[Pumpkin Juice]
Viktor winced at the sickly sweet taste of the pumpkin juice most students at Hogwarts seemed to favour. Headmaster Karkaroff had insisted that they joined the masses for their meals instead of having it in their ship like Viktor would have preferred.
Harry didn't look the slightest bit concerned despite the many glances that were sent his way with varying emotions. Viktor didn't think too many people were happy with Harry for showing up their headmaster as Harry had done.
The twins, it seemed, had no such inhibitions.
"Your entrance was even better than ours!"
"We're jealous!"
No, Viktor was jealous at how easily they got Harry to talk…
"And we turned Dumbledore's beard Slytherin green!"
"Impressive," Harry said, eyes glinting. "I'm sure he was pleased."
"Oh, he only took off about 50 house points…"
"Gryffindor had negative points before the term had even started!"
"We were hated!"
"But, he can't take any house points off you!"
"You're here, even though you aren't of age to compete!"
"That says a lot, dear Durmstrang friend."
Friend.
Viktor felt a twinge of jealousy. He hadn't been able to call Harry a 'friend' after a month of training with him for at least three hours every day with only one exception. Yet these two were able to after barely a day of knowing Harry, and even that had only been the barest of introductions. Surely Viktor could have that title too?
But could he? Had he really bothered to talk to Harry like these two had? Without Harry's position in the school being at the back of his mind? Could he really be considered a friend despite doing nothing to gain that friendship?
Watching Harry interact with these two, Viktor could say that he never had, but that didn't meant he couldn't try.