Disclaimer: I do not own HP or DBZ
AN: Sorry for the absence of line breaks (or whatever they're called) between scenes in the previous chapters. I added them recently. It must have made the story hard to follow. Another minor note: I just realized that Pires isn't a Spanish surname. I think it's a Portuguese variant of Perez. I'm not Spanish. I just like watching Spanish soccer. For some reason, the surname just came to my head (I guess because it sounded melodic: Andres Pires). So, I'll just change the spelling from Pires to Perez.
Finally after such a long time, I've completed Ch.11! Unfortunately, it'll be a while before I update. This is the second to last chapter before the end of Gohan's first semester. Thanks for reading.
Ch. 11: Mended Ties, Severed Ties
Gryffindor had won, but Harry was knocked unconscious. The stands were fairly quiet despite the exciting victory, most students simply hoping Harry was okay.
"Andres, I'm going to check on Harry!" Gohan didn't care that Slytherin had lost. He was just worried about his friend. Andres gave him a nod.
Gohan hurried down to the pitch, Hermione and Ron also approaching although from the opposite end. Harry's Gryffindor teammates were rushing toward Harry as well. Gohan arrived first. Just as he did, his ears perked up, his body tensed, his instincts took over and he whipped around, catching the speeding bludger with incredible ease, as if it were just a balloon floating in the air. A second after, with his free hand, he took out his wand, cast a spell, and destroyed it, all this with a methodical grace.
He noticed the chatter from the stands die down. He looked up. The staff and students gawked at him, his display of strength, compounded by him being just eleven, incredible.
Why'd I have to go and do that? Then again, it could've been worse if I hadn't moved. If it had hit me dead on I would've just stood there like nothing happened. Yeah, that'd be worse.
He turned around at the sound of Hermione's voice, meeting the faces of her, Ron, and the Gryffindor team. "Just how did you do that?" Hermione asked, looking at him with both amazement and suspicion.
"Umm it's just a simple spell that can destroy certain objects. I can teach it to you if you'd like."
"I wasn't talking about that." Hermione scowled. "I know that spell. I'm talking about you stopping the bludger with one hand so easily."
"Oh, that!" Gohan chuckled nervously. "I've been doing martial arts for a while, so I guess that helped."
"I find it hard to believe that's sufficient. You're only eleven."
"You'd be amazed by what you can do when you're darn good at martial arts!" Gohan said enthusiastically, attempting to cover up his unease.
Hermione nodded slowly, deciding to stop pursuing the subject since she needed to check on Harry. Lockhart was now beside Harry. "Amazing display of strength, Mr. Son! I've been hearing quite a few of your fellow female peers admiring your exploit. They're now asking all sorts of questions about the musculature underneath those robes." Lockhart gave him a wink. Gohan couldn't help but blush at the supposed admiration given by his female peers. "Your exploit of strength reminds me of a very early morning after an evening of grand festivities commemorating my having saved a village from werewolves. I had forgotten my wand back in the village and was wandering around with a few friends I had made the past night, still a bit tipsy off rum…"
"And you had to fight off one last werewolf with your bare hands. Pg. 221 Wanderings with Werewolves," Gohan said monotonously.
"You never cease to amaze me with your studiousness, Mr. Son! Although I imagine reading my books must not even feel like homework since they concern such enthralling adventures."
"Exactly, Professor. They're a real treat." Gohan's voice was thick with sarcasm.
Lockhart's cheeks looked ready to burst from his big smile. "Well, do you know this one? I had already spent 2 weeks in Siberia one winter, alone, lost, without supplies, utterly famished and sleep-deprived…"
"Professor!"
"Yes, Ms. Granger?"
"Aren't you going to help Harry?"
"Oh, why yes of course."
Gohan paled. This fool is going to make it worse.
Harry began to stir. "He's coming to," said Lockhart.
Harry's eyes shot open. "No, no! Not him, please not him!"
"He doesn't know what he's talking about. He must be delusional," Lockhart said, discounting Harry's words.
Ron grimaced and Gohan stepped in. "Professor, Madam Pomfrey can take care of it. It's her job, after all."
Lockhart gave him a smile. "I'm sure Harry would rather have his injury healed right away than spend time locked up in a dull old hospital, right Harry boy?"
"No, no!"
"See." Lockhart took out his wand. "I've done this countless times, Harry. No need to worry. Step back everyone" Green light flashed.
A few seconds later, Gohan turned his head to Harry's arm. Oh no. He's an even bigger fool than I thought. Harry's arm looked like a deflated balloon now, Lockhart having stopped the pain with the catch that Harry no longer had bones.
"Hmm… I must have lost my concentration. It could've happened to anyone in this darn rain. Well, at least the worst of it is over. Just head up to the hospital wing, Harry, and Madam Pompfrey will do the rest. Mr. Son, Ms. Granger, Mr. Weasley—mind escorting your friend to the hospital wing?"
The next morning Harry awoke to a reboned arm, after having had to endure a night of searing pain. After breakfast, he was on his way to the Gryffindor Tower, looking for Hermione. Percy mentioned something about Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, so Harry went straight there.
Once there, he walked over to the stalls, hearing hushed whispers that sounded like those of Ron and Hermione. "I'm back," Harry announced as he opened the stall. Hermione yelped and Ron jumped. "Huh, so you two weren't snogging after all."
They gave him incredulous looks. "Harry!"
"Gross, why would I ever want to snog Hermione? Hey! What was that for?"
Hermione scowled. "You make it sound like I'm some disgusting cow."
"I didn't it mean like that."
"Really?" Hermione crossed her arms and huffed. "Then what exactly did you mean by that?"
"Umm you guys." Harry jumped in, knowing that the two were dangerously close to beginning another one of their squabbles. "Why are you here?"
Hermione turned around from Ron to look at Harry. "We've made up. Ron has acknowledged he was in the wrong regarding Gohan."
"Mostly. I'm still suspicious of him."
"So, I told him about our plan to use Polyjuice Potion to figure out whether Malfoy is the heir."
"Yeah, and after making up we decided to get started on the Polyjuice Potion. We thought this was the safest place to hide it."
Harry nodded and gave Ron a smile. "I'm glad to have you back. I missed you, buddy."
Ron returned a sheepish grin. "Yeah, so did I. Sorry for all that mess with Gohan. Seeing him protecting you made me realize that he isn't all that bad. I'll admit, I'm still a bit angry about what he did to my sister, but as you said, we all make mistakes and he apologized."
Harry nodded again, locked the stall door behind him, and once he turned back to face Ron and Hermione his face looked serious. " Do you know about Collin?"
"Yes, we overhead Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick discussing the incident this morning. No other students know about it as far as I know, but it's only a matter of time before word leaks out." Hermione returned to preparing the potion, throwing the last bundle of fluxweed required. She reached for the bundles of knotgrass, only to have Harry speak up again.
"There was more." He paused, waiting for Hermione to turn around. Once she did, he continued. "Dobby visited me last night." He explained everything to Ron and Hermione, emphasizing the fact that the Chamber of Secrets had in fact been opened before, and resolving the mystery of the tampered bludger.
"Bloody hell, he could've killed you trying to save your life. I think Dobby might be the real threat to you, Harry."
Hermioned frowned. "He's just trying to help."
Ron looked thoughtful. "So it sounds to me that it's possible Lucius Malfoy opened the Chamber when he was a student here, and now our good ol' pal Draco is following in his father's footsteps. But what if it isn't Malfoy? Who have you two decided on as your next suspect?"
Harry and Hermione grimaced at each other. Hermione let Harry speak; she decided to resume the potion making, throwing heaps of knotgrass into the concoction. "There's no need for us to think about that, Ron. We just need to stay focused on our current mission."
Ron regarded Harry skeptically. "It's Gohan, isn't it?"
Hermione continued the potion making wordlessly, while Harry shifted uneasily. "Yes, it is."
"So you two don't trust him either."
"Not entirely," Harry admitted.
Ron nodded slowly. "The things he's done are strange. Did you know he stopped the bludger with just one hand? It was flying at top speed and he made it look like he was catching a balloon!"
"Yeah, Percy told me about it this morning. I just don't know. You two already know I speak parseltongue, so that in itself isn't the reason to be suspicious, it's just that…" Harry trailed off.
Hermione whipped around, unable to concentrate on the potion. "There's a good chance he's hiding something," Hermione completed. She sighed. "The way he answered my question about catching the bludger made it obvious to me he probably is. We can't trust him. We simply can't trust someone who isn't being truthful with us. Placing our trust in the wrong people may jeopardize our plans and the safety of this school."
The boys agreed. "Hermione, do you think him catching the bludger and his martial arts explanation gives your theory about Gohan being that…" Harry paused, unsure if he should bring up the theory in front of Ron, but then decided it would do no harm, and so he continued, "kid more weight?"
"Yes."
Ron switched his gaze between the two repeatedly. "What kid?"
"The delivery boy," Hermione said, her brow furrowed and expression thoughtful.
"The delivery boy?" Ron asked, his words hanging in the cold castle's air as he struggled to recollect a memory. "The delivery boy…" His eyes widened. "No way…"
"You know about him?" Harry asked.
"Of course I do. Everyone watched the Cell Games. My family wasn't an exception. He did look like Gohan. He had blonde hair and blue eyes though, but I guess that could have been a disguise to protect his identity" He rolled his eyes at another part of the memory. "Ginny had a huge crush on that kid the entire summer. She would never shut up about him. Wouldn't it be ironic if Gohan were him all along?"
"Just don't tell anyone about our suspicions, ok Ron? We don't know if they're true, and if they are, Gohan deserves his privacy," Hermione stated, breaking out of her thoughts.
"Yeah, I won't. It just gets me thinking, if Gohan really is that kid, he should be able to wreck the Heir of Slytherin and his monster! That delivery boy…" Ron whistled. "What a lunatic! In a good way of course."
Three days had passed since the opening Quidditch game. Gohan's display of incredible strength and his supposed martial arts prowess provoked mixed reactions, the general lack of athleticism and physical prowess in the wizarding world making his physical capabilities that much more astonishing. Students who clung onto the belief that Gohan was the heir, would shiver in fear at the slightest look Gohan gave them, and if he happened to talk to them, they'd do their best to not offend him. Some boys kept on telling him how "wicked" and "mental" he was and wanted him to teach them marital arts. Some girls would stare at him, a glaze of curiosity and fantasy in their eyes, wondering what exactly was underneath those robes. This reaction was the one that made Gohan the most uncomfortable. He really didn't like the feeling that they were undressing him with their eyes.
Gohan hated the attention, but at least the Heir of Slytherin rumors about him had been dying down since then. He had obviously been very concerned when Harry was hurt, despite Gohan being a Slytherin and Harry a Gryffindor; it certainly wasn't an act. He had even protected the boy-who-lived from being hurt further. This had been enough to change the minds of many students, and had cast Gohan in a significantly more positive light.
"I'm so jealous of you," Andres said, as he checked the condition of his plant, eyeing it hopefully.
"I don't blame you. My plant's looking great!" Gohan exclaimed. He finished noting down the last measurements of his plant and then gave Andres a proud smile. This had been a side project Professor Sprout had assigned her first year Herbology classes. It was fairly complicated. There were two weeks left before she'd grade them, and Gohan's plant, to his great satisfaction, was the biggest and healthiest in all the first-year classes.
"Ughh, no, not about that. Although I do wish my plant would grow some more already." Andres frowned; his plant hadn't grown in the past two weeks. Herbology was definitely his worst subject.
"Looks pretty pathetic compared to mine. You better hope she grades yours before she grades mine, otherwise she'll have the same realization."
Andres glared at his friend. "Why do you have to be so perfect at everything? Whatever, it's just Herbology. I'm great at everything else."
"Not as great as me."
"Piss off, Gohan."
"Sheesh, someone's moody. So what are you actually jealous about?"
Andres looked to the front of the class. Professor Sprout still hadn't arrived; she was already five minutes late. "The first and second year girls are checking you out all the time. You're some mysterious badass with toned arms and a six pack now."
"Don't be jealous. All this attention is making me uncomfortable."
"Are you serious?" Andres asked him, shocked. "If I were you, I'd be milking my new reputation for all it's worth." His eyes glazed over. "I'd start with the Gryffindor girls first. Something about that fiery house rivalry would make it that much better."
Gohan rolled his eyes. "You're ridiculous."
"Second would be the Hufflepuff girls. They're the cutest of them all, and their loyalty is unmatched!" He boisterously declared, yielding the gaze of the Hufflepuff girl a few feet away from them. He winked at her, and she returned an amused smile.
"Quiet down, Don Juan," Gohan said.
"And to cap off my grand adventure!" Andres continued unabated, his words bold and brazen, the rest of the class turning toward him, as they were accustomed to doing; this was an all too familiar scene. "I'd move on to Luna. The weird ones are the real freaks in bed," Andres said, this time more quietly, slyly, alluringly. He gave Gohan a wink and smile. Gohan was furious—just as Andres had expected him to be—to Andres's delight.
Andres snickered and looked at him triumphantly. "No need to be so upset, mi amigo. I was only joking. Even if I weren't, I'm not sure why you look so mad. Luna is single; she's fair game. There's nothing wrong with good friends becoming more than friends, after all. So, what's your problem? Hmm?"
Gohan grunted. "I'm just protective of her. I don't want anyone to hurt her. That's all."
"You know I would treat Luna right since we're such good friends. So that doesn't answer my question. Are you hiding something from your best friend?"
"Just shut your big mouth. Professor Sprout is finally here."
After Herbology and their subsequent lunch, Double Charms with the Ravenclaws would follow. Before that, however, they were enjoying the last ten minutes of their break in the Quad with Luna, having found her sitting at a table reading The Quibbler.
"Have you heard the news, Luna?" Gohan asked as he and Andres sat down.
Luna peeked from the top of her magazine, which happened to be upside down to Gohan's bemusement. "About another sighting of the Crumpled-Horned Snorkack in the Swedish forests?" Her voice had a breathless quality to it.
Gohan and Andres looked at her blankly. "Uhh no, Luna. Sounds exciting though," Andres remarked.
Luna put down her magazine and nodded. "Very. So what news are you referring to?" she asked as she looked at Gohan.
"Collin."
"Oh, yes. Truly unfortunate. He's a nice boy."
"You know him?"
"Yes, we've in the past discussed his desire to be a photographer for The Quibbler some day in the future. He has shown me much of his work and I am quite impressed by it. Did you know he's compiled three albums of Harry Potter photos he's taken? The first album is titled "An Hour-by-Hour Look at an Ordinary Potter Weekday," the second "An Hour-by-Hour Look at an Ordinary Potter Weekend," and the third, my personal favorite, "An Hour-by-Hour Look at an Unusual Potter Weekend." His fourth album, "An Hour-by-Hour Look at an Unusual Potter Weekday" is still in the works, and I'm anticipating it with much excitement." Luna paused for a few seconds and then smiled at both Gohan and Andres, who were looking at each other with astonishment. "Exactly, his work is remarkable! His diligence is such that I believe if anyone will finally be able to photograph the Crumple-Horned Snorkack, it'll be him. Speaking of Crumpled-Horned Snorkacks…"
"Yeah, speaking of Crump-Horned-Snorkins…" Andres interrupted, trying to return the conversation to where it was going before Luna's tangent. If he hadn't stepped in at this point, no one would've been able to stop Luna.
"Crumpled-Horned Sn…"
"No! It's rude to interrupt people, Luna." Andres had put his hand over her mouth as she had tried to correct him.
"But you're the one inter…"
"For Merlin's sake, Luna! Where are your manners?" Gohan jumped in, as Luna struggled to speak against Andres's hand.
Andres removed his hand from Luna's mouth once he felt she had gotten the point. She gave them an apologetic and guilty look. She turned her head to Andres, "I'm sorry, Andres," and then to Gohan, "I'm sorry, Gohan. I hadn't noticed I was interrupting. I occasionally get lost in my thoughts and end up forgetting someone else is speaking."
"We forgive you." Andres gave her a stern look. "Just try not to do it again."
She gave them a small smile. "Okay."
After a few moments of silence, Gohan spoke up. "Back to where we were: yes, unfortunate as you said, and extremely worrisome. There's hardly a doubt in my mind now, I believe the Chamber of Secrets is real and has been opened, as does Andres. What do you think, Luna?"
Luna looked thoughtful. "Gohan, Andres?"
"Yeah?" The boys inquired.
"I also believe the Chamber has been opened and I really want to join you two in your escapades. I know we've discussed this before, but you two haven't lived up to your promise. Finding the Chamber of Secrets is an urgent matter. I can provide valuable assistance."
"I don't know." Gohan said.
"But why? The more help you receive, the greater your chances of finding the Chamber of Secrets."
"I don't want to put you in danger."
Luna actually seemed slightly frustrated for once. "I can take care of myself."
"Luna, Andres and I have this under control," Gohan said firmly.
"Hey, Gohan, Luna is right," Andres said, reassuringly putting his hand on Gohan's back. "The more help the better, and we both know how smart our sweet little Ravenclaw is."
Luna smiled at his comment while Gohan sighed. "I just don't want you to get hurt, Luna."
Andres rolled his eyes. "Cut it out, you wuss. She's a big girl and as she said she can take care of herself. She's intelligent enough to understand the risks she'll face and she has enough courage to face them. Those are the only requirements for joining us. Having a dick is not one of them. Besides, she's pureblood. If anyone out of the three of us is in danger, it's you, Gohan."
"Thank you for your endorsement, Andres. Gohan?"
He had to give in. "Two against three it is. Sure, Luna."
"Perfect. You won't regret it. As talented as you boys are, I'm skeptical of your ability to ward off heliopaths. But there's no need to worry now, as I know a great way to repel them: fish bone necklaces. They're a bit smelly, but they're worth it if you were to ask me."
Immediately after Charms, Andres and Luna were on their way to the Ravenclaw Tower, Andres having asked Luna if she could let him in so he could give Cho a surprise visit. Gohan hadn't tagged along. Instead, he had gone to find his two Gryffindor friends, Harry Potter and … Ms. Granger? Andres couldn't remember her first name. He just knew that was who Gohan was talking about. According to Gohan, Ron Weasley was beginning to warm up to him, although that really wasn't saying much considering that Ron had not too long ago put Gohan in the same category as he put Malfoy in his mind. So maybe he'd be hanging out with Ron Weasley as well. Andres didn't think much more than that about Gohan's other friends.
Andres had never formally met them. If he never did, it would be fine, and if he did, that would also be fine. All he knew was that the golden trio of Harry, Hermione, and Ron were quite concerned with heroic endeavors. He already got enough of his daily dose of heroism from Gohan; there was no need for him to become best buds with the other three too. Best to diversify the types of friends you had, was Andres's philosophy. He was accomplishing that skillfully, having acquainted himself with and befriended many Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs, and a few Slytherins in the past two and a half months. Gryffindors, at least the first years and second years, were simply too absorbed in the house rivalry between them and Slytherins for them to accept Andres. Despite Andres pushing Gohan to meet new people, it seemed, to Andres's frustration, that Gohan couldn't care less about popularity or how many people he knew. He was fine with restricting his circle of friends to Andres, Luna, the Golden Trio, and the Weasley twins.
Andres broke out of his own thoughts, realizing that they had been walking in silence. Although he knew Luna didn't mind silence and even enjoyed it at times, he himself never felt comfortable in such a state. "Charms was pretty boring, don't you think?"
"I've never been bored in Charms, so I'd have to disagree with you on that one."
"Aw come on. We've spent the last two classes discussing Spongify. How can't you say that's dull compared to Incendio? And pretty useless too."
"That is something you have yet to learn, Andres. Everything has a use; you just have to be creative enough to put it to good use."
"I guess you're right. It's still boring, though."
They climbed the spiral staircase that led to the Ravenclaw Tower's entrance. Andres had climbed this staircase many times with Cho. The Ravenclaw Tower was a welcome change to the Slytherin Dungeon, and he'd often find himself envying Cho for having such a great location, common room, and set of dormitories. They were definitely Andres's favorite out of the other three houses'.
A minute later they arrived at the entrance, a door with a bronze knocker in the shape of an eagle. "What work can one never finish?" it asked.
After a few moments of thought, Luna opened her mouth to answer only to be interrupted by Andres, his arm motioning her to stop. She gave him an inquiring look. "I got this one. Just give me a second." He puffed his chest as he stroked his chin, deep in thought. He raised a sole finger, signaling that he was ready to answer. "Making women happy."
The door didn't budge. "I can't believe you said that!" Luna giggled.
"What?" Andres replied indignantly. "It's true!"
Once Luna calmed down, she said, "An autobiography." The door opened.
Andres gave Luna an impressed look. "You Ravenclaws." She looked proud. "It's good I wasn't sorted in Ravenclaw, otherwise I would've been stuck outside too many times to count. How embarrassing that would be."
Luna laughed at the thought. "I would have to constantly come to your rescue. You'd owe me."
"I think my magnanimous presence is quite enough to make up for any such incurred costs."
"Oh, Andres, you are quite the confident one, aren't you?"
The Ravenclaw common room was wide and circular, its carpet a beautiful midnight blue, its ceiling domed and painted with stars. Cho wasn't in the common room, and so Andres went up to her dormitory. He knocked on the door. Cho's dormmate informed him that Cho was at a club meeting, and so Andres decided to go up with Luna to her dormitory and hang out until Cho came back.
One of Luna's dormmates was there. Andres recognized her. Elizabeth was one of those people who fell in the unclear category between acquaintance and friend. Well that's how he viewed her. He was quite certain she had a crush on him.
She looked up and saw Luna. "Oh, it's you." Once she saw Andres—he had been trailing behind Luna—she gasped. "What are you doing here? Oh, where are my manners!" She berated herself. "How are you, Andres?" she asked seductively.
"What's up?" Andres responded, his voice cool, composed, detached.
"Not much. Just studying for our DADA exam tomorrow."
"Cool."
"So, you're friends with Luna?" Elizabeth asked him, disbelief in her tone.
"Yeah, I love this girl. She's awesome."
Elizabeth looked stunned. "Oh… really?" After a few moments of thought, she turned to Luna, and gave her a smile. "We should hang out sometime, Luna. We've never had a chance now that I think about it." Her words were sincere.
Luna smiled. "Okay."
"Well I'll leave you two alone. I have to get going to meet up with my friends. Bye Andres, bye Luna."
"See ya 'Liz." Andres said.
"Bye, Elizabeth."
Once she left, Andres turned to Luna and grinned. "Being friends with the great Andres has many perks."
"Very true."
After discussing a number of things and several laughs later, Andres decided to finally pose the question he'd been itching to ask.
"So, Luna."
"Hmm?"
"What do you think of Gohan?" He was looking to have some fun with Luna, just as he often had with Gohan. He had never really teased her, but now that they were alone, he wanted to have a go at her for some snickers.
Luna smiled. "Why do you ask?"
"Oh, you know, just wondering."
She simply nodded. "He's very kind, extraordinarily talented and intelligent, and really funny."
"I'm funnier though, right?"
Luna looked thoughtful. "Yes, you are, but he's more consistent with the quality of his humor." Andres eyed her dangerously. "I'm just being honest."
"Fine. Is that all you think about Gohan?"
"I could go into more detail if you'd like me to."
"Yeah."
"Ok. I'm amused by his various idiosyncrasies. One example is his tendency to put his right index finger on the tip of his nose whenever he gets frustrated with you. Another is his tendency to bite his lips and stroke his pen when I talk to him. Another is his tendency to bob his head side to side and slightly pucker his lips whenever he's contemplating a light or comical response during a conversation. And yet another…"
Andres's laughter interrupted Luna. "That's not really what I was looking for, but you're spot on with those observations! You're a riot, Luna!"
Luna grinned. "Thank you."
Once his laughter died down, he resumed his mission. "What I was really wondering was if you think Gohan is…" Andres paused, shaping suspense, "sexy."
Luna looked puzzled. "Sexy? I'm not sure what you mean by that. I know that through sex humans reproduce and that there are two biological sexes, but I'm not familiar with the adjective form."
A smirk became thwarted frustration. "How about hot?"
"I wouldn't say hot. Whenever he hugs me, he's very warm, it's quite comforting, not hot though." Andres rolled his eyes. "A hubbysmacker catch your eye?"
"Luna, come on!" He let out a long sigh, racking his brain for another way to get his point across to her. "How about cute?"
Luna tilted her head to the side. "Is that what you were trying to ask all along?" Andres nodded. "Well…" Luna began. For once, she wasn't blunt, but rather seemed to stop and think about whether she should say how she felt.
Andres's grin slowly began to grow. "Yes, Luna dear?"
"You seem to be enjoying yourself quite a bit," Luna calmly observed.
"I am. Don't try to distract me."
"I'm not. I'm just making an observation."
"Uh huh, sure."
A few more seconds passed, Luna's gaze no longer on Andres but rather on the blue and bronze Ravenclaw tapestry on the opposite wall. "I'll get back to you on that one."
"No, that's not how this works, Luna!"
"You never told me how you were going to surprise Cho. I asked you not too long ago, remember?"
"Luna Lovegood, too embarrassed to answer a question. I thought I'd never see the day." Luna looked down at her feet and put a hand on the back of her neck, not sure what to say, for once a bit uncomfortable. At Luna's reaction, Andres snickered some more. He gave her a reassuring hug. "It's ok, Luna. I'm just being my usual teasing self. I've had my fun. I won't torture you anymore."
"Okay. I'm glad you enjoyed yourself," she said, as she gave him a weak smile.
"You're really too sweet." Andres shook his head in feigned disapproval. "I did have a more serious question I've been meaning to ask you, though." Andres almost didn't want to know the answer to this question, afraid that Luna's answer would confirm his suspicions.
"Yes?"
"Do Cho and her friends make fun of you? Do they call you 'Looney?'" He had to ask. He cared about Luna and he didn't want anyone to hurt her, especially Cho and her friends considering that they were Ravenclaws too. Luna deserved to feel accepted by her house; the whole point of houses was to be with people that would accept you. Yes she was different and quite odd. Andres had never had a friend like her. When he had first met her, he had felt 'weirded out', but he would eventually find her oddness endearing. Over the months he had developed a fondness for the girl; her heart was innocent and pure, filled with a kindness he had never seen in another person. He'd protect her from anyone.
Luna cast her gaze down again. "Yes, she does. She's the one who came up with the name."
Andres's face felt hot all of a sudden. He had been expecting this, but the confirmation and the extra detail that Cho had been the first to call Luna that name made him angrier than he had expected he'd be.
Luna looked up and noticed Andres's anger. "Andres, don't be angry with Cho. She's your girlfriend. I know I'm quite different and it's hard for others to accept me. It's not her fault," she said, her voice calm and reassuring.
"No, Luna, you know it yourself that it is her fault, that what she's doing is not right. You know that it's wrong to attempt to embarrass and humiliate another person just because they don't conform, just because they're not afraid to be themselves no matter how far they deviate from the norm. I don't care if she's my girlfriend. I'm going to do my best to make her stop both her and her friends' reprehensible behavior and give you an apology."
Luna gave him an almost sad smile, her eyes wet with welling tears, tears that did not actually flow but were enough to show Andres how happy he had made her. It wasn't the teasing being to put to a stop that made her happy; it was how much he cared about her, how he'd be willing to protect her even against his own girlfriend. She loved her friends, Andres and Gohan. She had never in her life had friends like these two. "Thank you so much, Andres!" She gave him a hug full of a friend's love and appreciation. Andres couldn't help but let his anger dissipate and have it be replaced by happiness.
There they are. Finding his friends was always easy because of his ability to sense ki. Harry and Hermione were sitting at the Gryffindor table, along with Ron, chatting away, smiling and laughing every now and then. Seems they've mended their ties, Gohan thought.
He hadn't seen Harry since the incident, and he had wanted to check up on him. He knew he was ok, but it wouldn't hurt to ask how he was doing. Plus, he had another question in mind. He walked toward them. "Hey guys, how are you all?"
"It's nice to see you, Gohan. We're doing well," Hermione answered.
"Seems your arm's all better, Harry! I'm glad. I tried to convince Lockhart to let it be, but you know Lockhart. He's simply to gracious to not try to help, no matter how much of a fool he reveals himself to be whenever he tries."
Harry chuckled. "Yeah, I know. I'm just thankful he didn't screw up even more than he did."
Hermione gave the boys a displeased look. "It was just a mistake. It could've happened to anyone."
Ron snorted. "A mistake! The only mistake is Lockhart." Gohan and Harry laughed while Hermione grew increasingly exasperated. Ron gave Gohan a friendly look. "Also, Gohan, I wanted to apologize. You're not a bad guy. I realize that now. I know we all make mistakes. Merlin knows how many I've made."
Gohan smiled. "Thanks, Ron. I really appreciate it."
Gohan sat down with his friends at the Gryffindor table and enjoyed his time with them. It had been while since he had been with the complete Golden Trio. It wouldn't last long, unfortunately.
"So Harry, how's the Chamber of Secrets hunt going?" Gohan asked, giving him a knowing smile. "I'm sure you're up to something. You're a hero at heart after all."
The trio exchanged nervous looks discreetly. The Saiyan, however, could catch anything. "Thanks, Gohan. I see where you're coming from, considering what we did our first year, but this time we've been sitting it out. It's too much for second years to handle, you know? I'm sure Dumbledore will be able to sort it out." Harry thought he caught a flicker of pain in Gohan's eyes. Harry really wished he hadn't needed to lie to him; he felt awfully bad about it, but Hermione was right, they couldn't trust someone who wasn't being upfront with them with something as big as the Chamber of Secrets. It was too dangerous.
Gohan looked past the three, staring out the large window several tens of meters away. Harry was lying to him. He understood why they didn't trust him. He wasn't being honest with them and they sensed it, but he couldn't help but feel hurt despite understanding their reason. He couldn't help but feel upset, frustrated, and… angry. Anger was rising up in him for some strange reason. Cold anger, washing over him like a frigid dark wave, despite his mind's rationalizations, despite his usual compassionate and tranquil nature.
They didn't trust him no matter what he had done, despite his numerous apologies, despite how much kindness he had shown them, despite having protected Harry from a bludger only a few days ago. He set his cold, hard gaze on the three. They shuffled, visibly perturbed. "That's too bad. I thought the Golden Trio would have a good plan to find the heir and the Chamber of Secrets." The other three remained silent. "Anyway, I've got to get going." He turned around to leave, and left them with one last penetrating look and set of words: "Good luck. You'll need it."
The Slytherin common room was nearly empty, Videl Satan, struggling to get through one of Lockhart's nauseating books of conceit before tomorrow's exam—she never studied for DADA unless it was absolutely necessary—and Pansy Parkinson, on the opposite side of the room, reading the letters her owl brought her several hours ago during breakfast, its only occupants.
Videl had never liked Pansy. She had never shown it, because Pansy had always treated her well. Her manner, however, was that of a sycophant. Videl couldn't respect her, couldn't take her words seriously. Fame was all Pansy cared about, even the common Slytherin ideal of pureblood—an ideal Videl found both farcical and sickening—took a backseat. Videl being the daughter of the world's most famous man meant Pansy would do all she could to gain her esteem. Worse, there were many others like her in Hogwarts. First years, second years, third years, Gryffindors, Slytherins, Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws—all wanted to be the friend of the daughter of the Earth's savior. It made Videl sick to her stomach.
Perhaps the worst offender was a professor, the very professor who authored the book she was reading this moment. Professor Lockhart. She shuddered. Unlike all the other girls in Hogwarts, she considered his smile creepy and his words of self-praise overweening. To Videl, no matter how great of a wizard he was, being ensnared in the webs of egotism made him nothing more than a person worthy of aversion and pity.
Lockhart would often make Videl stay after class. He'd praise her progress, ask endless questions about her father, note how alike he and her father were in the adulation they received and the great glory of their respective accomplishments, and would often voice aloud his desire to stage some sort of conference or event with the great Hercule.
"The wizarding world would love it! It'd be the biggest event of the century—the two greatest men on the planet together in the public eye. We would recount stories of divine inspiration and significance, of unsullied heart and determination, of unprecedented valor and boldness. This needs to happen, the people deserve it, no, the people need it." Lockhart's eyes sparkled while Videl gagged.
There was more to Videl's dislike of Lockhart than just his arrogance; she worried her father was on the same path. Ever since he had defeated Cell and had become world-renowned for his victory, his ego had been growing inexorably like a weed, swelling like wave, becoming more intractable and distasteful with each day. She had been praying to Kami that he would not end up like Lockhart.
All this servile nonsense from the students and Lockhart made her few encounters with Son almost enjoyable. They rarely spoke to each other, but when they did their mutual enmity was obvious, and she was beginning to take an odd pleasure in it. As wrong as he was for calling her father a "buffoon of a martial artist" and blackmailing her, at least he didn't worship the ground her father walked, at least he had some self-respect, at least he didn't annoy her with pathetic attempts to be her friend. If there were more people like Son, she would not have had to worry about her father ending up like Lockhart.
This is unbearable. She shut the book, deciding that there was no chance she'd be able to get through it at this moment and that she'd be better off trying again after dinner. She went up to her dormitory, her dorm mates elsewhere, and lay down on her bed. The last few days her mind had been occupied by Son, his exploit during the past Quidditch game having increased her suspicions of him.
She had already known he was a martial artist. That had been made abundantly clear two months ago during their fight. Son beating her was one thing—she only had a few years of martial arts experience, after all, although she knew she was extraordinarily talented for her age—, but him catching a bludger flying at top speed was ludicrous. A day after the game, Videl had managed to get a hold of one to see how much it weighed. She had barely been able to pick it up. She had asked Professor Flitwick about bludgers and he had informed her they weighed 150 lbs and had a top speed of 60-70 miles per hour. There definitely was more to Son than he let on. He must have had years of intensive training in order to have become so skilled, so fast, so strong.
Who was his sensei? How long had he been training? How much was he hiding exactly? Was he the heir of Slytherin? Videl groaned. She had no idea exactly how she was going to find the answers to these questions. For the first two, she decided she might as well go straight to the source. Who knows? Maybe his big ego wouldn't be able to resist the chance to brag to Videl and answer her questions. For the last two, well, that would take time and careful planning.
Her thoughts began to fade, drowsiness sweeping away her energy, and her eyes struggled to stay open. Just before dozing off, a faint memory flashed in her mind—so quickly, too quickly—, a lost memory of a wild boy with a sword.
"You must be joking. There's no way Uric the Oddball was able to talk to jellyfish. I know the guy wore a jellyfish as a hat, but that just means he's weird," Gohan said as he quickly snatched a bread roll and a muffin from Luna's plate. He was sure she wouldn't notice, despite her sitting right next to him.
Luna gave him a disbelieving look. "I saw that!" She narrowed her eyes slightly, looking as vicious as the dreamy-eyed girl possibly could, which wasn't saying much. "I just told you I haven't eaten a thing today, yet you still stole my food? The elves are done making food for the rest of the night!"
"Come on, Luna. I'm starving!"
"Gohan, you just ate enough pot pie for an army of Dabberblimps."
Gohan looked at her blankly. "Is that a lot?"
"Yes."
"It's not my fault I get really hungry. If I could, I would've gotten more food earlier but the elves hate me for some reason." Gohan scowled. "They only let me eat a certain number of plates, no more. It's maddening!" Luna laughed. "What?"
"They hate you because you make them work twice as hard because of your eating habits. They already work hard enough without you putting in endless orders of pot pie."
Gohan pouted and gave her big sad eyes. "I can't help it."
Luna sighed, still a bit reluctant, but Gohan always had a way of capturing her sympathy. "I know. How about this? You can have three quarters of my bread and a quarter of my muffin."
"How about the other way around?" Gohan gave her a hopeful look, testing just how much he could get from Luna.
Luna shook her head firmly, her eyes unyielding. "Sorry. Take it or leave it."
Gohan growled. "Fine."
"And what else?" Her eyes probed his.
"Thank you, Ms. Lovegood, the cleverest witch of all." Gohan restrained himself from rolling his eyes at the last bit.
Luna gave him a satisfied smile.
"Hey guys." Andres stood before them, on the other side of the table.
"Hello, Andres."
"Hey, Andres."
"How was your visit with Cho?" Luna inquired.
"Good," Andres lied, as he sat down. He made sure to avert Luna's concerned eyes, instead keeping his gaze down on the table, patiently waiting for his food. He cursed when he realized he was too late for dinner.
"Are you sure?" Luna asked again.
"Yeah, I'm sure." Andres responded half-heartedly.
Gohan had never seen Andres like this. Andres had always been so spirited, cheerful, and relaxed. "Andres, we're your friends. You can tell us if something's wrong. Just like I tell you about my issues, you can do the same."
"I'm good."
"Come on, Andres. What is it?" Gohan prodded.
"Nothing."
"Stop it. Just tell us," Gohan insisted testily.
"For the last time, I'm fine." He looked up at them, attempting to reaffirm what he had just said, but his expression was one of frustration and gloom.
"It's obvious you're not. Stop being so goddamn dramatic and tell us already," Gohan demanded, raising his voice, angry that Andres would not confide in them, his best friends. Gohan had always told him about his troubles, his father, Goku, having taught Gohan to be completely open with him and his mother, to be perfectly comfortable to confide in them. He had had to deal with so much this semester—Ginny, Videl, the golden trio's distrust, being ostracized by the entire school, homesickness, finding the heir—and Andres had always been there for him, had always there to cheer him up, make him laugh, or simply listen to him. Gohan had been extremely thankful for this. And now for some reason Andres wouldn't let him return the favor, as if he were above it, as if he didn't need anyone's help. It made the saiyan in Gohan feel weak; this human in front of him didn't need what he needed.
Andres shot him a dark look. "I'm being dramatic? Ok then, you prick, yes something is wrong."
"Good. Now why didn't you just come out and say it in the first place instead of being so fucking pigheaded about it?" Gohan shot back.
"Don't you understand how people work, Gohan? Sometimes people need time to themselves without the intrusion of others. Sometimes people don't want to discuss their problems. It doesn't mean they're never going to, they're just not ready for it. Oh wait, now it all makes sense. You have no idea how people work because you've been stuck out in the middle of nowhere your whole fucking life! Not everyone is like you. Not everyone goes crying to their friends for every stupid problem that comes up in their life. Not everyone is a crybaby."
"Take that back, liar." Gohan's growl was feral, guttural. His pride was smoldering. A crybaby—that was something he could never accept being called.
Luna looked at both of them helplessly, extremely worried, having never seen even a shred of true belligerence between the two in all the time she had known them. "Gohan, Andres, please calm down."
"Fuck you, Gohan. I'm not taking that back now that you're being such a crybaby about it." Gohan's glare tightened at the word. Andres shot up from his seat. "I'm leaving." His expression softened considerably when he noticed Luna's troubled eyes. He sighed. "I'm sorry we put you through this, Luna. It was wrong of us to do so. I wish—"
"Just get the fuck out of here, Perez." Gohan hissed.
Andres was about to direct another obscenity toward him but stopped. He gave the Saiyan one final glare and left without another word.
"Can you believe him? What a fucking prick." Gohan turned to Luna, only to see that she had stood up as well. He looked up at her, but she averted his gaze. Deep disappointment filled her eyes. "What are you doing?"
"I'm leaving," Luna plainly stated.
"But why?"
"I don't want to be around you right now."
This time, Luna's frank nature was too much for Gohan. It purged him of his rage and left feeling numb.
AN: I plan on focusing on Gohan more in the next few chapters. This chapter indirectly involves Gohan a good amount, since many other characters think about/discuss him, but I feel like more scenes need to actually involve Gohan and I need to narrate more from his point of view. This is a Gohan fic after all, and I don't want to get sidetracked. Let me know what you think.