It's the killing curse." she replied. "It causes instant death and there is no known counter curse or reversal spell and…"
"Well that's not technically true." cut in the professor finally sitting back down on his desk and crossing his legs. He looked at the class with serious intent as they all murmured words of disagreement.
"Yes it is." piped up Russell once again. "If you're hit by it then that's it. My father says…"
"What your father says and what he knows are two very different things Richard."
"Russell."
"Very well. But as I said it's not strictly true. Over the course of history there have been a few wizards that have tried to reverse the spell. None have been entirely successful how ever due to the power of the spell itself. The man who came the closet to the task I've actually studied under myself. I'm sure the name will be familiar. Augustine Fortwater?" The professor announced the name with a certain degree of expectation in his voice, so to receive nothing but a few mingled shrugs back was more than enough to put a frown on his face. "Oh come on." his face was exasperated and he tapped his finger on the desk repeatedly. "Are you telling me none of you have heard of Augustine Fortwater?"
Once again it was down to Lloyd to sheepishly lift his hand into the air and clear his throat before explaining. "I have sir. Augustine Fortwater was an inventor. He studied under Merlin the third and worked briefly with Nicholas Flamel. He invented the Meticulous charm and the Petrificus Totalus curse among many other things."
Clements face was beaming at the nervous boy, clearly growing more fond by the minute. "Spot on Lloyd, well done. 20 points for Gryffindor. I was lucky enough to be his apprentice from 1985 up until his death. I learnt a fair few things from that man I can tell you. Great man, genius in fact. Not afraid to push the boundaries of magic, sure it didn't sit well with some folk in the Ministry. Some of his methods were… a little unorthodox to say the least. Which is why know one knows his true identity. A furiously private person. To work with him was to swear yourself to secrecy."
"But sir?" asked Lloyd slowly becoming less worried about the listening group of students. "I've never read anything about his attempts to reverse the killing curse." Lloyd frowned and quickly rummaged in his bag finding a copy of A History of Magic and showing the teacher.
"Well I did say he nearly perfected a method. But nearly is still regrettably a failure in most peoples eyes and it's often true that failure doesn't make great reading material these days. But there are books that would give you some back ground on the ideas he came up with. A very interesting read I can assure you." Lloyd listened intently and nodded after every word furiously scribbling down book titles as they conversed.
Seymour had drifted off two minutes into their conversation and was only brought back when he heard Robin whisper next to him. "I reckon we could sneak out for a game of Quidditch and come back and they'd still be talking." Normally Seymour would have taken this as a joke but the look on Robin's face almost dared him to comply.
"Why not start a game in here? I don't think they'd notice." he smirked and pushed back on the legs of his stool.
"So as I'm sure you are well aware these curses are not to be taken lightly and over the year I plan on making every one of you experts on how to defend yourself. A Death Eater is merciless and would take great amounts of pleasure watching you writhe in agony before doing away with you." The professor's face showed no emotion but something in his sudden lack of eye contact hinted that there was more behind his words than first implied.
"You would say that though wouldn't you sir?" Russell crossed his arms and stared hard at the weather beaten man stood at the front of the class. "Being and Ex-Auror it's probably drilled into your head from day one that Death Eaters are evil scum but in truth most of them just want what's best for this world don't they? If magic isn't in your blood then what good are you in the long term. My dad says…"
"I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU'RE FATHER SAYS!" Professor Clement roared at the top of his voice rattling the glass cabinet at the side of the room. He launched himself from his seated position and strode in three long steps over to Russell's table in the forth row. He slammed his hands down on the work service and peered hard into the boy's eyes with an unrelenting glare. "I suppose you can add Death Eaters onto the ever growing list of things he knows about, considering the Ministry has suspected him for years." He remained unflinching as he lowered his head coming nose to nose with the visibly shaken Russell. "Could never pin it on the old sod though, a slippery snake your father." a grin suddenly appeared on the teachers face as he tilted it to the side studying the boy. "Maybe I should just extract some information from you, I sure it would prove invaluable to the Ministry." he withdrew his wand as the rest of the class looked on in shock as he trailed it along the boys chin and then his temple.
"Sir, maybe you should calm down a little?" Alice rose from her chair and stammered out the suggestion as she clinged on to the back of Robins neck digging her nails in fright causing him to let out a low shriek of pain.
"Calm down? My dear I am calm." The teacher turned his head and smiled casually towards Alice and Robin who was busy rubbing his neck and muttering under his breath.
"I just wanted Russell here to experience what it's like to know you are powerless to a more powerful wizard's command. Sure I could instantly extract a nice juicy memory from Mr Blacknall here. Enough to put his father away for a good few years in Azkaban and he'd have no way of stopping me." The mans smile faded instantly as he rounded his face to once again look hard at the boys pale complexion.
"Not all Death Eaters are evil? Why Don't you tell that to my wife and child while your at it." Professor Goodwin's eyes ignited with a deep seething rage as his lips quivered and his teeth grinded. "Tell that to me after I watched six of your fathers friends torture and kill my family, right in front of my eyes. All the while being powerless to stop it. What, didn't think they picked on kids?" he asked and Russell shook his head. "Oh yes they would. It seems Voldermort had gotten wind of my duties as an Auror and the circles I ran in and thought I'd be a useful addition to his army of sinners. Asked me out right, said it was a great career opportunity for me and that I should seriously consider it. I turned him down of course, the thought of working with such a vile loathsome man makes me sick to my stomach but I wasn't foolish enough to tell him outright considering I was completely at his mercy.
"He took it well, or so I thought. Said it was a shame that talents such as my own would go to waste working for the Ministry. Then he left, nothing else said and no other visit. That was until the day my daughter finished her first year at Hogwarts. Me and my wife Florence picked her up from the station and was confronted by Voldermort and six of his best men on the journey home. Said he still regretted my decision and said he couldn't let such a blatant show of disrespect go unpunished. So I had to watch as his men tortured my loved ones while he asked me to reconsider my stance."
"Do you know what that's like Russell, to watch as the ones you care about are put through such agonising pain you fear it may break them inside, do you?" The professor's voice was oddly calm and his eyes remained fixed on the quaking student before him.
"N…n…no." mumbled Russell trying his best not to meet the teachers eyes.
"Well I suggest you give it a go. Never planning on letting me answer he kept me quiet with a curse and left my wife and daughter to think I'd rather watch them be tortured than give in to his demands. Wanted to teach me a lesson and his Death Eaters were just as eager to serve him, not one objected as he killed my wife right before me. I had to stand there in silence screaming from the inside as her body fell to the floor. You'd think that would be enough wouldn't you? No… not for him or his blind followers. These Death Eaters you claim to be so misunderstood did not object as they put further pressure on my poor young daughter, pushing her sanity to the limit with unrelenting pain and not one of them faltered even after Fenrir Greyback had had his fun, I'm sure you've heard of him?"
His voice remained firm and he leaned in closer to the boy so that his forehead was only inches from his. "Said he could smell the fear in my daughters blood. Said it would be fun to watch her squirm. And then these Death Eaters who you claim only want what's best for this world watched on captivated as Voldermort killed her too, not content with my wife's lifeless body lying only yards away from me, now I had to watch as my only child perished in a flash of green light. Knowing I'd never get to hold either of them again. That they would both die knowing I did nothing to stop them, that I couldn't. Some would think that would be enough to send any sane man crazy. Don't you agree Mr Blacknall? But not me." He stood up and looked down on the boy. "I used it. Why do you think he left me alive? For fun… as punishment? No… I think he wanted me to spread the word. Hoped that this tale would instil fear in anyone who heard it into opposing his command. I'm using it now instead to force you all to see sense. Do you really want to live under the command of a man who would willing do such awful things to a young child? Do you think he would reserve you from such a fate if you blindly followed his orders out of fear? I doubt it class, I very much doubt it." he surveyed the silent room as every student nodded their head their eyes wide with shock.
"So Russell, still think you're Daddy is a wise man? Or just a pathetic, spiteful little worm with nothing better to do than spread his pathetic and vile propaganda for a pathetic and despicable man?" He turned on his heel and walked back to the head of the room, his smile reappearing as if the whole episode had never taken place.
"Well it looks like that's about it for today, so homework. I want 12 inches of parchment on the life and studies of Augustine Fortwater for next week Tuesday please. Anyone who has trouble finding decent information can feel free to come to me as I will gladly help." he tapped the blackboard with his wand and then smiled broadly at his stunned class before waving signalling for them to depart. "Class dismissed."
Seymour gathered up his things and filtered through the room with the rest of the students still whispering furiously about what had just happened.
"Well that was… interesting." murmured Alice trying her best not to look rattled by the teacher's outburst.
Robin patted her on the back as he pushed past her and Lloyd at the door. "You owe me a few fingernails worth of skin Alice but well done for having a go back there. I think you nearly had him for a second, really I did." he grinned broadly and rolled his eyes towards Seymour as they spilled out of the classroom and into the cold busy corridor of the dungeons. "Bit of a nutter though isn't he, showing off to a bunch of teenagers like that. Like I care if he's he's studied under some bloke I've never heard of. Great how he put Russell in his place though wasn't it. Did you see his face?"
"Rob don't, shut up." Seymour's eyes widen as he desperately tried to hush his friend.
"I mean it's a sad story but it was worth hearing it just to see Russell taken down a peg or two. I thought he was going to cry after a bit. And his dad got called a worm.. Ha!"
"Robin be quiet." Alice wrenched him around the neck and shifted her glare to the space behind him because unknown to Robin Professor Goodwin had followed them out the door and stood only yards behind them.
Noting his mistake Robin instantly went white as a sheet and took a step back. "Oh sorry sir, didn't know you were there. Lloyd why'd you have to go and say all that stuff for.?" but luckily for Robin and a falsely accused Lloyd the Professor didn't appear to be listening. Instead he was too busy peering far off into the crowd of bustling students. His eyes far off in thought as he studied the crowd. Seymour turned to see what he was looking at but couldn't pick out anyone or anything in particular from the throng of people.
"Sorry what was that?" he asked finally coming to and smiling warmly at the four of them.
"Well Lloyd was just talking about those death ea…"
"Robin! No sir we were just saying we were looking forward to the next lesson." Alice put on a convincing smile and held her hands behind her back.
"Excellent. Glad you enjoyed it. Although do you think I was a bit rough on that… what was his name… Richard?"
"Yeah that's right Richard. No sir he's a rotten little toad. Deserved it for all the times he's cheated at Quidditch. Good lesson today sir…odd… a little bizarre… but good." Robin flashed a grin and trotted off into the line of pupils with Alice and Lloyd following close behind.
Seymour was left standing with the teacher. He nodded his head and stuffed his hands in his pockets looking around the space between them. "Don't mind Robin Sir, I'd like to say he isn't always like that but… well he is."
The teacher grinned back and waved him away returning to his classroom casting another look down the thinning corridor as he left. Seymour breathed out heavily relieved and started to walk down the stone clad hall but slowed his pace as a familiar girl came into view before him. Luna was waiting by the door of the next classroom down looking in his direction, holding his textbook in front of her with both arms. As she registered his presence she smiled and took a step towards him. Even though he hadn't planned on returning the gesture he did so any way and begrudgingly stopped as he approached her.
"Good lesson?" he asked as she held out his book. He took the book and tried his best not to sound too put out.
"Oh yes, certainly an interesting man. Some of the people he must have worked with in the past, it would be great to find out…"
Seymour felt his will to kept quiet break and he blurted out. "If you didn't want to sit with me Luna then you could have just said you know. I'm thick skinned, I can take it."
Luna stood up straight on his words, her large grey eyes wide in shock. "No Seymour, I didn't mean it like that. I just didn't want you to think you had to stay sat with me when you had your own friends to sit with." Luna looked deeply concerned and kept her eyes trained on him as she spoke.
"I told you I didn't mind about that, I only left when you said you had someone coming to sit with you." Seymour didn't know why he was getting so wound up but he suspected that what Robin had said might of had something to do with it.
"Oh you were serious?" Luna cast her eyes down to her bag as a confused look spread across her face. "I just thought you were being nice." she looked back up at him and a smile came to her lips. "Thanks."
"For what?" he asked returning the confused expression she had once shown.
"Oh nothing." suddenly all the awkwardness in her voice had disappeared as she grabbed hold of the strap on the bag around his shoulder and pulled it along with her. "Come on then." she chirped guiding him along the busy walkway.
"Where're we going?" he stammered trying to keep up with her fast pace as she marched along.
"You've got potions next and so have I." she announced ducking inbetween the students as she passed. Seymour being taller and wider than her had to settle for bumping into the people she squeezed past and received a lot of annoyed glances as they walked. Why he wasn't stopping her was a question he would have like to have known the answer to himself and he quickened up his pace dodging in and out of the passing crowd.
"You can sit with me if that's ok. It's a little boring sat on my own." Luna kept her face ahead but her voice sounded happy with the situation as Seymour hastily replied. "Ok then." and continued to race with her to class.
When they finally arrived at the potions lab they found only Professor Snape stood at the front of the class busy writing out the days lesson plan on the black board. Without turning round he ordered in his usual stern tone.
"Find a seat and stay quiet."
Luna scanned the room and made her way over to the first large desk in the corner of the room with Seymour tagging along behind trying to regain his breath. "Is here good?" she asked slinging her bag onto the worn surface of the table.
"Yeah." he agreed bending over with his hands on his knees trying his best not to pass out. "Can I ask why we ran most the way?" he smiled and slumped into the seat next to her with a heavy sigh.
"First lesson of the year Seymour, want to make sure we get the best seats don't we?"
It had never mattered much to Seymour where he had sat during his previous years but the warm blanket of light that shone through the wooden trapdoor in the ceiling covered the table in a comforting glow and Seymour hurried to pull out his things from his bag as Luna turned to face him.
"I went for the light straight away, keeps the Bargletops from invading our air, they don't like the light you see. If one of those gets caught in your lungs you'll be coughing up soot all month." She lectured him with a serious face and tucked her bag away safely between her feet, probably to make sure she didn't have to add it to the ever growing list of her things that were now missing.
"Sound like nasty little blighters." Seymour leaned his face on his arm and peered at the girl with a fond smile.
"And then some." she nodded and continued to rummage around the bag at her legs before letting her shoulders slump slightly as she came back up to the table empty handed.
"Book?" he asked trying not to sound too sympathetic, he was sure she didn't want to dwell on the matter too much. She shook her head and rolled her eyes with a fixed smile before looking over at the bookshelf across the room.
"No matter." he grabbed his book out of his bag and placed it in between them. He glanced up at the lesson plan and opened up the book to the relevant page. Luna smiled and slapped him on the back.
"Good man." she thanked and grabbed hold of the stool she was sitting on with both hands, shuffling it along closer to him so that she could share the book. She looked over the chapter of the book and her face lit up. "Oh a laughter potion!" she exclaimed and began to read a few paragraphs of the book.
"Tried one before?" Seymour asked out of necessity if only to detract his attention away from the fact her small shoulder was pressed up against him as she scanned the page.
"Yep, my Uncle Freddy used to make one for me every time he came to visit. Lot's of fun a good laughing fit, does you the world of good, get's all the Dumplebarks out of your system." once again nothing in her face hinted anything but truth as she turned the page still engrossed in the book.
"Sounds like a great Uncle, mine only complains about the length of my hair." he chuckled casting a look at Professor Snape who was observing the two of them with a tedious look.
"I think he was." she explained jotting down a few notes onto a blank parchment. "That's all I can remember about him. Daddy fell out with him years ago, don't know what over but he hasn't spoken about him since."
"That's a shame."
Luna looked up from the book and nodded smiling. "It is but Daddy falls out with a lot of people. I'm sure they'll patch it up somewhere down the line."
Half the class had already filtered in without Seymour realising but it was only when a familiar voice came from the direction of the door way that Seymour finally turned round to see Robin, Alice and Lloyd standing in the corner of the classroom. Alice and Lloyd shifted each other nervous glances while Robin stood staring at the two of them with a look half in shock and half wanting to burst out laughing. "I forgot about them." Seymour murmured to Luna as she glanced up towards them. "Is it ok if they join us?"
She smiled and looked positively ecstatic as she nodded and waved them over. "Yes, yes. The more the merrier." She shifted back to the further most corner of the desk and pulled Seymour's stool along with her to make room. The three of them strolled over and Lloyd and Alice sat down on the other side of the desk smiling politely at Luna and then giving questioning looks towards Seymour. He just shrugged and smiled back but didn't dare look up at Robin who was stood by the chair next to him still looking down at the two of them sat together.
"Alright?" he greeted but his voice sounded wary as he landed on the stool beside Seymour.
"Good as gold Rob." he grinned trying to force acceptance onto Robin far quicker than the boy was willing to allow it.
"Alright Loon…a?" Robin tried to sound as if it was just a slip of the tongue but Seymour sensed that this wasn't really the case and glared at the boy who shrugged and started to pull out his things.
"Hello Robin." she smiled at him and then at the other two infront of her who were busy following her example and opening their books to the right page.
"Laughter potion?" asked Alice looking baffled. "A bit odd for Snape isn't it?"
"Maybe he's hoping we'll all laugh ourselves to death or something?"added Lloyd who didn't look entirely sure he didn't mean it himself.
Luna took that moment to burst out laughing just like she had done on the train and banged her fist on the table rocking back on her stool. Alice leaned back and shot Seymour another quizzical look but he just shrugged and shook his head grinning. Lloyd on the other hand looked rather pleased that something he had said had gained the effect it did and let a tiny smile pass his lips.
Luna who had finally settled down wiped her eyes before speaking up. "Very good, very good."
She took the piece of parchment she had been writing on and passed her jotted notes over between Alice and Lloyd without a word of explanation before writing down even more on a fresh page. Alice looked down at the page of notes and a pleased look spread across her face as she instantly began to copy them down.
"Thanks." she said her eyes darting from one page to the next.
"No problem." Luna replied as she dipped her quill yet again into the ink pot. Robin rolled his eyes and went back to drawing on the front of his textbook before leaning back and closing his eyes in the blanket of sunlight. "Good choice of table Seymour, don't know why I've never sat here before." he remained with his eyes shut basking in the warmth.
"Not my choice mate, it was Luna's." Seymour replied letting a smug grin creep onto his face.
"Oh yeah?" Robin opened his eyes slightly and glanced curiously towards a busy Luna. "Maybe it's a bit too hot actually." but he made no move to shift out of the sun. "Shouldn't really spend too much time in the sun, might send me loopy." he smirked and looked once again in Luna's direction who also looked up in his direction.
"Sunlight's good for you Robin." she explained oblivious to his sly dig. "Keeps the Bargletops away. They like to lurk in damp spaces like labs and workshops." She smiled and went back to her notes without skipping a beat.
Robin scoffed and turned his nose up rocking back on his chair. "See what I mean?" he answered nodding in her direction.
Seymour could feel the hot wave of displeasure creep up his back and snapped round on Robin. "If you don't like the sun why don't you sit somewhere else then?" he bore his glare into the boy and Alice and Lloyd looked up at the two of them clearly worried about where this might lead.
Robin remained seated and stared back at Seymour shaking his head. "Nah. I think here's just fine Sey, you might suddenly be attacked by Noogles if I'm not around to protect you all."
Luna's eyes shot up again form her desk. "It's Nargles Robin but don't worry there's none about this time of year. We should be fine." she grinned and hummed happily to herself as she tapped her quill on the desk.
Robin couldn't hide his annoyance at the girl's denseness and slammed his book down on the desk. "They don't even exist." he mumbled turning to the right page and resting his head in his hands.
"Oh they do Robin. This months Quibbler has a full page article on them. You should definitely take a look."
For once it was Alice's turn to contain her laughter as Robin stared back at Luna his mouth wide open.
"Yeah Rob, I'm sure Luna wouldn't mind lending you a copy would you?" she smiled and looked over at Luna.
"Not at all, anytime you want a copy Robin just let me know. My father runs the magazine so I've always got spare copies."
Robin frowned at the girl opposite and shook his head. "Don't get me started on that load of old rub…"
"Hello again."
Before Robin could finish his reply Ginny Weasley sat down in the seat opposite him and flashed everyone a smile. Suddenly everything about Robin changed, he perked up instantly and greeted her with a wide smile. Seymour noted to thank her later for diffusing what could have been a very awkward situation.