*8* Muhammad Ali or Neville Longbottom?

Ginny sat in the back corner of the library with Neville. Ginny was helping Neville with his Transfiguration homework when Matthew Macwell strutted over.

"Guess you're a nerd." He smiled at Ginny, showing too many teeth. "Good thing I have a thing for nerdy girls." He winked at Ginny, earning an eye roll. Neville looked up to the newcomer.

"Do you need something?" He asked warily.

"Not from you." Matthew turned back to Ginny, rudely dismissing Neville entirely. "Where's the boyfriend?" Ginny sighed, not bothering to look up.

"Clearly not here as you can obviously see."

"Aw, thought you would have broken up with Scarhead already."

"Don't call him that." Neville said glaring at Matthew. Matthew looked down at Neville who was wearing one of his sweater vests.

"Anyways, dump Scarhead and come out with me." Matthew said leaning on the table. Ginny threw everything into her backpack, before turning to Neville. She was not in the mood to deal with Matthew.

"Ready?" Neville nodded, giving the muggle boy a dirty look. The two started to leave the library together with Matthew following.

"You can't be serious? Scarhead, he's a joke. Honestly, I'm surprised he hasn't killed his miserable self yet. World would be better off -." Ginny reached for her wand but was too late. Matthew lay sprawled out on the ground, his nose obviously broken and gushing blood. Neville stood over him, fuming.

"Don't you ever say that about Harry! He's a better man than you will ever be! He's worth ten of you. We need him." Neville was bright red in the face. Ginny had only seen him this angry a handful of times, all when the Death Eaters controlled Hogwarts. She noticed a few students running back into the library, no doubt going to find Madame Prince.

"Neville lets go." Ginny grabbed Neville's hand and pulled him from the scene. As they rounded a corner, she pulled Neville's hand up to examine it.

"I don't think it's broken." she said, as she looked at Neville's hand. "But it'll probably be bruised."

"He shouldn't have said that." Neville shook with rage.

"No, he shouldn't."

"Disgraceful behavior!" McGonagall shouted at Neville and Ginny in her office.

"Tension is already running high between wizards and muggles and you punch one of them!"

"Professor he only-" Ginny tried to interrupt.

"Punching is not allowed at Hogwarts. I can not allow it. Fifty points from Gryffindor. Each."

"But Professor he –" Ginny tried to interrupt again as Neville nodded quietly still sitting across from Professor McGonagall. He had not looked up since he came in.

"Sit down Miss Weasley." Ginny sat with her arms folded.

"Have a biscuit Mr. Longbottom." Neville's head whipped up.

"What?"

"Have a biscuit Longbottom." Neville reached out to grab a biscuit from the basket McGonagall held out.

"I do not want to have either of you in my office again. Now back to your dorm." McGonagall said watching the two over her spectacles. Ginny and Neville walked to the door silently. As the door shut behind them Neville held up the biscuit.

"So, is she mad or not?"

Much to the disapproval of students after a few incidents between wizards and muggles, like the one between Neville and Matthew, the two schools decided to add a mixed weekly counseling session. Each session took place during students' free period and was overlooked by a Hogwarts professor and a muggle teacher.

After lunch a small group of students, including Seamus and Dudley Dursley, walked up to the Astronomy Tower. As the students dragged their chairs into a circle, Dudley looked around the room. He hadn't been to this room before. The room was circular with drapes and different colored fabric hanging from the walls. The student tables were set up on platforms that slowly went higher the farther you went back. Each table had a black tablecloth draped over it with a clear orb with white smoke rolling around inside. Dudley knew his mother would hate this room most of all. She would probably use it as another reason he should come home in her letters if she saw it.

As he looked around, he saw an odd looking woman with frizzy hair and large glasses that made her eyes look uncomfortably large. She entered the room with an air of grace until she walked into a student's chair. She gripped the back of the sandy haired boy's chair as she spoke.

"Welcome. I am Professor Trelawney. Hogwarts' Divination teacher. And this is Mr. Smith, Surrey's math teacher." Professor Trelawney gestured to Mr. Smith as she glided into a chair.

"For our group we'll be talking about different problems we all have been facing, answer questions for magic and non-magic students and anything that our two schools believe should be discussed. Since this is our first meeting let's start with questions. Dudley." Mr. Smith said calmly.

"Are we going to learn more about the wizard war?" Dudley asked leaning forward. Unknown to Harry and others, Dudley had actually opened up a few books in the library. Since the war was so recent, he was unable to find any information on it.

"That will be coming up during lessons for your history class. So, we won't be discussing that." Mr. Smith said.

"Why? That affected everyone in this castle." Seamus argued. Every magical student's head nodded in silent agreement.

"I agree with Mr. Finnigan." Professor Trelawney said.

"You do?" Seamus gave her an odd, surprised look.

"Yes." Trelawney turned back to the muggle students. "What do you want to know?"

After an hour the students left Professor Trelawney's room. As the group cascaded down the staircase Dudley hurried to catch up with Seamus.

"Finnigan!" He shouted, knowing he would never catch up with him. Seamus turned around, moving to the side to let others pass him. Dudley huffed as he scurried down the stairwell.

"You're friends with Harry Potter, right?" Dudley asked as the two continued their way down.

"Yes, and he's your cousin." Seamus stated bluntly.

"Yes. Can I ask you a question about him?" Dudley asked.

"You can ask." Seamus said taking a sharp turn toward the Great Hall.

"You said the war affected everyone. Did it affect Harry?" Seamus stopped in his tracks. His face originally blank as he comprehended the question. As he quickly realized that Dudley truly knew nothing of Harry, his cheeks grew red in anger.

"You serious? It affected Harry the most out of anyone here. Why don't you ask him yourself." Seamus said before turning away from Dudley, leaving him alone to think.

For the next few days Harry could feel Dudley's eyes on him. He did his best to avoid him at every turn, sometimes taking the long way to class. Ron had joined him as they slipped into their Muggle Technology class as the last bell rang.

"No." Harry whispered loud enough for only Ron to hear.

"Dursley." Ron muttered as he sat down next to Hermione. "What's he doing here?" Before they could say anything, Mr. Turman introduced their new teacher assistant, the last had quit. Harry quietly moaned. Now there was no escape, it wasn't like he could leave class and never return. Mr. Turman held up a large poster he tacked to the wall. Proudly, he pointed to it.

"I have drawn up a step by step poster on how to log in. Remember, when you are in, help those around you."

Harry, Ginny and Hermione logged in no problem and waited for the others. Neville and Ron were determined to do the whole thing on their own this time. Hermione watched painfully as they used one finger at a time to type their names. Neville pumped the air as he logged in correctly and Ron stared at the screen as the timer moved back and forth. Eventually everyone had logged in, record time. Mr. Turman looked around pretty pleased.

"Excellent job so far. For the next twenty minutes we will be trying to use our e-mails. For those who have never used an e-mail, it is like an owl letter but over the internet." Mr. Turman looked around the class and then turned to the blackboard where he had written in large letters 'lastname '.

A few minutes later Dudley and Mr. Turman were running around the room frantically trying to help the wizards and witches.

"How do you always get this screen!" Mr. Turman nearly shouted at Seamus.

"You need to hit shift before hitting the 'at' symbol." Dudley said, helping a Ravenclaw girl before walking closer to Harry.

"You opened up the Oregon Trail?" Harry heard Mr. Turman turn to another student. He sat watching the clock and hoping Dudley would be kept busy enough so that he would not get to him, but he was getting closer.

"You have messages." Neville's computer shouted making Neville flinch.

"Mr. Longbottom turn your volume down." Mr. Turman called across the room.

"Yes Sir." Neville called back, before turning to Harry. "How do I do that?" Before Harry could answer Dudley took his chance and came over.

"You turn the knob down here." Dudley said as he twisted the knob.

"Thanks." Neville turned cheerfully to Dudley before looking back at his screen. Harry tried to act like he was focusing on his e-mail, but that didn't stop Dudley.

"You've been avoiding me haven't you." Harry looked up to his cousin.

"I haven't been avoiding you. It's a big castle." Harry lied as Dudley stood across from him.

"Don't lie. I know you have been. I've been trying to catch your eye for weeks and you always look away." Dudley said calmly. Harry didn't say anything just kept staring at Dudley.

"During the summer we were given the option to come here or remain at school. They offered some families a lot of money to get people. I was one of the first to volunteer, before they offered the money. I actually didn't even except any of it. I just wanted to come."

"But why? Magic is bad remember? I'm a freak." Harry said sharper than he intended too. Dudley opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted.

"Mr. Dursley please help Mr. Finnergan again." Dudley nodded.

"You're not a freak." He said quietly before turning towards Seamus.