"What happened?" Matthew asked groggily the next morning, seeing his friends give him odd looks.
"You went completely mad...over pancakes of all things," Harry responded, still hardly able to believe it. "You don't remember that?"
Matthew rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Oh...sorry."
"You also finished off your emergency supply of maple syrup, so watch yourself," Alfred added as he withdrew his school robes and bomber jacket.
"You mean this could happen again?!" Ron asked, horrified at the very thought.
Matthew nodded and swung his legs over the side of the bed. "Yeah, its a condition that runs in the family. Alfred isn't as bad as me, though." He got up and casually made his bed.
"You didn't mention that little tidbit," the redhead growled at the American as he pulled his socks on.
"Must've slipped my mind," Alfred laughed nervously.
"What are you four talking about?" Neville asked.
"An interesting tale that is better left to be told over butterbeer," Ron responded cryptically.
"What's going on today?" Matthew asked, eager to change the subject.
"Unfortunately, we've got Potions with the Slytherins today. Then we have History of Magic and Defense against the Dark Arts," Harry supplied.
Seamus hit his head on one of his bedposts. "Oh, come on! Potions is bad enough as it is. You'd think they'd change the damn schedule after all this time!"
"What's so bad about Potions?" Alfred asked curiously.
"Professor Snape, is a greasy prick who has a bone to pick with Gryffindor House. Only Slytherins like him. But that's only because he lets them get away with everything," Harry answered sourly, gathering his supplies for the day.
"Is he really that bad?" Matthew inquired.
"You don't know the half of it," Neville shuddered.
Malfoy, who'd been out of class for the last few days, made it back to Potions halfway through class. His right arm was covered in bandages and in a sling. He cruised in, acting like a survivor of some terrible ordeal.
"Does it hurt terribly Draco?" Pansy Parkinson asked as the class did partner work.
Malfoy put on a brave grimace, "Yeah, but I consider myself lucky. Another minute or two and I could've lost my arm!"
"Settle down," Snape said offhandedly.
Harry scowled into his cauldron. Harry would've immediately gotten detention if he came in late. The blatant favoritism was appalling! But on the bright side, Matthew was working with him today, and the Canadian turned out to be a natural in potion making. Snape was having a hard time faulting the Shrinking Solution they were working on.
Hermione, could be heard at a nearby table. She smacked Alfred's hand. "No, Alfred. You're supposed to shred them, not chop them. Like this."
"What's the difference, anyway?" Alfred pouted as he relinquished the silver knife to his partner.
Malfoy set up his cauldron right near Ron, who was working with Neville, so that they set their ingredients up at the same table.
"Sir," Malfoy said. "I'll need help cutting these daisy roots, you see my arm-"
Snape didn't even look up. "Weasley, cut up Malfoy's roots."
"There's nothing wrong with your arm!" Ron hissed as his face turned bright red.
"But I need help." Malfoy smirked and gestured to his daisy roots with his sling. "You heard the Professor; cut these roots."
Ron seized his knife and began to chop Malfoy's roots roughly, so that they were all different sizes.
"He's mutilating my roots, Professor," Malfoy complained.
Snape rose from his chair and approached the table. He gave Ron an unpleasant smile. "Change roots with Malfoy, Weasley."
"But sir-!"
"Now." Snape commanded in his most dangerous voice.
Ron shoved his own perfectly cut roots across the table towards Malfoy and took up his knife again. He began to try and repair the damage to the roots he now had to use.
"I'll need this shrivelfig skinned too, sir," Malfoy grinned maliciously.
"Potter, skin Malfoy's shrivelfig," Snape ordered, giving Harry an evil look.
Harry frowned and took Malfoys shrivelfig. He skinned it as fast as he could and slammed it back in front of Malfoy without saying a word. Malfoy was almost laughing now.
"Seen your pal Hagrid as of late? I'm afraid he won't be a teacher much longer, so you might want to visit him while you can," Malfoy mocked, "Father's not happy about my injury, so he's complained to the school governors and the Ministry of Magic. He has a lot of influence you know." Malfoy sighed as he said, "And a lasting injury like this, I might never be the same again."
Alfred accidently stuck his knife into the table as he listened to the Slytherin boy speak. "I'm gonna kill me a limey if you don't shut up right now," he growled darkly.
"Anytime, yankee," Malfoy challenged.
Alfred smiled to himself thinly, and his brother worried sent a worried glance in his direction. He recognized that look.
"You want Hagrid fired," Harry realized. "That's why you're laying it on so thick."
Malfoy lowered his voice to a whisper, "Well, that's one reason. Weasley, slice my caterpillars."
Neville, without his partner being able to help, was having a problem. Rather than a bright acid green, his cauldron contained a sickly orange colored concoction. Potions has never been his best subject, being afraid of the teacher and a generally clumsy fellow.
"What did I tell you," Snape said, "about the quantity of tat hearts? About the amount of leech juice you were supposed to use? Do you learn nothing?" The teacher bodily turned away from the unfortunate Griffindor. "We are going to feed three drops of this to your toad at the end of class. Maybe that will teach you to read the directions."
"Help me, please!" Neville pleaded with Hermione, who gave him a pitying look and started to set his potion right.
Seamus leaned over to borrow Harry's brass scales. "Did you hear that Sirius Black's been sighted?"
"Where?" Harry asked quickly
"By who?" Ron asked at the same time.
"Not far from here," Seamus responded excitedly. "A muggle saw him, but of course she didn't really understand. Muggles think he's just some ordinary criminal. So she called the authorities, but he was gone by the time the Ministry of Magic got there."
Malfoy was listening closely, eyes shining malevolently. "Thinking of trying to catch him single-handedly, Potter?"
"Yeah, that's right," Harry said offhandedly.
Malfoy gave a mean smile. "I'd have done something before now, if it was me. I'd be out looking for him, rather than staying in school like a good boy. Given what he's done to you."
"What'd Black do to him, Malfoy?" Ron demanded roughly.
Malfoy narrowed his eyes. "Don't you know, Potter?" he breathed.
Harry gave a puzzled look. "Know what?"
"Maybe you don't want to risk your neck, so you're leaving it to the Dementors," Malfoy sneered. "But if it was me, I'd want revenge. I'd hunt him down myself."
Snape interrupted the exchange. "You should have finished adding the ingredients now," he announced. "This potion needs to stew before it's drunk, so clear your workstations while it simmers and then we'll test Longbottoms..."
A few Slytherins laughed openly as Neville despaired. Hermione gave last minute instructions as he feverishly stirred his potion. Harry and Ron packed their unused ingredients while Matthew whispered urgently to his seething brother at the sinks. Harry caught snippets of the conversation.
"...don't..."
"...stop me..."
Harry shook his head and began to wash his hands. "What'd Malfoy mean? Black hasn't done anything to me, yet."
"Malfoy's making it up," Ron said resolutely. "He's trying to make you do something stupid..."
The end of the lesson approached, and Snape strode over to a cowering Neville.
"Gather around," Snape said, "and watch. If Longbottom has managed to produce a Shrinking Solution, his toad will become a tadpole. If not, which is much more likely, his toad will most probably be poisoned."
Students watched in suspense. Slytherins were excited, and Gryffindors were fearful. Snape picked up the toad in his left and a spoonful of the now acid green mixture in his right. He trickled a few drops down it's throat.
The amphibian gulped, and there was a small pop. Trevor the toad was now a tadpole, squirming in Snape's palm.
The Gryffindors burst into thankful applause. Snape, always the sore loser, pulled a small bottle from his pocket and poured a few drops on the tadpole. Trevor appeared again to be fully grown.
"Five points from Gryffindor," Snape said, turning on his heel. "You know better than to help him, Miss Granger. Class Dismissed."
The five friends made their way up the steps and towards the entrance hall. Harry thought about what Malfoy had said, and Ron complained about Snape.
"Why didn't you just lie and tell him that Neville did it on his own?" Ron asked.
Malfoy and his cronies slid past them, a smug look on his face. But he was stopped by Alfred reaching out an arm and holding him by the shirt collar. "Oh, no. You think you can get away that easy, kid?"
The Slytherin fought to free himself, "Let go, yank! Get your filthy mudblood hands off of me!"
Bystanders winced or looked downright outraged at Malfoy's curse.
Alfred smiled coldly. "I don't know what that is, but it kinda sounded like an insult." Alfred looked around. "A pretty bad one too, if these peoples' expressions are anything to go by." He pulled, dragging Malfoy closer to him. "Apologize," Alfred hissed into his ear.
"Crabbe, Goyle! Take care of him!" Malfoy ordered.
The two rather burly looking boys faced Alfred, one putting a meaty hand over his fist, and the other one giving a toothy smile that was supposed to be threatening.
Alfred laughed without mirth. "You think that scares me?" He tossed Malfoy to the ground and waited.
"Al, don't do this," Matthew pleaded.
Malfoy, sneered as he picked himself up. "Do his annoying brother too, when you're done with the American."
Goyle made the first move, getting behind Alfred to pin his arms. But Alfred stepped back and slammed his right elbow into the Slytherin's gut. He immediately followed by bringing the same elbow up to the boy's jaw. Goyle went down, accompanied by the crack of bones in his jaw and a few teeth coming out.
Crabbe stopped his advance, afraid after seeing what had happened to his partner. He glanced at Malfoy apologetically, turned tail, and ran as fast as he could.
"Get back here!" his Malfoy yelled. Alfred's eyes narrowed as turned his attention back to Draco, who had the decency to look concerned.
Ron and Harry watched eagerly. But Hermione suddenly cried out, "Oh, my god! Alfred, what did you do?!"
Alfred's head snapped up in surprise. Hermione was coming down the steps with a heavily laden book bag. How she had gotten up there, or where she had gotten the books, was completely beyond him.
"You've been here the whole time, I thought. Malfoy insulted Hagrid and threatened his brother," Harry said, puzzled.
"Now he's getting what's coming to him," Ron added happily.
"And no one's gotten a teacher or..." Hermione stopped and sighed. It struck Matthew that she looked extremely tired. "Whatever. I've got to go. I'll see you at dinner." She rushed off.
Malfoy tried to run away while Alfred was distracted. But the American held out a stiff left arm in his path and the Slytherin boy hit the ground again when he ran into it. Alfred stood over him, ready to continue, but was interrupted again.
"What's this?" a new voice demanded.
Alfred's shoulders sagged and he turned around,."Oh, come on-wait. Iggy?"
A man in emerald colored robes with messy blond hair stood before the group. He also had green eyes and the largest black eyebrows ever seen.
"That's Professor Kirkland to you!" the man snapped. "Now what is going on here?"
"He threatened my brother!" Alfred stated shamelessly, pointing to Malfoy. His finger moved to Goyle on the floor, "And his thug attacked me!"
The professor raised an eyebrow and turned to Matthew, Ron, and Harry, "Is that true?"
Matthew said nothing. Harry nodded. "It's the truth, sir."
"Not to mention he called Alfred a mudblood!" Ron put in.
"Is that so?" Kirkland said to himself. He faced the two boys. "Alfred, you have detention with me this lunch period for brawling with other students. I taught you better than that."
Alfred kicked the ground and pouted, while Malfoy smirked evilly. The smile was wiped off his face when the professor addressed him. "And you lad, have a week's worth of detention with me for the use of such a slanderous word and general malicious behavior. I'll see you both then."
Malfoy gaped indignantly. "But sir-" he began to point at his bandaged arm.
"No buts," Kirkland interrupted with a slice of his hand. He turned on his heel, and with the parting shot of, "Don't start a fight you can't finish!" he was gone.
"Wasn't that the new History of Magic professor?" Harry asked to no one in particular.
"Mhmm, Arthur Kirkland," Matthew answered, a small smile appearing on his face.
"And you say he raised Alfred?" he asked.
The Canadian sighed and said, "Yes."
"He doesn't seem all that bad to me," Ron commented.
Another chapter has been completed! I have been writing for seven hours and there's no sign of stopping.
Thanks for all the reviews and everything! It keeps me going.
Later dudes. ^J^