The Philosopher's Stone

Chapter Seven

After Classes

Yuery returned to the Gryffindor common room with Ron and Neville, but spotted Hermione already setting up on a table in the corner to finish today's homework. He started in her direction to join her, when Ron stopped him. "Come on mate. None of it's due until Friday, why worry about it tonight?"

"We will be assigned more tomorrow. It's better to stay ahead of it all. Plus, I want to talk to Hermione about potions." Yuery said with a shrug.

"Yeah, what was up with Snape singling you out like that? I mean I know the twins said that he hated Gryffindors but that was just weird." Ron frowned. "I need to feed Scabbers. You coming?"

Yuery frowned, undecided. On one hand, he wanted to talk to Hermione, on the other hand, he really wanted to figure out what was going on with that rat because it felt weird. Perhaps he should get a closer look at it…perhaps he should ask his father. Yuery followed Ron up to their dorm, lost in thought over the rat.

An hour later he was no closer to an answer on the creature. It acted like nothing more than a rat, but it felt human. Dull and a bit weak, but still human. He would have to look into it further. He must be reading it wrong. Neville came in to remind them it was dinner time, and the matter was forgotten in favor of food.

Inside the great hall the noise levels were higher than this morning or yesterday evening as the children excitedly shouted to each other about their first day. Like at breakfast, Owls swooped in periodically to deliver forgotten items from home, and the ghosts drifted through the crowd.

Sir Nicolas still seemed to be avoiding the first years after Hermione had accidentally insulted him by asking one could be nearly headless, she had tried to apologize but the ghost was insulted. Older students assured them that Nick would be fine by tomorrow and he didn't tend to hold grudges. Yuery intentionally sat next to her so that he could try to cheer her up a bit, as well as talking to her about homework.

The others were talking about transfiguration as that would be their first class in the morning, when Yuery asked Hermione if she would like to join him in the library after dinner to finish their homework. He felt a bit guilty that he hadn't started his yet, it had been a rule his entire life to finish homework before anything else and he had ignored that in favor of the rat mystery.

He saw Quirrell once again talking to Snape and Dad was staring at Quirrell with a strange expression like he was trying to figure out something about the man. Yuery felt something off about him as well and vowed to pay attention to it when they had their Defense Against the Dark Arts class tomorrow. The food suddenly appeared on the table again as it had the other meals, Yuery quickly grabbed his fill of chicken casserole in front of him before turning to Ron to talk to him about their plans for the next day.

"Well, we can go exploring after dinner." Ron suggested, "Fred and George might show us around."

"I'm going to the library after this, you can come with us?" Yuery offered as Ron grimaced slightly. "I really don't want to leave the homework until the last minute…and my father would be disappointed that I haven't even started it."

"How's your Dad even going to know?" Seamus asked from across the table.

Hermione, Neville, and Ron all frowned at him as Dean and Lavender rolled their eyes. "Uh, he's sitting right up there at the teacher's table?" Yuery wondered if Seamus had been ignoring them all yesterday or if he was teasing Yuery.

"Well, yes, but how would know?" Seamus repeated. "He isn't going to find out because he isn't a teacher."

"My Dad always knows." Yuery frowned. "He'll just know. I don't know how or why, but he always knows when one of us is up to something."

"My mom is like that. She even knows when the twins are causing trouble here." Ron nods along through a mouthful of food.

"Well, that isn't surprising, the school would send her an owl." Hermione shrugged.

"My mom always knows too, I guess that makes sense." Seamus agreed. "So, you're running off to the library then?"

Yuery agreed as Hagrid came in and paused at their table to greet them all. He asked if Neville's toad had behaved and asked how they were all enjoying their first day before moving on. Yuery turned to watch the giant walk up to the head table where he sat next to Yuery's Dad and started a conversation. Dad didn't seem to mind the guy, unlike Professor Quirrell who Dad clearly disliked and the Headmaster who Dad told him to avoid.

As soon as they finished eating Yuery and Hermione left to grab their books. Yuery told her on the way up the stairs that he had invited Draco Malfoy to join them, though she seemed hesitant at the idea she agreed. Yuery shrugged it off, he didn't think it would be a real problem.

They found the library easily with Draco joining them a few minutes later. Hermione had already finished her history of magic homework and was part of the way through her potions homework making Yuery feel guilty about his late start. Draco hadn't started his yet either though, which made him feel a bit better.

Soon enough, Neville appeared at their table looking nervous before he quietly asked if he could join them. Yuery agreed before the others could respond, happy to have another student to talk to. He had finished his potions essay and had started the history of magic work when he decided to ask Hermione about where she had read about the other potion Snape had mentioned.

She started to answer, when the other Slytherin boys came into the room. Crabbe spotted Draco right away and lumbered over to the table, "Hey Malfoy. What are you doing hiding in here? With her no less?"

"I'm finishing my homework." Draco said calmly without looking up at the other boy. "Some of us prefer not to struggle through at the end of the week and barely get our marks."

"I can't imagine your father would be pleased with the company you're keeping." Goyle added. "I know my father would have something to say about it. A table full of Gryffindor and a mud blood to boot."

Neville stiffened at the comment though Hermione and Yuery were simply confused. Draco scoffed but didn't respond to the others. Instead, he packed up his bag and stood to leave. "Well, I have finished now, I'll be heading to bed."

"You should join us out on the grounds. We're going to see if we can get into the quidditch field." Zambini suggested and Draco shrugged, he followed the others out of the library as the remainder of the table sat in silence.

"He could have said something at least." Hermione frowned after them, "What was that he called us?"

"Uh…" Neville began nervously. "Not, um, not all of us… a mud blood is a nasty term for a muggle born."

"What." Hermione asked dully, insulted at the idea.

"Okay then, well we know who not to talk to then." Yuery said with an angry frown.

Before they could say anything else the librarian came over to tell them they needed to leave for the night, further annoying the group since she must have overheard at least part of the conversation and had done nothing to reprimand the boys for their behavior.

They made their way back up to their dorms, in varying states of annoyance. Neville seemed to want the whole matter drop, while Hermione seemed to have had her feelings hurt now that she understood the insult and Yuery was livid on principle. His whole life he had heard the terrible way certain people had been treated simply for being born as part of a group others disliked, and he wasn't going to stand for it.

When they arrived back in their dorm, Yuery was quick to relay what had happened to the rest of the common room and was met with enough collective outrage that he knew he had been right to be angry on the subject. He decided then that the best thing to do would be to inform his father and Professor Snape of the situation, as well as Professor McGonagall.

"Slytherin brats tend to be hateful." Fred said as he sat next to them.

"Yeah, it is best to avoid them." George added, sitting on the other side as Ron nodded.

"Draco seemed nice enough when he was studying with us, until the other boys came in then he left with them…but he didn't seem to really agree with them either." Hermione offered.

"Draco, as in Draco Malfoy?" Percy asked as he joined them as well. "I wouldn't put too much trust in him, his father is in Azkaban, a death eater I hear."

"Well, he isn't his father, is he?" Yuery said in irritation, before turning to Ron. "Did you want to come with us to report it? You weren't there but you know better than the two of us what was wrong about what he said."

"Yeah, I can go along." Ron shrugged. "Next time, just stick to the common room where they can't bug you."

"If its all the same, I think I am heading to bed." Neville said, not wanting to be involved.

The others quickly made their way to McGonagall's office to tell her what had happened in the library, but she didn't seem to be in, so Yuery suggested they go to Snape next. Both others seemed reluctant to join him when he said he was going to see the potions master on the matter, so he offered to go alone.

Yuery then made his way down to the dungeons where Snape's office was located. Hermione had headed back to the dorm since she was mainly worried that it was nearly curfew while Ron went with him excited for an adventure even if it was toward a location he would rather avoid.

They made it as far as the first floor when Yuery spotted his father, who seemed preoccupied, and changed direction. He wanted to talk to his Dad about what happened, but he was also worried his Dad would make a scene and cause even more people to notice Yuery. Still, he felt his father would want to know about the situation and once again his dad always seemed to know everything. It would be better to find out from Yuery rather than teachers if he was going to be in trouble for wandering around this late.

"Dad! Why are you wandering around?" Yuery asked with a happy smile.

"I could ask you the same. You only have ten minutes to get back to your dorm…though if I walk with you, you'll be fine." Dad said with a brief hug. "How were your classes, did you finish your homework?"

"Classes were great and see Ron, I told you if I put it off my Dad would know." Yuery smiled at Ron though so that he would know Yuery was only teasing him. "Actually, I planned to come find you after Professor Snape."

"Oh?"

"Yes, we, that is Hermione, Neville, Draco and I were studying in the library after dinner and these boys came in. They were saying things. Hateful things. Then Draco left and they followed him, and we left and decided to report them."

"Okay, what things were they up to."

"They called Hermione what turned out to be a bad word and were making fun of us all. I was really upset mostly over what they called her and decided we needed to turn them in." Yuery rushed out. "Ron came along to help us explain what parts were important of what they said."

"What did they say?" Dad frowned, Ron squirmed at this he suddenly wished he wasn't here for this because Yuery's Dad already looked angry, and they hadn't even told him what happened really.

"He called her a mud blood. Which is apparently a derogatory term for someone born to non-magical parents." Yuery said plainly.

"Yes, it's a terrible insulting thing to call them, it is much more acceptable to call them muggle born." Ron nodded in agreement. "Of course, they were Slytherin, so it's to be expected."

Yuery's Dad's frown darkened at that, before he shook his head and turned to Yuery. "I will report this to the professors, give me a list of names, then we'll get you back to your dorm. I told you already don't make trouble here. Which means to follow the curfew! Ron, was it? Please in the future refrain from an entire group is a problem like that. Telling me of course they're Slytherin sounds no different than mud blood. Both are insults. You are attacking them simply because of their house when it should be their individual character that matters."

"But sir- "Ron began.

"No. This type of thing is what leads to wars child. Yuery will be friends with anyone he chooses no matter their house. I suggest you do the same." Dad said as he delivered them to their dorm before turning away.

"Your Dad is scary." Ron said as they climbed the stair to their room, he had an expression that reminded Ron entirely too much of his own mother.

"It reminds him to much of the Ishbalans I expect." Yuery said, though he agreed with his Dad on the matter, he also knew Ron didn't understand. His parents always taught him that it was important to explain why things were wrong.

"What's that?"

"They are a race of people. Our country went to war with them years ago because they were different than us. Dad and Mom were just children then, but it was bad. It made them both orphans." Yuery said sadly. "I've known a lot of different people growing up and I have yet to meet someone who was good or bad just because of who they were born. Dad's right. There's nothing wrong with Slytherin House that isn't wrong with the other three."