Well, here we go with Chapter 10. Whew, what a ride.

Before I get too deep, I'd like to thank Jason Howlett and luciemalfoy'sdaughter for the epic reviews. You guys made me make some time out of my life to write the next chapter, so thank you and I hope this next piece is an enjoyable as you've come to expect.

Speaking of luciemalfoy'sdaughter, she's written a pretty amazing fic called Soul in a Locket. It's a pretty unique story, very well written with, to me at least, a very original OC with a unique story arc inside the Potter-verse. You all should check it out, it's the .

And now that I've annoyed you with another Guy Fieri reference, let's get to the story, yes?

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"A true Friend advises justly, assists readily, adventures boldly, takes all patiently, defends courageously, and continues a Friend unchangeably."

William Penn

o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o

The rest of the week went by in something of a blur. The homework assignments that the professors handed the students became so numerous and demanding that even Jon began to feel stressed about the load. Hermione, as Jon discovered, lived in a constant state of stress regarding her homework and readings. Regardless, the two students found a way to work together and help Harry and Ron along as best as they could; however, with Harry's detention with Umbridge and Ron excusing himself for some mysterious reason, the progress was slow going.

On Friday morning, Harry, Jon, Hermione and Ron were sitting at the Gryffindor table for breakfast with Ginny and Neville. The "Golden Trio" looked exhausted. Jon knew the detentions with Umbridge were keeping Harry up late, but Hermione and Ron didn't have a reason that Jon knew of. He looked at Hermione over his giant horned coffee mug. "Hermione?"

She looked at him and yawned. "Yes?"

"Don't take this the wrong way, but you look exhausted."

She shrugged. "Well, with school work and helping Harry and Ron, plus prefect duties and that hats I'm making for the elves, I don't have a lot of time left for sleep. Not all of us are okay with four or five hours of sleep."

Jon looked at her puzzled. 'I'm sorry, hats for the elves?"

"NO!" Ron bellowed, spitting bits of biscuit everywhere. 'Don' ashk her 'bouttha! She nevr shtop!"

Hermione, Harry, Jon, Ginny and Neville glared at Ron. "Ron, if you don't stop spitting food everywhere, I'll write to mum and she'll send you a howler." Ginny hissed.

Ron looked horrified. "You wouldn't?"

As Ginny continued to scold Ron, Harry looked over at Jon. "Hermione knits hats for the house elves that work the castle because she wants to set them free. She hates that they're slaves and she's trying to exploit the one loophole that frees them from servitude."

"It's not an exploitation of a loophole if it's the right thing to do!" Hermione said. "What do you think, Jon?"

Under the stares of Hermione, Harry, Neville, Ginny and Ron, Jon simply shrugged. "Well, we don't have house elves in the States."

Jaws around the group dropped, Hermione's in glee and Ron's in disbelief. "No house elves?" they all asked.

"Who does the cooking and cleaning for the rich families, then?" Ron asked.

Jon shrugged. "Umm. Magic?" Jon chuckled, continuing. "When the Declaration of Independence was written, the idea of outlawing families from owning house elves started to float around. When the Revolutionary War ended, MACUSA made it official. A lot of it was pride; magical America wanted to be better than Non-Magical America by freeing its slaves. It's been that way ever since."

"America isn't perfect, by any means, but there's a lot of folks that try to make Magical America as morally correct as possible. For the most part, they outnumber those that fight against it."

Hermione looked victorious. "See!? See!?"

Ron rolled his eyes. "Yes, Hermione, we see. But that's America, and they're weird…"

The table lurched suddenly, and Ron howled in pain. Ginny sat across the table, glaring at him with murder in her eyes.

Jon shook his head. "Well, I'm not sure what the rules are for house elves earning freedom, but I'm always fond of a little rebellion to earn liberty for someone."

Hermione beamed. "I had a feeling you'd agree with me."

The windows to the Great Hall burst open and dozens of owls started flying in, delivering letters to various students in the hall. Most surprising was when a large Great Horned Owl landed in front of Jon with two letters addressed to him. Eyebrows raised, Jon reached forward and took the letters, giving the owl a nice chunk of bacon before he left.

Jon looked at the letters and found one was addressed from Tobias Webster, which gave Jon a boost. The other letter surprised him the most when he saw who sent it:

MACUSA Embassy, London

Ambassador Serenity Floretine

24 Grosvenor Square, Mayfair, London, W1A1AE, UK

He opened the letter and read it intently.

Mr. Lionheart,

I hope that this letter finds you well at Hogwarts. My name is Serenity Florentine, and I am the new MACUSA Ambassador to the British Ministry of Magic.

It is my hope and the hope of MACUSA that after the war we have all suffered back home, we may be able to build stronger bonds of friendship with other magical nations and help prevent the same atrocities from occurring in other countries.

I wanted to personally write to you to let you know this embassy has been opened, and we are here for anything you may need. Other embassies have also been opened in Paris, Berlin, St. Petersburg, Athens, and Rome.

MACUSA has a keen interest in your progress and well being as our first foreign exchange student. If there is anything you need during your time at Hogwarts, please do not hesitate to write or visit. Our offices are incorporated with the Non-Magical U.S. Embassy, the address again is:

24 Grosvenor Square

Mayfair, London,

W1A1AE, UK

Again, if you ever have need of the aid of my office, please don't hesitate to reach out. We want to help you make the best of your time at Hogwarts.

Sincerely,

Serenity Florentine

MACUSA Ambassador to England

Jon wasn't sure whether to be impressed or concerned. MACUSA had never gone to such lengths to cooperate with other nations. After glancing back over the letter, Jon was convinced of his original interpretation: MACUSA now considers Voldemort a legitimate threat, and is making their own moves to counter him, and prevent him from making a direct move against America. The embassies now opened in other countries told Jon MACUSA intended to form a coalition against Voldemort, since MACUSA didn't have the strength to fight alone.

Jon suspected the letter from Tobias would shed a bit more light on the current state of affairs, so that would have to be read later.

"Letter from your family here in England?" Harry asked, jolting Jon from his thoughts.

"Huh? Oh, no. From the new MACUSA Ambassador to Britain, actually."

This caught Hermione's attention. "MACUSA Ambassador? That's never happened before."

Jon nodded. "Nope. It's kind of a shock."

"What did they say?" Hermione asked.

"Just letting me know the embassy was open, and if I needed anything, to let them know. They're apparently very interested in how I do here. If I had to guess, they're probably looking into some kind of student exchange program with your Ministry of Magic."

Hermione chewed on a piece of toast thoughtfully. "Well, that would certainly be interesting. If you're any indication of a normal Ilvermorny education, the classes and programs would be very interesting…"

Hermione started mumbling to herself about the different things she could learn in America, and Jon and Harry grinned, thinking that only Hermione could get excited about learning more while currently drowning in homework assignments.

o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o

Jon and Hermione were walking down the halls of Hogwarts to meet up with Harry and Ron for lunch, with Hermione talking about Ron and Harry's study habits.

"Harry at least tries to take his studies seriously, but Ron couldn't possibly be bothered. And he always drags Harry into his horrible study habits."

Jon had learned a lot of things about this group of kids over his first week at Hogwarts. One of the things he learned was that Hermione complained about Ron. A lot.

"And if it isn't enough that he slacks off so completely," she continued, "He constantly asks to borrow my work, so he can play catch up. Honestly, I've half a mind to say no to him. I don't think it's ethical for a prefect to give him their homework."

Jon nodded. "It really isn't."

"But he is my friend, and Harry's. He'd cause a terrible fuss if I cut him off like that. Not to mention he'd fail his classes, too."

It was a predicament. One Jon was getting tired of listening to. "Well, if I were you, I'd have a serious talk with him about it. Warn him that unless he improves, you will cut him off. Offer to help him improve, but don't do anything… What in the blazes?"

As the two students rounded a corner, there was a scuffle in the main hall. A group of first year students were tussling, throwing punches and rolling around on the ground.

Hermione gasped. "Merlin's Beard!"

As she dashed towards the fray, Jon followed closely behind in case she needed the help. There didn't seem to be any prefects or professors around, which struck Jon as very strange. The main hallway should have more supervision than this…

"Break it up, right this minute!" Hermione yelled, pushing through the crowd and grabbing students and separating them. No one was helping her, and she only had so many hands. "Jonathan! A little help!?"

Pushing through the crowd like a bodyguard, Jon shoved his way to the core of the fight, where a young Slytherin student was pounding on a Gryffindor Jon recognized. "Euan!"

Euan was the smaller of the two students and was losing the fight badly. With a split bottom lip, blood coming from his nose and tears coming from his eyes, Jon figured he wasn't the one to start the fight. He reached down and grabbed the Slytherin by the robes. "That's enough!"

The force he yanked the Slytherin off Euan was so sudden that the student yelped in surprise. Jon carried the student through the crowd that now parted in front of him, to the wall where the student found himself pinned and looking into the eyes of, unknown to him, a very angry Ranger.

"What. Do. You. Think. You're. Doing?" Jon growled.

The eyes of the Slytherin student couldn't were as wide as physically possible, and any traces of the fight dried up behind them. Hermione took over the crowd, unhanding the two students she had been keeping apart. "Jon, put him down."

Reluctantly, Jon let the student go, who dropped a foot and half onto his feet and then fell over. Short of a growl, Jon turned on his heel and went back to help Euan.

Hermione took up the questioning. "Who started this fight?"

Fingers from Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff first years all pointed to the Slytherin boy still in a heap by the wall. "Fine," Hermione announced, looking at the boy. "You come here, we're going to your head of house. Now, who else was fighting?"

As Hermione dealt with the crowd that had been fighting, Jon was kneeling over Euan. "Euan, you with me?" Euan groaned, trying to sit up. Jon pushed him back down gently. "I know the feeling, buddy, but you need to lay still until I can look at you, okay?" Jon pulled out his wand and started going through a few diagnostic spells, patting Euan's shoulder. "Just stay still, buddy. I'll patch you up. Take it easy."

Each pass over Euan made Jon's blood boil more and more. The boy had a broken nose, two cracked teeth, a serious black eye coming up on his left side, and several bruised ribs; two ribs were fractured, Jon guessed from getting kicked.

"Hermione." Jon growled out as he reached into his bag for the first aid supplies that he always kept with him.

Hermione came over and knelt next to him. "How is he?"

"He's got a broken nose, some cracked teeth, and some cracked ribs." Jon looked over his shoulder at the Slytherin student who withered even more. "This was way more than a bully picking on another student. This was an outright attack. You need to find out why."

Hermione nodded as more student came plodding into the hall. Harry and Ron pushed their way to the front of the crowd. "Bloody hell." Ron mumbled.

Jon pulled a couple of vials out of his first aid kit, plus some bandages and wraps. "Ron, go get Professors McGonagall and Snape. Tell them there's been a fight. Now!" Ron spun and started running. Jon looked around and found a simple wooden bench a few feet away. "Harry, bring that bench over here." Jon looked back at Hermione. "Y'all have a medical wing, right?" Hermione nodded. "Good. We'll take him there in a couple minutes."

As Harry brought the bench, Jon gave Euan the two vials. "Here, take these. One's a pain potion, the other will stop your bleeding." Euan swallowed, then coughed roughly. "Yeah, they taste pretty bad." Conjuring a white sheet to cover Euan, Jon continued. "I've got to wrap your ribs, okay? The only way I know how to heal them will hurt a lot, so I'm not gonna do that. But I need to wrap them, so I'm gonna cut through your robes, okay?" Euan groaned, but nodded.

Using magic to speed the process, Jon had Euan wrapped tightly by the time Harry brought the bench over. "Thanks, Harry." Pointing his wand at the bench, Jon transfigured the bench into a simple stretcher long enough to fit Euan so he'd be completely supported. Vanishing the large white sheet, Jon looked at Harry. "Grab him be the shoulders, gently, and help me set him on the stretcher." Harry nodded and the two boys lifted Euan onto the stretcher as Professor McGonagall and Snape came rushing down the halls, Ron behind them.

"What on earth is going on?" McGonagall asked, a look of horror on her face.

Hermione walked up to her, the young Slytherin in tow. "There was a large fight between several students from all the houses, though it started between Euan Abercrombie and Murtagh Randall. We still don't know why. Euan is badly hurt; Jon and Harry are taking him to the medical wing."

McGonagall, Snape and Hermione started talking among themselves. Jon looked at Harry. "Take the front and lead the way. I don't know where to go." The two boys lifted Euan and started making their way to the stairs up to the medical wing when they were stopped by Dolores Umbridge.

'Hem, hem.' "What is the meaning of this?" She asked sweetly.

"We're taking Euan to the medical wing." Harry answered. "He's been hurt badly."

"And why exactly was he hurt?"

Jon, who was already struggling to keep his temper under control, lost what was left of his patience. "We don't have time to tell you! You want to know, go ask Prefect Granger. She saw everything. This is a medical emergency, so step aside." He nudged Harry over with the stretcher and the two boys shoved past Umbridge, running up the stairs with Euan before she could get out another word.

o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o

It was halfway through lunch when Madam Pomfrey stepped out from behind the curtain wall concealing Euan's hospital bed. Jon had spent the entire time pacing back and forth, trying everything he could think of to keep reign in his temper. When Madam Pomfrey appeared, he stepped right up to her. "How is he?"

"He's going to be just fine. Your diagnosis was spot on, Mr. Lionheart; very well done. I've healed his ribs and his nose, and you stopped the bleeding. He's still going to be sore for a few days, but a complete recovery is expected. That was quick thinking, Mr. Lionheart."

Jon nodded. "Thank you. Is he awake?"

Pomfrey shook her head. "No, he's asleep. I'll be releasing him to his dorm tonight if all things go as they should."

"Okay. Can you please let me know when you release him? I'd like to talk him back."

She smiled. "I'll write you a slip for permission." She turned and walked towards her desk.

Jon sat down heavily next to Harry. "That Randall kid better get a serious punishment for this."

Harry nodded. "I hope so. I wonder why the fight started?"

Jon shook his head. "I don't know, I never heard."

The doors to the hospital wing opened, and Professors McGonagall and Snape came in, with Hermione and Murtagh Randall behind them.

McGonagall spoke first. "How is he doing?"

"Madam Pomfrey said he's going to be alright. A little sore, but okay."

McGonagall nodded. "That is an immense relief. Is he awake?"

Jon shook his head. "No, he's asleep now. She wants to release him later tonight, so he needs his rest." Jon's eyes settled on Murtagh and his temper flared again. "Why is he here?"

"Mr. Randall was brought here to apologize for his actions." Snape answered, as if he thought the action was unnecessary.

Jon stood. "Do we know why the fight started?"

"Mr. Randall has not answered that question as of yet." McGonagall answered, anger tinting her voice. "We're about to take him to the Headmasters office for disciplinary action. He could face expulsion."

"That's almost not good enough." Jon growled, looking at the boy. "Why'd you do it, huh? You thinking punching on kids smaller than you is fun? Betcha I can change your mind on that in a hot minute."

McGonagall sucked a breath. "You will do no such thing, Mr. Lionheart."

Jon didn't even look at her. "You gonna answer my question, boy? I want to know why you did it."

"Mr. Lionheart, that is enough." Snape said. "One more outburst and you'll have detention."

Jon glared at Snape before finally backing off. That was the moment Murtagh mumbled something out. "I had to."

Hermione looked at him. "You had to what?"

The boy swallowed. "To be accepted into the group, I had to hit a student. A Gryffindor."

Even Snape looked horrified, but McGonagall asked the question. "And who exactly told you that you needed to do this?"

The boy looked down. "I can't say."

"Why can't you say?" Snape drawled.

The boy shook his head, not saying anything.

McGonagall sighed. "I'm afraid it will be expulsion then, Mr. Randall. I doubt the Headmaster will grant much lenience in this case. Sending a fellow student to the hospital wing, on purpose no less!" McGonagall ushered the boy towards the doors. "Mr. Potter, Mr. Lionheart, lunch is almost over. If you're hungry I suggest you hurry to the Main Hall. Professor Snape, please come with me. Miss Granger, feel free to join Mr. Potter and Mr. Lionheart for lunch."

As McGonagall and Snape took Murtagh from the hospital wing, Hermione came up to Jon. "It was really impressive how you handled everything back in the hallway."

Jon nodded, looking at the curtain hiding Euan. "I guess so."

"I'd ask how you learned all that, but I already know…"

"Enriched education." Jon said automatically.

Hermione squinted at him, almost as if she didn't buy it. "Thought so. Still, Euan's going to be fine. We should head down to lunch."

Once the three students sat down at the Gryffindor table, Hermione filled Ron in on everything that happened.

"Blimey. Who'd have told him to do that?"

"I don't know, but if we find out, they're going to be in a lot of trouble."

Jon scoffed. "That's putting it mildly."

Hermione looked at Jon. "You can't just go and do to them what they did to Euan. Sinking to their level won't do any good. You need to follow the rules. You will follow the rules." Hermione finished her sentence with a glare.

Jon glared back at Hermione. "When you're dealing with someone who is basically ordering attacks on students, slaps on the wrist and expulsions aren't enough. People like that only understand one language. And I'm more than happy to speak it back."

Ron looked at Jon nervously. "Remind me to never get on your bad side, mate."

Hermione looked affronted. "You can't mean that."

"I do mean it, Hermione. I mean every word. The war in America started with garbage like this. Someone pushing their weight over someone else and getting a measly slap on the wrist for their actions."

"Expulsion is hardly…"

"What, you think he can't get an education somewhere else? You think he can't be taught at home, or be sent to another school like Durmstrang or Koldovstoretz? If his parents have enough pull, he can go to another European school easy enough. Expulsion won't make him change his ways. It'll make him angrier, and more likely to do this sort of thing again, and again, and again."

"Sometimes if you want to stop a bully, you have to put that bully in their place. And sometimes that means you get physical. That is the only method I've ever seen actually change a bullies stripes. You can try other methods, sure, but they'll let you down. Find a way to stop a bully from picking on you, and sure, they'll leave you alone. They'll go find someone else to bully. And you know what? Now you're culpable for what happens to the other person."

"The only way to stop a bully is to stand up to them. To make them realize that there's no profit in what they're doing; that it's actually gonna to cost them something. And pain is a steep price for a lot of bullies. Most of them are wimps." Jon looked back to the Slytherin table. "Someone at that table told that kid to attack a Gryffindor student. And when it's found out who, they're going to have me to deal with."

The other Gryffindors sat and contemplated everything Jon said for the rest of lunch, Harry feeling a strange sense of hope at having this new friend.

o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o

The rest of the day passed without incident, but Jon was not the best company for anyone. He spent the whole day silent and steaming. When dinner finally came, Jon was still in a foul mood, and he walked behind the Golden Trio like a brooding bodyguard, and anyone that normally sniggered or pointed at Harry kept their eyes well away from him.

Once they sat at the table, Harry looked over at him. "You're still upset."

Jon nodded. "Yes."

Harry nodded sympathetically while quickly packing food on his plate.

"I feel responsible." Jon said suddenly. "I told Euan I'd be his friend. I haven't even talked to him since the sorting. Maybe if I had, the attack wouldn't have happened."

Hermione, who had been looking at Jon warily all day, now had a softer complexion. "Jon, this isn't your fault. You couldn't have known this was going to happen."

"Hermione's right, mate. There was nothing you could have done." Ron said.

Jon nodded. "Still, I owe Euan a better friendship than what I've given him."

"So remedy that when you walk him back to the tower tonight." Harry said after swallowing some pumpkin juice. "He'll appreciate that."

A loud clapping sound caught everyone's attention, and the entire hall turned to see Dumbledore standing at the staff table. "If I can have your attention please. Thank you. Earlier today, this school dealt with an entirely inappropriate and nearly tragic event. I'm sure most of you have become aware of the fight between two first years in the main hallway. This sort of behavior is not and will not be tolerated by anyone."

"The student that started the fight, Mr. Murtagh Randall, has expressed a deep sympathy for his actions. Given this deep sympathy, I have decided that he will not face expulsion, but instead will serve an extended detention, lasting from tonight until the beginning of Christmas break. He will serve this detention with Professor McGonagall."

There were several murmurs around the hall. Jon gripped the table in front of him so hard Harry thought he might break two fist-sized chunks out of it.

Dumbledore continued. "In addition, Mr. Randall did mention that he was put up to this task by a member of Slytherin house. While he did not name this person, Professor Snape will be looking into who may have given such a disturbing order."

Ron scoffed. "Right. He'll dig real deep too, I'm sure."

"I would like to draw attention to Miss Hermione Granger, Mr. Harry Potter, and Mr. Jonathan Lionheart. Miss Granger and Mr. Lionheart discovered the fight, and swiftly brought it to an end." Umbridge seemed unhappy with this. "Mr. Lionheart and Mr. Potter worked diligently to help the victim of this attack, Mr. Euan Abercrombie, receive swift and immediate medical attention, and took him to the medical wing. For their actions in helping a fellow student, I am awarding Gryffindor fifteen points for each of them. Let these students be an example of what Hogwarts should be."

Normally Gryffindor house would have erupted in cheers, but the fact that one of their own had been brutally attacked on request had put the whole table in a very somber mood.

Dumbledore finished his speech. "Now, understand that the staff and prefects will be paying much more attention to what happens in the hallways. We will do everything we can to prevent something like this from happening again. Now, please, tuck in and enjoy the rest of your evening."

Harry grabbed his bags quickly. "I have to run. I'll see you all later."

Ron got up too. "I've got to get to the Quidditch pitch. See ya."

As Harry and Ron left, Fred and George sat down on either side of Jon.

"You've got a knack for finding yourself in the interesting stuff, Mr. Lionheart." Fred said.

"If you're not careful, you'll make us jealous." George said.

Fred picked back up. "All the ladies will be paying attention to you,"

"And they won't give us the time of day." George finished.

Jon grit his teeth. "Is this funny to you two? A kid gets the tar beat out of him and you make jokes?"

Both twins held up their hands. "Easy, Lionheart." George soothed.

"We're not thrilled with what happened either." Fred supplied.

George nodded earnestly. "Been doing a little digging ourselves, but we haven't found anything yet."

"But," Fred continued. "If we ever figure out which ickle Snakey set this up."

"We'll let you know, and back you up." They both finished.

This seemed to appease Jon, but Hermione seemed horrified. "Absolutely not!"

Fred looked at Hermione innocently. "Why Hermione, we're not thinking any permanent damage."

"I am." Jon grumbled.

"Just maybe some life scarring memories." George threw out casually, as if he were dreaming up different ways to torture someone.

"Either way, we can't let someone get away with hurting one of our ickle Lions. Wouldn't be right." Fred said resolutely before the two twins got up and followed Ron out to the pitch.

Hermione looked at Jon. "Jon, please, listen to me." Jon looked up at Hermione, who continued. "Please don't do anything that can get you expelled. I've been paying a lot more attention to Harry this week, and though it's been a tough week, he's looking and acting a lot happier than he was over the last few weeks. The only major change in his life has been the addition of your friendship. Please, don't do anything to risk it. Please promise you'll act within the rules if or when they find out who told that boy to attack Euan."

Jon simmered. Hermione was right. Any ideas Jon had for justice would land a normal student an expulsion. He had to remember that right now he wasn't a Ranger; his authority was non-existent. Growling in the frustration of his circumstances, Jon nodded. "Alright. I promise."

Hermione nodded, clearly relieved. "Thank you, Jon."

Jon shook his head, silently cursing the rules he was confined by.

o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o

Around an hour later as Jon and Hermione worked on their homework, and owl dropped a note in front of Jon and flew away. He reached forward and read it.

Mr. Abercrombie is ready to be released.

"Is that from Madam Pomfrey?" Hermione asked.

Jon started packing his paper and books. "Yes. Euan's ready to be released. I'm gonna go get him."

Hermione nodded. "Alright. I'll see you later. Once I have these next couple of inches done, I'll be calling it a night."

"I'll see you in the common room." Jon said as he walked away.

He jogged most of the way from the library to the medical wing, only slowing when he reached the hall leading to the wing itself. As he turned the corner, his eyes caught something shimmering halfway down the hall. Acting as if he hadn't seen it, he kept walking down the hall until the shimmering figure was within arm's reach.

Once they were close enough, Jon sprung forward, grabbing an arm of the invisible student and spun them violently to the left, then pushed them back against the wall, using his weight to keep them pinned. The student squeaked under the sudden impact with the wall.

"Guinevere."

A couple of grunts later and Guinevere Cygnus materialized under him. "You shouldn't be so rough with a lady."

"I'm not really in the mood for games."

She looked down and away from Jon. "Because of the boy. Euan." She looked back up at Jon. "I'm sorry. I would have done something to stop it if I knew."

Jon scoffed. "You're going to tell me you didn't?"

"It's the truth. Try as I might, I can't know everything." Guinevere looked disappointed. "But I do know who told him to do it, and why."

Jon backed off, releasing Guinevere, resting his hands on the wall next to her head. "Who?"

Guinevere looked cautious. "If I tell you, you can't do anything. They'll know someone told you and I won't be able to learn any of their future secrets."

Jon sighed. "I already promised someone I wouldn't do anything that would get me expelled. Whatever you tell me stays between us."

Guinevere thought for a second. "Alright. It was Draco Malfoy."

Jon shoved off the wall violently. "That sack of wine!"

Guinevere flinched. "Apparently the Randall boy wanted to be a part of Draco's group, and Draco decided that there needed to be an initiation of some kind. Beating up on a Gryffindor was the first thing he thought of."

Jon was pacing the hall, breathing heavy. "And unless the Randall kid tells someone what Draco did, he's gonna skate."

Guinevere nodded. "Euan and the Randall kid got into a shouting match over whether Euan could actually do magic. I suppose this gave the Randall boy the opportunity he needed."

Jon stopped pacing and looked at Guinevere. "Thank you, Guinevere. No one will know what you told me."

"You're not going to do anything?"

Jon shook his head. "No. At least, not now. Justice has a long memory."

Guinevere nodded. "I'm sorry I couldn't stop it, Jon. I would have if I knew, please believe me."

Jon looked into Guinevere's eyes and saw sincerity. "I believe you. Thank you for finding this out."

She smiled. "You're welcome. Although… You owe me, now."

Jon rolled his eyes. "I owe you?"

"Everything has a price, dearie." She stepped towards Jon, hips swaying. "I'll let you know when I'm ready to collect."

"You should know I won't tell you anything about Potter, Granger or Weasley."

She chuckled. "Oh, I already know everything I need to about them." She reached up and stroked his cheek. "Don't worry, oh noble one. Whatever I ask won't put you in a bad spot." She turned and sauntered away. "Remember your promise, Jon. Keep it dark."

When she rounded the corner, Jon shook his head. 'That girl is gonna get me in so much trouble somehow.' He let out a huff and pulled his composure back together before entering the medical wing.

As he was walking towards Madam Pomfrey's desk, she looked up and smiled. "Ah, good. You're here." She walked over and pulled the curtain frame away from Euan's bed. "Mr. Abercrombie, your escort is here to take you back to Gryffindor tower."

Euan turned and saw Jon, his eyes lighting up. "Jon!"

A smile spread on Jon's face. "Hey there, kiddo. You're lookin' pretty good."

Euan nodded. "I'm a little sore, but Madam Pomfrey says I'll be better in a couple of days."

Jon's smile went tight. "Well, that's good to hear. You ready to head on back to the dorm?"

Now Euan looked nervous. "Umm. Sure."

Madam Pomfrey rest a hand on Euan's shoulder. "Mr. Lionheart won't let anything happen to you on the way there. And many students from Gryffindor are excited to have you back with them."

Jon nodded. "That's true. A lot of the Lions are worried about you. They'll feel a lot better once they see you're okay. Besides, it should be a fun time. The Gryffindor Quidditch team held tryouts today, and it's Friday. So the atmosphere should be upbeat."

Euan still looked nervous. "You'll be with me all the way?"

Jon walked over to Euan and knelt in front of him. "All the way. Promise. You're my friend, remember? And if you want someone to hang out with in the common room, I'll be there, too."

This seemed to ease Euan enough to be willing to leave the medical wing. "Alright."

"Okay. Let's get going." The two boys left the medical wing and started working their way down the winding halls to the Gryffindor common room. With Euan being sore, the pace was slow. Jon looked down at Euan. "So, if you don't mind me asking, what started the fight?"

Euan looked down. "He said I couldn't do magic. He said I was useless, and he started calling… Me names." Euan sniffed.

"What did he call you?"

More sniffing. "He's said I was… A squib. And a mud…"

"Don't even finish that word." Jon said. He put his hand on Euan's shoulder, stopping him before he knelt in front of Euan. "Listen to me. Okay? This is your first week here. You haven't known you're a wizard for very long, all of this is new, and amazing, and very overwhelming. Very few students can actually perform magic on their first week of school. Even I had trouble my first week of school."

A sniff. "Really?"

"You bet. Some kids get it and they take off, others take a little more time. It's okay. What isn't okay is what he said. You may not know, but that second thing he called you is a dirty word in our culture. You don't call people that. Ever. And for him to say that to you was wrong, dead wrong. There is nothing wrong with you, Euan. Nothing at all. You hear me?" Euan nodded. "Okay." Jon stood back up. "Which class had you gotten out of?"

"We had left Charms with Professor Flitwick, and we were heading for lunch."

"Which charm was the Professor teaching you?"

Euan thought. "Wing-gaurdium Leviosah."

They way the boy said it was all wrong, and it made Jon chuckle. He had heavy emphasis on the "wing," making the word sound like "wing-gaurdium" instead of "win-gaurdium," and his leviosa was heavy on the "a," instead of the o. Easy, and typical, mistakes. "Well, I think I already know part of your problem."

Euan looked up at Jon. "Really?"

"Yep. You're saying the words wrong. It's 'win-gaurdium leviohsa.' Try it."

"Wing-guardium leviohsah."

Jon chuckled. "Closer. Try again. 'win-guardium leviohsa.'"

"Win-guardium leviohsah."

"Better still, but less 'ah' on leviohsa. One more time."

Euan sucked a breath. "Win-guardium leviohsa."

"Perfect! You got it. Do you know the wand movement?"

Euan demonstrated how the movement went. "Like this?"

Jon nodded. "Also perfect. So, if you take what I taught you, combine it with what you know, you can make something fly. Try it in your dorm tonight. Find someone small and light and practice. You'll be an expert at that charm in a couple of days."

"You think?"

"I know."

Euan looked excited. "Thanks, Jon. For… Everything."

Jon ruffled Euan's hair. "Anytime, Euan. It's what friends are for. Speaking of friends, have you made any in your year?"

"Yeah, a few actually." Euan spent the next several minutes walking to Gryffindor tower telling Jon all about his friends that he's made over the last week, and everything they had in common. The whole conversation made Jon happy, knowing that Euan was fitting in well with his own year.

o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o - o

Jon had been right; Gryffindor house was in an uproar after the tryouts. Ron had been made a keeper, and this made Fred and George extremely happy. They began breaking out bottles of butterbeer and turned the common room into something akin to a New Orleans Mardi Gras.

Jon had been mingling with the twins and Ron, occasionally keeping an eye on Euan, who seemed to be completely relaxed and deep in some enthusiastic conversation with several first years when the portrait door opened, and a very pale Harry stumbled into the common room.

Ron didn't seem to notice Harry's pale-ness or jittery nature and walked up to him carrying two butterbeers. "Harry! I did it! I'm in, I'm Keeper!"

Harry forced a smile and took the offered butterbeer from Ron and that was when Jon saw it. Harry's palm had a lot of blood on it, and the cuffs of his robes seemed to glisten as if they'd absorbed a lot or blood. Ron was completely ignorant of this fact, though, as was everyone else in the room.

'What. The….' Feeling his temper rise again, Jon quickly made for the dorm to retrieve another, more comprehensive, first aid kit. When he got back from the dorm, a large courier bag slung over his shoulder, Jon saw Harry sitting next to Hermione, discussing something of what appeared to be extreme importance.

Jon made a beeline to the sofa the other two students were sitting in, kneeling down in front of Harry and Hermione, both of whom were surprised by his sudden appearance.

"Jon, what…" Hermione started.

"Harry, your hand." Jon said, cutting Hermione off.

Harry looked hesitant to show it to Jon, but then relented, extending his right hand.

The hand was covered in blood, and the blood was running up his arms. His robes and shirt were basically sopped. Hermione gasped. "Harry! What is that!? What happened?"

As Jon started cleaning off a lot of the blood, Harry explained. "Umbridge has me writing lines."

Hermione looked perplexed. "But that doesn't explain the blood."

Jon wiped the back of Harry's hand clean and saw the cuts, deep, angry and still bleeding profusely. "Blood quill." He spat.

"But they're illegal!"

Jon grunted. "What applies to the general population rarely applies to members of government. Government is a body of people, most notably, ungoverned." Jon pulled a couple of tubs with twist lids out of the bag. "You need to report this immediately."

Harry shook his head. "I'm not going to create a fuss…"

Jon slapped a moist pad over top of the scar without warning, causing Harry to his in pain. "This goes beyond causing a fuss, Harry. If she'll use those things on you, she'll use them on anyone else in this school. You have to tell Dumbledore."

Harry shook his head, gritting against the pain. "No. I'm not bothering him with this."

Jon pulled the pad off Harry's hand, stopping completely. "You damned Brits and your stiff upper lips."

Hermione looked shocked. "Jon!"

"Sorry." Jon sighed, grabbing another pad and dabbing it in a tan colored paste. "This one will sting a little, but it'll have that closed up pretty quick. If we're lucky, since it's still fresh, it won't scar. How many times has she done this?"

Harry looked sheepish. "Every night this week."

Jon saw red. "Every night!" 'How the hell did I not notice!?'

"Why didn't you say anything, Harry?" Hermione asked, resting her hands on Harry's right shoulder and arm.

"Ron found out last night, but I was just going to tough it out. I don't want to give Umbridge any satisfaction…"

"Knock it off, Harry." Jon spat. "This is flat out abuse. If this were America, she'd be arrested and on her way to Hell's Pit."

"Hell's Pit?"

Jon pulled the pad with tan cream off Harry's hand and started wrapping it in gauze. "It's our most secure prison. Right in the middle of the Mojave Desert. It's some four-hundred feet under-ground. It get's insanely hot in the day, and dangerously cold at night. No one has ever escaped, and prisoners have been known to die serving their sentences."

Hermione's faced went white. "That's horrible."

Jon shrugged. "Only the worst go there. The one's MACUSA decided weren't bad enough for a Ranger."

"Bad enough for a Ranger?" Harry repeated.

Still wrapping Harry's hand, Jon sighed. "A Ranger is like a British Auror except for one major difference; a Ranger is ordered to kill on sight. When MACUSA sends a Ranger after a criminal, the case is so overwhelming proven that the sentence is issued without a trial, and the Ranger goes and delivers the sentence." Jon charmed the bandage so it was sealed and wouldn't unravel. "There. Keep that wrap on your hand over the weekend, then take it off Monday morning. You'll be fine. Though since this went on for a whole week," Jon ground out, "You'll probably have some kind of scar. Do yourself a favor and don't get detention with her again, comprende?"

"Huh?"

"Do you understand?"

"Oh," Harry nodded, "Yeah. I follow."

"So if you're not going to tell anyone about this, at least tell me what you two were talking about before I interrupted you."

Harry and Hermione looked at each other for a second, seemingly having a conversation with each other without saying a word. Jon sat looking at the two, trying to figure out what was going on. "Well?"

Eventually, Hermione shrugged, and Harry looked at Jon. "Before I left detention, Umbridge touched my hand and my… My scar hurt."

Jon squinted. "Your… Scar hurt?"

Harry nodded, looking back Hermione who shrugged again. "My scar seems to hurt whenever I'm around something connected to Voldemort." Hermione shivered when Harry said the name. "We're not really sure why."

Jon fell back off the balls of his feet onto his rear, his back leaning against a coffee table behind him. "And when Umbridge touched you, it hurt. You think she's connected to Voldemort somehow?"

Hermione shuddered again. "It's possible, but since Vol… Voldemort is back, it's possible that Harry's scar is just going to ache sometimes. I think Harry should tell Dumbledore…" Harry scoffed. "But he's not going to do that either."

"All Dumbledore cares about is my stupid scar…" Harry mumbled.

Hermione looked at Harry sadly. "That's not true, Harry. You know that."

"Maybe I could… Tell Padfoot?"

"Absolutely not!" Hermione admonished. "You can't risk that."

"Umm, who's Padfoot?" Jon asked.

Hermione and Harry did their silent conversation again. Eventually, again, Hermione relented. Harry turned back to Jon and leaned forward. "This can't be told to anyone. Ron already knows, but no one else can, okay. It's extremely important to me."

Jon leaned forward and nodded. "If it's that serious, I'll take a vow." Jon extended a hand.

Harry looked at it for a moment. "No, I trust you." He took a deep breath. "Padfoot is Sirius Black. My godfather."

Jon nodded. "He's the one that escaped from Azkaban, right?"

Harry nodded. "Yes, but he's not a criminal. He was framed."

"Oh gee. Imagine your Ministry getting something else wrong."

Harry chuckled. "We've been in contact, and he's even back at his own home. But no one can know because he's still technically a fugitive. We haven't been able to clear his name yet."

Jon nodded, understanding why Hermione and Harry were so worried about the black dog at the station now. "You have my word, Harry. I won't tell a soul." Jon paused, looking at Hermione. "Why can't he tell… Padfoot, right?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes, Padfoot. And he can't tell him because an owl can be easily intercepted. That would put Harry and Padfoot at risk."

Jon nodded. "Solid point."

Harry grumbled. "Fine. I won't tell him. I'll tell no one."

"Please don't be like that, Harry. I'm…" Hermione looked at Jon. "We're just trying to help."

Harry sighed, looking suddenly exhausted. He wiped his face. "I know." He got up. "I'm going to go to bed. Tell Ron I said goodnight."

Hermione stood suddenly, stretching and yawning. "No, I'm going to bed, too. I'm exhausted, and I want to make some more hats tomorrow." She looked at Harry hopefully, and nervously. "You could help, if you'd like. It's actually a lot of fun, very relaxing, and you can make all sorts of shapes and designs."

Jon looked at Harry who seemed to be conflicted, then back at Hermione who seemed… Hopeful. Nervous. And… 'I've seen that look on another girl…' Before Harry answered, Jon tossed out a thought. "Why not, Harry? Knitting can be a useful skill, plus it's quiet and calm. And even if you don't like it, there's worse ways than to spend a few hours in the company of a really great… Friend."

Hermione shot Jon a thankful glance as Harry nodded slowly. "Alright. Sure. After Quidditch practice?"

Hermione almost bounced. "Sure! Thank you, Harry. I promise we'll have a good time. At the very least a calm time. You could do with some." When Harry turned to go back upstairs, Harry mouthed a 'thank you' to Jon before she turned and went upstairs herself, awfully bouncy for someone so tired.

As the two boys made their way through the crowd and up to their room, Harry looked at Jon. 'That was a bit weird, then, the way Hermione was acting. Didn't make much sense."

Jon smiled ruefully. "Oh, it will, Harry. It will."

O – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o -o

There it is.

I'm making Draco darker than he was originally written. I didn't like the jerk at all when I read the story and was positively angry that things went the way they did for him. Without spoiling too much, things are going to change for that sick little sonuva….

Anyhow.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'm a little iffy about a few parts, so it might get a revision in the future. Maybe not, I'm not sure. We'll see how the story progresses.

Sorry for the late update. I think it's safe to safe expect slow updates on this story until otherwise informed.

Predictions about Harry and Hermione? (evil laugh)

I hope where I was trying to type out the pronunciations of words wasn't too confusing. If it was, or if anything else was clunky, let me know. I'll tweak it up.

Well, that's all. Comments and reviews are always welcome. Ideas, too. I'm always open to ideas.