Chapter 6: The first classes
.
.
We appear in a crack behind the old tavern. She had told me muggles were watching us before. That we had to be more discreet.
I don't care about it. The prying eyes ... I've felt them on me since I was born. They stare at you and they judge all the same.
I heave a sigh. My head is pounding. I recall once again the events that led to where we are right now.
The people I remember, they are real, passionate and caring. It feels like they are not anymore.
I walk faster, trying not to look at the great towers overshadowing me. My companion, she does not look at them either. These wretched pikes only serve to remind us of a bloody past. To them, they outline the faint traces of glory.
I spy her clenching jaw when we pass the commemorative plaque.
The masquerade never ceased.
...
...
The morning was a hot affair in the Gryffindor tower. Up at 7 o'clock on the dot, Ron and Neville had rushed down to the Great hall in order to enjoy a good breakfast. Dean, Bael and Seamus had already been gone by that time.
"Don't bother looking for me, I'll take a stroll in the park." Bael had quietly announced, ready to leave their dorm, while Ron was barely waking up. "I've seen some table. I'll eat there." The metamorphmagus had briefly smiled and then proceeded to frown at some antics from Seamus. "Don't touch my spider brick. Dean ... be the Dean."
Neville had laughed with a good natured Dean and a confused Seamus.
"This has to be the worst pun in the history of pun. Ever."
"I thought it was funny." Bael was grumbling, his smile waning a little bit.
Neville had chosen not to ask about the spider brick previously mentioned.
"Spider brick?"
Ron had not.
"My personal enchanted brick that enables me to put out of their misery small crawling creatures." Ron paled significantly. "Permanently."
The dorm had erupted in full blown laughter at Ron's whimper. Bael was already gone by the time the boys had calmed down.
Ron carefully avoided Bael's side of the dorm for the remnant of the morning, all the while Seamus had gone on a mission to find said brick among the many belongings piled up Bael's trunk (Neville saw he had seen a floor lamp somewhere in that treasure trove).
The class schedule was given to the Gryffindors by their head of house. It turned out they had professor McGonagall. The Gryffindors barely looked at it and decided to hurry to finish their breakfast. They would join their classmates later, provided they did not get lost on the way to class.
...
Finding the first classroom had been more difficult than they had thought. Both Ron and Neville were out of breath by the time they reached it. Considering the small crowd in front of the door, they weren't late for their first class.
"Thank Merlin, we made it."
"Not a second too late." Bael was by their side in a minute. He looked quite relaxed, with a small baby black owl in his hands. "I could not get her to the owlery yet, but if she does not hoot, I should be fine."
"Where did you find it?" Ron wondered.
Bael fondled the baby owl, oblivious to Lavender and Padma squeals.
"Mom gifted her to me this morning. She said it was Hadès's - her own owl - offspring." he sounded rather proud of that fact. "I named her Macarie!"
The dubbed Macarie cuddled Bael's hands at hearing her name.
"Ain't she the cutest?"
"That's awesome ... I wish my parents would offer me an owl." Ron frowned. "I thought your parents would be upset by your sorting ... didn't you say your whole family had gone into Slytherin?" a not so discreet glare sent Malfoy's way was given. Their first class was shared with the Slytherins. Malfoy glared right back at him. From his mocking laughs and the echoing sounds, Neville wagered his two gorillas had imitated the blonde boy.
Bael looked affronted. "Why would they?" his hair changed slightly colour, indicating his confusion. "I mean, we talked yesterday at night but they were cool with it. Just said I had to be on my best behaviour. You know ... my parents are not monsters."
Ron spluttered and whispered an apology.
I sincerely doubt it. Neville kept his insidious thoughts to himself. He would not judge too quickly.
"Wait, you talked to your parents yesterday?" Dean was there. "How?"
Bael smiled and took out from his bag a mirror.
"It's a two way mirror my mother enchanted to be able to talk to each other whenever we want."
Ron whistled at the piece of magic.
"She must be powerful."
Bael beamed.
"Well, she kinda won a couple world duel tournaments."
...
The classroom had filled itself when the door had opened on its own. Neville and Ron had rushed in with Dean and Seamus, letting Bael greet his cousin - Ron once again glared at the boy - and Neville saw him exchange a few words with a couple girls. He guessed he must have known them too. They were excited over Bael's new owl, one of them petting the small animal. Bael's eyes were riveted on his new pet while he talked to the Slytherins.
"I am so telling you, Macarie is going to be our dorm's new mascot!"
"But, I'm in Gryffindor. You can't do that." Bael furiously whispered back. "Give her back!"
The small banter kept on going until Macarie hooted and pecked adoringly at Bael's cheek. She promptly fell asleep on his shoulder a moment later. Several girls ahed around the baby owl, while Bael tried to keep his proud composure. He sat quickly, followed by his fellow students.
The classroom only allowed to sit two by two at desks, and on a common accord, Ron and Neville chose to sit together. A girl, from Gryffindor if her red robes indicated anything, sat by her loneself on the first front row seat. Waiting for professor McGonagall was a nervous experience, no one knowing whether to quiet down or keep talking. In the end, once Hogwarts clock had chimed 8 o'clock and two late students had come tumbling in, the cat that had once been sitting on the professor's desk had jumped up and transformed into the severe professor. Shouts of surprise were heard around the room, and if Neville were to be honest with himself, he thought the two late students (both Slytherins) had been afraid.
"May we know why you are late Mr. Nott and Mr. Zabini?" the professor's dry voice and her quivering nostrils made the two pupils turn pale (Neville swore that lightning could have come out at any given time).
It was a stuttering Nott who answered:
"We got lost professor ..."
McGonagall slammed her heels and went back to her desk after glaring thoroughly at the two suddenly very small students.
"Let it not happen again. If I ever surprise you late, one more time, at one of my courses, you will be forbidden to come back. Well, I don't need to show you the way to your desk now." the sarcastic tone made some Gryffindors laugh but the transfiguration professor's bitter look quieted them down.
Neville glanced at the two Slytherins to watch them sit a the last desk available. They were slowly greeted by their fellow house mates. Bael was mingling with them. Odd considering the classroom had seemed broken in two sides, one for the Slytherins and one for the Gryffindors.
He is a right fit for Slytherin.
Draco Malfoy's grating voice echoed back in Neville's mind. he obviously was not the only one to think that way going by the couple whispers he heard around the classroom.
"I heard he's a Death-Eater." Lavender was talking rather loudly to Seamus. The boy shrugged.
"I dunno. We share the same dorm and he seemed pretty nice ..."
The rumors were put to a halt at McGonagall's introducing speech. Everyone drank from her speech.
"Transfiguration is one of the most dangerous and complex forms of magic you will have to study here" she said. "Anyone who makes a ruckus during my classes will be immediately dismissed with a ban on returning. You've been warned." McGonagall's statement clattered in the silent classroom. The teacher seemed happy with the ongoing reactions and resumed. She made a demonstration by turning her desk in a pig and then reversing the spell. She changed the structure making it look like she had a fragile glass like desk.
"We will begin with much easier transfiguration. Conjuration and vanishing are as of yet too much of advanced magic." the professor exemplified her words with a couple switch of her hands. "Transfiguring a rat to into glass, a vertebrate to an inanimate object will be your objectives for the first part of this term. You need, to be able to perpetrate such magic deed, rigor. And an innate understanding of the subject you wish to transfigure and the object you wish to get. For now, let's practice! I will ask of you for the first course to transfigure a match into a needle."
The rest of the course went smoothly and Professor McGonagall went into the ranks to help the students in the practical part. As she made her way to Neville's rank, she nodded her head as if to say – no, more like convince herself - that his result was almost satisfactory and asked Ron to try again. She kept going until she fell upon Hermione Granger's perfectly formed needle.
"Incredible miss Granger. 5 points to Gryffindor!"
Neville and Ron beamed at the girl. She did the house proud.
"Mr. Black, congratulations as well. Although your needle could be straighter. 2 points for Gryffindor."
The metamorphmagus simply smiled and thanked the professor, focusing on his work once more.
The class ended soon after. A ring signalling the end of the period. A trail of students immediately left their seat to join their next class. Ron had hurried to come at Bael's desk. The said boy was still talking animatedly with a Slytherin girl.
"Oh, you have herbology right? We have charms right now, so I guess I'll see you around ... errr"
The girl smiled easily enough.
"Tracey, you dimwit. The name's Tracey. I swear Daphne did not lie when she said you were terrible with names." she had brown hair. Her head turned to look at Ron. She immediately erased her smile. "Weasley."
She left on that note.
Bael laughed and lightly punched Ron's arm. The metamorphmagus then let his hands join in a silent apology to Tracey and grabbed Ron by his arm to get him out of the classroom. Neville definitely saw the Slytherin girl exchange a knowing smirk with another one of her house mates. He doubted this was a good thing.
"What is wrong with you?" finally mumbled Bael at his red-haired friend. Neville was following after them. "You did not have to glare at her. She was nice."
"She was mocking you, mate." Ron relented. "I get that you think she is your friend but ... like for the whole lesson she was laughing at you."
Bael paused. He looked sad for an instant. "Oh, was that what it was?" he shuffled. "Sorry for snapping at you then."
"Hey, we might just be overthinking this." Neville added. "Besides, that Tracey girl mentioned someone else ... I thought you did not know anyone else besides your cousin here."
Bael's eyes cleared.
"Oh. She talked about Daphne." the boy turned around the corner, leading his friends to the charms classroom. "She may be pretty aloof, but she has a wicked sense of humour. We usually end up trying to roast each other. It's funny." The metamorphmagus looked at both Ron and Neville. "Although, I dunno if you'd like her."
"How did you know each other?" finally asked Neville, too curious.
"Some dreaded ball our parents dragged us to." Ron and Neville stopped Bael from falling into another pitfall. "This is where Pansy, Draco, Daphne and I met. We bored each other out."
The three boys snickered.
"Pansy?"
"Pansy Parkinson. She also got sorted into Slytherin. She has a bit of a dog addiction so I call her Pugginson, though ... so if you hear me calling her dog, dawg or just Pugginson ... please laugh. Because she does not."
Both boys smirked.
"And it does not bother you they all got sorted in Slytherin?" Neville asked. He thought pretty weird his friend had not sat with them in the Hogwarts Express.
"What? No. I mean we hang out sometimes, but we usually have different friends."
"Right." Ron suddenly remembered. "Malfoy had these two gorillas always flanking him." He described briefly a morning encounter Neville and him had had with the two bodyguards.
"I know! I mean, I'm sure I've seen rocks smarter than those two beasts." added Neville.
Bael roared with laughter.
"Yeah. Sounds like they are not the sharpest tool in the shed."
The three boys reached the charms classroom soon enough. Ravenclaws were already there, waiting for the Gryffindors to come one by one.
"This time, you sit with us." mumbled Ron. "I don't trust those hawks. And besides, you belong with us Gryffindors; not snakes or whatnot." The end of his sentence was too low for any of the two boys to hear.
"Well, I can slither in back anytime." Bael boasted. "No, Ron! that was a joke. I am a proud lion. Look. Roar."
Macarie, Bael's pet owl, softly hooted while Neville was failing miserably to hold in his smile.
...
Fortunately for Neville, the small professor known as professor Flitwick made an entrance. For this class, the Gryffindors were paired with the Ravenclaws. The small professor seemed particularly happy at that thought. But even with his small height and lack of authority – but McGonagall had set the standards quite high with her show and strict words – his class was one of the most passionate Neville ever had. Well Ron and Bael did not agree, but they also thought passion was about Quidditch.
Anyways the class had gone on with another few house points for Gryffindor (Hermione Granger had apparently learnt by heart her entire spellbook).
"Today's spell is a small one to destroy inanimate objects!" almost cried professor Flitwick on top of his pile of books, "The name is crack badaboom. You won't be able to break a rock, but it certainly can help you crack open an unwarded chest."
Without surprise, Neville barely managed the spell. He was not a big fan of destruction. Ron and Bael though seemed oddly adept at this spell. Neville even caught snippets of conversation between the two that went along the lines of It was the only accidental magic I could do that could anger my mother – Yes me too!.
"Hey, Bael!" Dean was hovering around the metamorphmagus. His friend, Dean, was fuming. Literaly. He had managed to set fire to his stack of paper. "I heard you were familiar with the snake pit."
Bael did not flinch. "That sounds a bit like an angsty teenager came up with it." the sarcastic reply did not move Dean much. "I love it anyway. So, what about it?"
"Just wondering if you had a snake brick to along with it?"
Just as the few students that had heard Dean snickered, Flitwick whooshed in and admonished everyone. One Hermione Granger was seen rolling her eyes. The classroom diligently was put back to work. Easily enough, almost everybody managed to succeed on casting their spells. The diminutive professor clapped for a long time and encouraged the few that did not pass to work on their own time tonight.
The class was let out a few minutes before the official end of the period. Cheering loudly, Dean and Seamus rolled out, quickly followed by the other students.
...
"Hurry up boys! Or we'll be late for herbology this time!" a Gryffindor girl said (Lavender or Parvati?) "Why did we have to follow Bael anyway? He had terrible direction." she mocked. The boy in question scowled.
"I told you I had to leave Macarie at the owlery." repeated the metamorphmagus. His hair curled in on themselves, arranging themselves in an odd position.
"What is wrong with your hair by the way. This is a fashion disaster."
"La bave du carpaud n'atteint pas la blanche colombe." Bael's scathing remark perplexed the other Gryffindors around. "It's French, you uncultured swine." he bared his teeth at the girl.
"Huh, coming Lavender." Muttered Ron in lieu of apologizing.
"I'm Parvati. " glared the girl. Lavender was by her side, still looking at Bael's hair distastefully.
Ron quivered slightly.
"Ha well. Sorry. Parvati."
The girl humphed away. Something about boys being rude.
"What have I done?" asked the poor red-head to his friend before entering the greenhouse (or the monster-house, dubbed affectionately by dear Seamus when a Catapulta Lenombris, a huge flower that sucks on human beings, almost swallowed him whole). Neville raised his shoulders in clear no-knowing sign.
"Must be a girl thing …"
"I think she was upset because you did not remember her name." Bael piped up, still watching like a hawk Lavender.
Ron and Neville shoved him jokingly.
...
The metamorphmagus chose for the botany course to remain with the quiet sort. He thus sat down next to Hermione and put his school stuffs besides her. She raised her brows slightly and even though she seemed reluctant, she was pulled in an engaging conversation with the said boy.
"Is there somebody he does not get along with?" muttered Ron watching the interactions.
Neville pointed discreetly at Lavender and mouthed gently owlery.
Herbology proved, for Neville, to be the most exciting lesson of the day. Plants talked to him.
Ron had become all red and timid when Professor Sprout had asked him to state the name of a magical plant. And Neville had been too happy to realize he was the only one to have the answer to the question. Even Hermione Granger, who had answered every other questions in every other classes did not know.
That, or, as Neville realized, she was too engrossed in her conversation with Bael. That was a surprise.
When Neville left the greenhouse ("No, it's a monster house Nev'" had screamed Seamus horrified while giving a wide berth at the Catapulta Lenombris), he found himself satisfied. For once, he felt at ease and not overwhelmed by his comrades.
...
The Hogwarts's bell rang noon.
It was time for all students to gather in the Great Hall to eat.
Neville debriefed the morning with Dean and Seamus and was relieved to find he had not been the only one struggling in transfiguration and charms. While Ron had been ok in charm and abysmal in transfiguration, Bael and Hermione had took to the lessons like fishes to water. Dean and Seamus had shared their troubles too.
"Eye of rabbit, heartstring hum, turn this water into rum."
"What's Seamus trying to do to that glass of water?" Neville had wondered.
"Turn it into rum." Ron answered him. "He managed a weak tea yesterday before ..."
A small explosion in his glass of water had stopped the boy from doing it again. The days soon came to an end, which every student put to use. The Gryffindors all had a free afternoon. Ron decided he wanted to visit the castle, while Neville thought he would spend some time in the greenhouses. Bael, Dean and Seamus left for the park.
The next day, history of magic and defense against the dark Arts were the two classes the lions had. Neville was unable to tell what happened in the history of magic class because he had fallen asleep (like many people in the classroom) but he was convinced Bael had remained awake. The boy had taken a couple parchments worth of notes.
In the end, the defense against the dark arts was the biggest disappointment of the day. Professor Quirrell had looked frightened by his own shadow. He had tried to flaunt Bael on a spell (flippendo) but the spell had fizzled out of existence before reaching him.
"Is that supposed to happen, professor?" asked uncertainly Hermione. Her eyes were focused on Bael's chest. The boy was equally curious.
Quirrell trembled.
"B .. B... B.. Bl.. Black. Co .. Congrat... Congratulations. You are th ... the .. the only first year student ... wh .. wh.. who ... who managed such a ... f .. f .. feat. 10 points."
Bael had graciously smiled but no one had been fooled. Bael had not done anything. The practical class had been as much of a disaster. Shouts of flipendo and no spells sent was the norm. A few people managed to cast it, among which Bael had been a part of. The teacher had awarded him a few points but he had had to dock them just as soon for Bael had sent the Knockback jinx at him. Officialy he had slipped and his aim had unfortunately caught the defense teacher.
"Why would you do that?" whispered Ron, amazed.
Bael looked at him.
"He was being unfair. Hermione was the first one to succeed the spell in class. He did not even look at her."
The girl was blushing. She had been hovering at the back of the class.
"I did not realize you had noticed."
"Of course. You're brilliant."
"You like her." breathed hilariously Ron once they had walked over. "Admit it! You have a crush!"
Bael looked at him as if he had swallowed whole a live animal.
"No ... she's just smart ..."
The rumor spread a different kind of truth in the following weeks.
"To be fair, the two of you have been sitting a couple times in class and done your homework together." Neville joked.
"But ... she's like super smart! I don't have a crush on her! It's not like that!"
Bael had pouted for the rest of the day.
...
Soon the end of the week arrived. Potions had been the only class yet to be held. And if Neville was right, he was not looking forward to this class. Potions was taught by the very unpleasant teacher: Snape. With his bellowing black cloaks and forever greasing hair, he scared the living daylights of the poor boy.
His eyes seemed to glare at any passing souls. He was the talk of many conversations, and mostly in a dark light. He was said to favour outrageously Slytherins. For some reasons, the professor seemed to have it out for him also.
People said it was because he was the Boy-Who-Lived and that Severus Snape was supposed to be a redeemed Death-Eater. Neville knew it was because he had inadvertently toppled his pumpkin juice glass at a dinner while he was passing by. The juice had stained his robes. The issue laid in the fact Ron's brothers had tipped his glass and put something in it. Something flashy.
Snape had been the laughing stock of the Great Hall, his robes had changed immediately colours.
If the twins had secured a solid week of detention for the prank, Neville had thought he had been close to get some too. Instead he had lost house points for being clumsy. Ron had supported him and said the professor had been unusually unfair.
"He can't do that."
"Well, he did, and nothing's gonna stop him." Hermione had parroted, an open book on her lap. "If you had been paying more attention to your surroundings instead of looking for non existent fairies, you would have seen the professor coming."
"Now, play nice." Bael had stopped the beginning of the argument before it could explode. Ron was fairly easily irritable and Hermione managed to find all the right buttons each time she talked to Ron. Also, Bael and Hermione had caught an unexpected friendship over books. Apparently History of Magic had transformed in hour long debates between the two and the library was their common playground.
Neville had accompanied a once his friend there to get his homework done. He did not plan to get lost in there more than necessary.
The potion classroom was located in the dungeons ("A fitting place for slimy snakes." Ron had mumbled, dejected at having lost 2 points in botany earlier that day.). The class was shared with the Slytherins.
"You think we're going to make a potion today?" Asked Bael. he was the only one to be excited for the lesson. "I hope we can do spurt growing ones."
Gryffindors around him eyed him warily.
"Hey there stranger."
Bael turned his head.
"Pugginson!" he greeted wildly.
The Slytherin girl squinted her eyes. "If you ask about my dog, I will end you."
Bael laughed good naturedly before he engaged the conversation once more about her week. Neville was too much of a wreck to put too much attention to the on going flowing words. Without realizing, Neville watched as Draco Malfoy approached his cousin. A lazy smirk floated on his face. Draco sent back the rude gesture Ron had sent his way (and wasn't it true that Malfoys and Weasleys could simply never get along?).
"Is it true what I heard?"
Bael turned around.
"Depends ..."
"You and the know-it-all."
Bael cheeks inflated. He watched as Hermione had seemingly not heard the altercation. Seeing her not paying attention to them, the metamorphmagus smirked back at his cousin.
"Why jealous? You want to spend some time with her?"
Draco turned an interested shade of pink. A few mocking laugh echoed around them.
"How dare you ..."
"Scaredy-cat."
"Blood-Traitor." quipped back Draco, as if on auto-pilot
"In-breeding retard."
"Dishonoured flobberworm."
"Incest-born creature."
"Your ugly mug could be mistaken for a mountain troll."
The tennis match Neville watched between the two cousins lacked any animosity. Any scathing remarks rolled off of both of them like light poured out of the sun. Considering the couple words both Ron and Neville had caught the metamorphmagus say to his mirror one night earlier, the black haired boy wondered if the whole banter was not a rehearsed speech.
Their exchange was broken up by the door of the dungeons opening. A tall man, with black robes and greasy hair, entered the dungeons. His mere presence silenced everyone.
"What are you waiting for!" The teacher barked as a hello, welcoming students.
The classroom had room for only teams of two students per desk and Bael ended up paired with Draco. the two did not seem to actually care much. They both shut up once installed on their stools.
Snape quickly called in his raspy voice the list of students and stopped on Neville's name.
"Ah, yes … Longbottom ... Our new celebrity."
The snickers of the Slytherins reached Neville's ears, who wanted to hide under his desk as soon as possible. He continued to roll call and silenced the few snickers by a light finger snapping.
His dark eyes surveyed the first years menacingly.
"You are here to learn the subtle science and the rigorous art of potion-making. Here, we do not have fun waving magic wands, so I expect that you do not understand much about the beauty of a cauldron that bubbles gently while letting escape scintillating scrolls or the delicacy of a liquid that creeps into the veins of a man to gradually enchant his spirit and imprison his senses ... I could teach you to put glory in bottle, to distil the greatness, and even to lock up death in a vial if you were anything but one of those bands of pickles to which I usually dispense my courses."
The silence in the classroom was deafening. He glared at Neville once more and suddenly called out.
"Longbottom!"
Neville jumped up. The professor's beady eyes made him gulp.
"What do I get when I add powdered asphodel root to a mugwort infusion?"
Powder of what, infusion of what?
Neville glanced at Ron, who seemed just as disconcerted as himself. On the other hand, Hermione's hand had risen at the speed of a cannonball.
Snape had a scornful grin.
"Obviously celebrity does not make it all. 10 points less for Gryffindor for not having opened a book all summer and 15 other points for your blatant incompetence."
Neville felt tears prickling at his eyes.
Snape had not even looked at him to accuse him. He was now busy arranging some books together. He had not paid attention to Hermione either.
"Let's try again, shall we?" Snape said with a contemptuous grin, "Mr Black! What is the difference between napel and the wolf-bane?"
A silence followed his question and snickers on the side of the Slytherins once more heard. Neville tried not to look at Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle.
"None. This is the same plant professor."
Bael's hoarse voice rang out in the dungeons.
Snape thoughtfully nodded. He followed with another question.
"Mr Malfoy, what is a bezoard?" the professor pointedly looked at Neville, as if he knew exactly what he thought.
"A stone, antidote to most poisons." the boy answered, proud. Neville had to admit he had not known the answer to that question as well.
"And where can I find it? Care to try it ... Mr Longbottom?"
An evil smile appeared once more on the professor's face. Neville's mouth was dry. Hermione's hand was still in the hand, trying to reach the ceiling at that point.
"I don't know, professor." he ashamedly said.
Snape pinched his lips.
"Well, that's another 10 points." he clapped his hands together, "All of you! Take notes! The bezoard can be found in the stomach of goat. As for the napel or wolf's bane plant, the ingredient is also known as aconit."
The rest of the course went just as badly for Neville. Gryffindor lost another 35 points for a failed-potion Neville made and Hermione for a potion too well made (the official reprimand had been about other instructions used and blatant cheating). Snape's fury did not even reach the Slytherin portion of the classroom. Bael had fitted in nicely, not even looking at the Gryffindors.
"Looks like you had a pretty fun time there." Neville had accused Bael once the lesson had finished. The metamorphmagus had been busy making faces at his cousin.
Bael had shrugged and sent his way an apologetic smile.
"Sorry, it did look like Snape had it out for you."
He had left the group just as fast as the Slytherins had cleared the dungeons, a clear frown etched on his face at the couple whispers Lavender and Parvati were already spreading about his house loyalty.
Ron supported him on the way to the dorm.
...
...
"What's this? Roasting club?" Bael was snacking outside the Black Lake a morning a couple weeks into Hogwarts semester.
Neville and Ron had both been walking toward him, breakfast on their hands. In Ron's case a hot sausage plate was balanced on his shaky hands. The red haired rolled his eyes and seated himself by Bael's side. He turned off the radio. Macarie, who had been resting comfortably on the metamorphmagus lap, hooted in indignation.
"Hey, we liked the podcast." muttered Bael.
"Come on, mate. We just wanted to eat lunch with you. You keep disappearing on mornings. We almost thought you were being abducted by those friends of yours."
"Are we engaging in this one sided conversation once again?" Bael good naturedly smiled. "Well, I-"
"Ok, no." Neville cut them. He blushed at the attention he garnered. He cleared his throat. "We wanted to spend some time with you ... and ask you if you had any idea for Dean's birthday?"
Bael hummed.
"I did not realize it would be his 12th birthday so soon." he petted his little owl, "I don't know, he probably would like some Quidditch book." he proposed. "When's his birthday anyway?"
"In two weeks." answered Ron between two bites.
An awkward silence settled down on the three boys.
"Yeah. Quidditch book it is."
Bael stood up, stretching his legs.
"By the way, when's yours?" Neville asked. It was common knowledge his irthday was on July 31st and Ron had shouted his a couple days before.
"Excellent. You heard that one, Xer?"
A piercing voice echoed from Bael's pants.
"Oh dear Merlin, it's the Slytherin who thought they could abduct you but you knocked them out!" Ron shouted.
Bael sweat dropped.
"You have a wild imagination." the tall wizard laughed and took out from his pocket his mirror. He looked at it and addressed it. "Hey Mom, just give me a couple minutes; I'll be right back."
Ron's face plunged. He was mortified.
"She heard me?" he asked his face losing blood by the second. Bael nodded.
"There's a good chance she did, yeah ..." he apologized.
"Xer?" wondered once more Neville. He helped in the meantime his friend gather his stuff.
"That's short for my original name." Bael scowled. "Xerxès."
"That's a fine name."
The same voice echoed once again from the mirror. Bael rolled his eyes in his socket.
"Stop eavesdropping." his voice was raised, as if to make sure to be heard. "Anyway. 'Have to go. And Nev', my birthday's in June. So don't sweat it, okay?"
He waved his friends goodbye and walked away, holding his mirror in front of him.
Both boys stared at each other.
"So ... is it me, or was that just weeeeeiiird?"
"It was all shades of awkward." responded Neville. "And in the end, we are not even closer to know his actual birthday."
"He will be thirteen the 18th of June." a shrill voice scared Neville. Hermione had just come up unannounced.
"What?"
"Yes. He is a year older than us." At the bewildered looks she got, she continued. "He said he was sick and had been unable to attend Hogwarts last year." the girl made a disgusted face at Ron's eating habits. " He told me he should be fine now, so ... happy thoughts." the bushy haired witch looked at her wristwatch. She scrunched up her face. "He's not the only one in our year older than he's supposed to be. Susan Bones and Terry Boot are older too."
Neville blinked. Once. Twice.
"Where did you come from?!"
Hermione blushed at the accusation. She managed to point at the tree the two friends had failed to see.
"If you need me, I'll be at the library."
"We won't need you." rudely remarked Ron, finishing the last of his meal. The dejected look Hermione sent his way went way over his head. "What?" he asked Neville.
"You are dense." Neville was mortified on his friend's behalf.
"Who goes to the library on a Sunday?"
...
"No. I'm not doing it."
Neville was watching from one eye Ron and his brothers bargain some sweets their mother had sent them over the mail this very morning.
The common room was packed with Gryffindors students. It was raining outside. The end of September had come around in the highlands and raining days were sure to keep going for a while. The water was streaming down the few windows of the common rooms.
"Ok. New deal. If you go down the forbidden corridor, we will surrender all of our sweets for the next two months. And we will withhold from pranking you."
Ron wavered. He actually was thinking about it. He looked at Neville hopefully.
"Oh no." the boy was finishing his herbology essay, "I am not going there. I don't want to be expelled." Neville repeated his words. "And I need to work on ... my homework." Ron shouted something about a waste of time, "I swear you're the reason I fail so badly at everything." he darkly muttered on his best impression of a seventh year Slytherin.
"Ah no, this is because you are closer to a Squib than an actual wizard."
Neville's heart skipped a beat.
"Oh damn! I'm on a roll tonight!" Bael was congratulating himself. He had just come back to the common room. He high fived Ron's brothers and shoved Neville playfully. "Just kidding, you know it." The boy looked at his essay. "And that looks promising." he offered. "Come on, don't give me that look. You're not half bad at DADA either. Same for astrology."
"Are you ... practicing your roasts? Well stop it. You're good enough." Neville grumbled. His self-worth was already low as it is. He did not need Bael to help him get it lower.
"And you wonder why people avoid you. You heartless monster."
"Shut up, Ron." Bael cast a small Knockback jinx.
And thus, Flippendo, managed to start the first war spell of the Gryffindor common room.
AN: Hello, this chapter took a bit more time to rewrite than I thought.
At this point, this is an entirely new story I am making up.
I just wanted to made it known that I will not update in the next couple days. I will return by monday though!
I hoped you liked it, and have a good day!