A/N I want to thank everyone who has been reading the story for putting up with my delay, but I would also like to respond to Mandraco's review of chapter 8. First of all, yes, I do get that a lot. It's my fault for being an Bob Newhart fan. You also wanted to know when the Harry and Malcolm bit comes into play. It doesn't, but they do have an adventure together somewhere around Chapter Nineteen.



CHAPTER TEN: MALCOLM AND THE MUGGLE


"Finally," Lois said, "We're alone in this house."

"For at least three hours," Hal said with a smile.

"That sounds good to me."

The phone rang.

Hal answered the phone to find himself talking to a detective from Scotland Yard.

"We're sorry to bother you, Sir, but there's been an incident. A young boy fell from the train your son was on, and when the train stopped, your son and another boy were seen getting off. They are both lost somewhere in the Greater London Area and. . ."

"I'm sorry, you have the wrong number," Hal said and hung up the phone. He then took the phone of the hook and laid it down. "I'm sorry, Dear. Where were we?"

*

"Malcolm, trust me. I know what I'm doing."

"No you don't, Draco. I'm sorry but I'm not in the mood for this. I need some time to think."

"You mean, time from me. Remember, Malcolm. I am family. You should think of me as such."

"I do, Draco. I think of you as though you were one of my brothers. AND IT ISN'T FRANCIS."

Malcolm walked out of the compartment in anger.

"That went well," Draco said.

"Why him," Goyle asked. "Why do you keep being nice to him?"

"It should be obvious," Draco said. "I spend weeks trying to understand something, and he looks at it and one minute later is telling me things that I missed. I am ambitious, if you hadn't noticed. If I can convince him that my side is right, then he will be a great help to me, to all of us. And I happen to like him."

Goyle and Crabbe smiled at the thought of Malcolm helping them. Neither of them noticed the thoughtful look in Draco's eyes, nor did they know that his plans were not his father's plans.

*

"Hi, Colin," Malcolm said tonelessly as the older boy approached him.

"Where is he? Where's my brother?"

"I haven't seen him. Maybe he ran away to a muggle school because he got tired of you."

Colin stepped back in surprise. He let down his guard to ask what had happened.

"What do you care? You don't like the fact that I'm friends with your brother, anyway. Why don't you stuff a sock in it?"

Colin ignored the insult. "It's Malfoy. Isn't it?"

"You've heard."

"Everyone has." Colin found himself in a strange position. He hated Malcolm but now he was trying to calm him down. "Besides, I'm supposed to insult you for no reason. It's not worth it if you insult me in return."

"Colin, stop trying to cheer me up. I doing just fine being miserable."

"Then I'll let you talk to your brother," Colin said, and pointed behind Malcolm.

Malcolm turned around. "What is it, Dewey?" He paused as he was forced to look up instead of down. "Reese? What are you doing here? Don't tell me you jumped off a moving train?"

"I'm not that stupid. I waited for it to stop first. Then I came back on the bus."

"How far away is the next station?"

[There's no way he could have made it back that fast.]

Reese told him the story and then politely, for Reese, asked what he should do.

Malcolm stared, then turned around and looked at Colin. "You wanted to help?"

Colin stared at Malcolm then looked at Reese, "Why don't you wile away the time with your cousin until we get to the school? Dumbledore will sort it out." He pointed to the compartment he had seen Malcolm come out of.

"Great idea," Reese said, then turned to Malcolm. "You should think of things like that." He started to turn around. "Oh, if you see a kid this high with a jacket like mine, tell him where I am."

"What's his name?"

"I don't know," Reese said and walked into the compartment without knocking.

Malcolm and Colin quickly walked the other way.

"Malcolm. I apologize for every rude remark I ever made. I now understand the horror that you live with everyday."

"Reese isn't that bad, Colin. Okay, he is that bad but you get used to it. And by the way, that was a cool idea you came up with. Now I feel better about both Reese and Draco."

*

Anthony understood his situation immediately. He was sitting with four eleven year olds on their way to this school for the first time. Also, they assumed that he was a first year as well. He didn't want to lie to them but he was curious about the reference to magic. It reminded him that he had reached this train by walking through a wall. He had walked through walls thousands of times before, but he usually used a door.

"Do you know which house you want to get into?" Euan asked, his large ears twitching.

Anthony played a hunch. "I was told I have Hufflepuff written all over me, but someone else told me to try for Ravenclaw."

Rose nodded at what Anthony said, but the other girl, Jenny, moaned. "I feel so stupid. I don't know anything about this school."

Anthony smiled. "Well, now you know as much as I do. I wasn't even sure if those were houses or if I was being teased."

They both laughed.

"Don't be embarrassed. Most muggle-borns know nothing about magic until they get their letters." The other boy, Mitchell, was trying not to look smug. "Me Dad's one and so are both of Mam's folks."

"I can't wait to start learning spells," Jenny said.

"You must feel the same," Rose said to Anthony.

"Not really," Anthony admitted.

"That's because you're Malcolm's brother."

"You know Malcolm?"

The others laughed. Rose explained. "When someone finds out we're going to Hogwarts the first thing they do is tell you who's who. There's Harry Potter. Everyone has heard of him, because of how he defeated You-Know-Who."

"I've never heard of him," Anthony admitted.

"I've heard him mentioned," Jenny acknowledged, "but that's all I know."

"First explain Malcolm," Mitchell said. Then we'll tell them about Harry. That will take longer."

Rose nodded. "Anthony knows this, of course, about Malcolm being an animagus."

"A what," Jenny and Anthony asked at the same time.

Everyone paused to look at Anthony. Euan spoke first.

"Isn't Malcolm your brother?"

"No, I never met him. Reese said he had a brother named Malcolm, and I was following him. But I lost him when I helped those girls in the other compartment."

"You're not going to Hogwarts, are you?"

"Not intentionally. That is what I was trying to tell you."

"You're a muggle" Mitchell said.

"What's a muggle."

"Someone who can't do magic."

"Do you mean card tricks? Or do you mean walking through solid walls?"

"I'll choose number two," Euan said with a grin.

"I suppose I am a muggle. Now, may I ask a question before we continue. Malcolm is supposed to be able to figure out a solution to my problem, but you said he was an ani . . ."

"Animagus. He is a wizard who is able to assume the form of an animal."

Rose smiled, "Now I want to ask a question. What is this problem you have?

The five trade questions back and forth until the food trolley came by. Mitchell insisted on treating Anthony to his first box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavored Beans.

*

"Sonombulus," Draco said quickly, and Reese slumped back into his seat.

"That's another reason not to like Malcolm," Goyle pointed out.

"Reese did help us out with the Durmstrang students last year," Crabbe admitted.

"And he will be no trouble to us now," Draco concluded.

*

" . . . and then I dropped the balloon," Malcolm said. "I never even thought about anyone passing by, much less Mrs. Norris."

Colin laughed as Malcolm related the true events. "No wonder everyone thought I did it. I don't blame Dumbledore for telling you to shut your mouth about it. But tell me the truth about this. Are you really trying to teach my brother to be an animagus."

Malcolm smiled. "Yes and No. I don't know how to teach someone to do that. But I am teaching him the things that helped me to understand how to do it. I think that is all it takes. If he can understand what it takes to change his form, he should be able to do it."

"How is he doing?"

"McGonagall suggested I tutor some of the other students as well."

[This is weird. I think we just became friends.]

*

" . . . and then I told him that I didn't want one," Dewey droned. "He told me I could have two and I told him I didn't want one, why would I want two and then he said I could have as many as I wanted and told him I didn't want any and he said okay."

Dewey looked up and noticed that his keeper, Severus Snape, had fallen asleep from the incessant monologue.

"It's about time," Dewey said. He got up and left the compartment.

*

"We should find him soon," Mitchell said. "I've heard that Reese can be very abrasive."

"He was unpredictable," Anthony admitted, "and I'd only known him for a half hour. He might be keeping quiet for some reason. I think we should concentrate on finding Malcolm, if he is as popular as you say he is."

"I said he was well known, not popular. There is a difference."

Anthony thought about Reese. "Point taken. Excuse me," he asked a passing student, "I'm looking for Malcolm."

Fred looked down at Anthony and the first years. "I can help you with that. "OY, MALCOLM."

"WHAT"S UP," George shouted from the next car.

"LOOKING FOR MALCOLM,"

"OY, MALCOLM," George could be heard calling out.

"BLIMEY, HE"S RIGHT NEXT TO US," George called back.

"He's in the next car," Fred told them. "Just look for me, and I'll show you where." He opened a door marked 'boys' and said, "good, it's empty," then went in.

The group strolled into the next car and saw George pointing at the opened door and the brown haired boy standing there. The boy, Malcolm, was staring at the patch on Anthony's blazer.

*

"Is that George?" Colin asked.

"You can tell them apart by their voices?"

Colin nodded.

Malcolm opened the door and stepped out to see who was calling him.

"Yeah, George?"

"BLIMEY, HE'S RIGHT NEXT TO US," George called out, then turned to Malcolm. "You can tell us apart by the sound of our voices?"

Malcolm nodded.

[What the heck.]

"You have company," George said and pointed the small crowd to the open compartment.

Malcolm could only stare. The lead boy was wearing a Glen Levitt blazer. The other four were looking at him like he was something special.

"You were on the train with Reese?"

"Then you are his brother?"

"Yeah."

"Reese said you would have a plan. What is it?"

"What are you plotting now," George asked.

"Is there another plot?" Colin asked as he poked his head out.

"Colin? I thought you couldn't stand Malcolm?"

"I can't, George, but I found it safer to be on his side."

"That's one question cleared up," George said, "Malcolm, why did he come on the train with Reese, and why is Reese on the train?"

"Let me help," Anthony offered. "I am a fourteen year old muggle. Reese and I ran from the train we were on because he accidentally knocked another boy off of it, and HIS three friends did not appreciate the fact. Having no where else to go except to the authorities, we came here."

The famous Weasley smile filled George's face. "Did you catch all of that, Fred."

"I did," Fred replied from where he was standing behind the group, "but we have a bit over five minutes before we all have to act innocent. Malcolm, what's the plan?"

[How about we find Reese and throw him off this train.]

"What am I supposed to be planning?"

[Great. Nobody knows what the plan is supposed to be about.]

Malcolm shrugged his shoulders. "Just hang out until we get to Hogwarts. We'll ask Dumbledore. He's the Headmaster."

"Oooh, Marvelous plan," Anthony said sarcastically.

"A better plan would have been to stay on your own train. Did you ever think of that?"

"I am one, I repeat, one short person. They were three, I repeat, three big persons. And your brother Reese said that he had a plan which would fix everything. It was only until I was committed, that he revealed that his plan was to ask you. And now, you tell me that your plan is to ask someone else."

Malcolm leaned into the smaller boy. "Listen, you are on a train that will not stop for another four hours. There is nothing you or anyone else can do until then. Once we arrive at the school we have three problems. First, wizardry is supposed to be kept secret from muggles. Second, you are a muggle. And finally, Reese is an idiot. The smartest thing I can do is to hand this problem over to someone else and let them deal with it."

"Oy, goodbye, Malcolm," George said as he and Fred ducked into their compartment.

"Quick, everyone in," Malcolm shouted urgently. Malcolm had barely closed the door to the compartment when the yelling started.

Malcolm waited a respectful amount of time before he opened the compartment door to look out. A number of students were coming from the other car. Some were laughing while others were cursing, but all of them smelled awful.

"Close the door, Malcolm." Colin and the first years were already holding their noses.

Malcolm politely closed the door behind him, but Anthony came out as well. The odor might be strong but he was curious about what had happened. As their door closed, the compartment door next to them opened up, and Fred and George came out, each with a with large clothespin on his nose.

"Complements of Weasley Enterprises," Fred told the crowd. "Each of you please note that you cannot smell yourself, only others that have been affected. We will let all interested parties know when the Weasley Stinkers become available."

"How do we get rid of the smell?" one irate first year asked.

"Hold your nose and say, 'I do not smell a thing," George explained.

"You're joking," the boy said.

"Probably," Fred answered, "but you'll never know until you find out."

The handful of students all held their noses and said they didn't smell. When the odor cleared away instantly, almost everyone laughed. The one exception was the boy with auburn hair who started complaining immediately.

"That wasn't funny. What if we didn't run into you. We would have been trapped with that smell."

"That reminds me," a fourth year girl said. "My friends went the other way." She took off and several of the other students followed.

Anthony gave Malcolm a curious look.

"Fred and George are planning on opening a joke shop when they graduate."

"Using Magic?"

"Of course."

The boy looked at Anthony and sneered. "I was warned about the Weasleys and I was warned about you. Worthless mudbloods wandering around like they're the equals of decent wizards."

"Pleased to meet you. My name's Anthony. And you are?"

The boy's eyes shined malevolently. "Mathew Zeller. Remember that you dirty blooded miscreant or I'll make you regret it."

Anthony smiled as though he was being invited to tea "Are you related to Rose Zeller. She's also a first year, but I don't think she knows about purebloods."

"YOU STINKING LIAR."

"Did I hear my name," Rose asked as she opened the compartment door.

Two things happened in quick succession. Mathew Zeller snapped and swung his hand to slap Rose in the face. Then Anthony, the victim of too many bullies, snapped as well. He grabbed Mathew's arm and spun him so they were facing each other. Then a third thing happened. Matthew Zeller fell to the floor as his left eye began to swell.

[Yeah, he's been hanging around with Reese.]

"He's out cold," Fred said as he checked the boy.

"Are you sure you can't do magic?" George asked. "We could use someone like you.

"I . . . I never hit anyone before." Anthony looked at Rose who smiled.

"I can't complain," Rose said. "I'm not used to being hit for walking through a door."

"He's one of those pureblood Mitchell told us about," Anthony explained. "It seems that the two of you have the same last name."

"Oh, Wonderful." Rose's face told everyone she did not mean it.

By now everyone was out of both compartments, and doors from the other compartments were beginning to open.

"Look at that," Malcolm said suddenly as all the curious eyes began looking at him. "This poor kid takes a bad fall and no one bothers to help."

Malcolm went to grab the boy and found Colin helping him. At Colin's insistence they walked to the next car opposite the way the boy had come.

"Why this way?"

"There's a boy's facility that we can't use because the door stick. I think I can get it open."

Malcolm smiled at Colin's resourcefulness. "I know I can get it closed again. Let's hurry up. He's coming around."

*

Albus Dumbledore apparated to the outskirts of the nearby muggle school. Students were already arriving for the new school year. Dressed much as he had been during his summer interlude to the States, he drew few looks of curiosity, and most of the curious were wondering if he might be a new teacher. He had that look about him. One of the younger students even dared to ask.

"I am not, young lady. I have not taught a class for many years now. I am only here to visit a former student of mine, and I assure you that I do remember where the Headmaster's office is."

The girl was polite, and obviously pleased at the image of dour old Hector Filch as a young student like her.

Albus walked through the halls of Glen Levitt Academy and entered Filch's office. "I am Albus Dumbledore," he told the secretary.

"Go right in, Sir. Mr. Filch is expecting you."

If one did not know better, that person would have been surprised to see Argus Filch, impeccably groomed and smartly dressed. "Albus, it is so good to see you again. I received your owl and I've already phoned the families, although I had difficulty in reaching the home of the boy, Reese."

Albus chuckled. "His parents are a loving couple who cherish their private moments. I assume you reached them after the school hours had ended."

Hector, Argus' twin brother, looked up in surprise as he understood, then he chuckled as well. "Both boys are in good shape?"

"As far as I know. Both boys are on the Hogwarts Express."

Hector looked puzzled. "That shouldn't be possible. It requires magic to walk through the barrier. I know I can because I am a squib, and from what you have told me, the boy Reese fits into that category as well. But Anthony is a muggle. The barrier should have refused him."

"Hector, I will tell you something in the strictest confidence, because you are the headmaster here and you need to know. I did some research when I discovered what had happened, and it seems that young Anthony has significant magical ability."

Hector's puzzled look did not fade. "But why wasn't he invited to Hogwarts, or to another school?"

Albus gave a thin smile. "He is on our list. He is scheduled to receive an invitation on the midsummer's day after his eleventh birthday."

"But . . . He's already fourteen?"

"And that is why I am telling you. His name has not come up yet. Somehow, in the course of the next two years, he will celebrate his eleventh birthday and receive his letter."

"Somehow?" Hector Filch said as the reality set in. "I will watch him carefully, Albus. I promise you. And I will let you know at once if anything unusual happens to him."

"That is all I ask, Hector. And I thank you for your time."

"Albus, may I ask you one more thing. I've been hearing stories and rumors."

"All true, I'm afraid. Voldemort has returned. It is now only a matter of time."

"If I can do anything," Hector said firmly. "I may be what I am but I can still do things. No squib has ever had a truer friend than you."

"I assure you, Hector, that if I need your help I will never hesitate to ask, and I will never ask for more than you can do."

Albus looked at the headmaster who beamed at those words, and smiled in return. "A thought comes to mind. The boy, Reese, is a keen Quidditch fan. Perhaps you could escort him to a game one weekend. You might even consider bringing Anthony along. As he is a potential student, he might be curious to know more about the world of magic."

*

"Why do you keep yelling like that?" Dewey asked.

"Because I'm trapped in here," Matthew Zeller yelled from behind the door. "Some stupid muggle-born knocked me out and dumped me in here."

"Why don't you use your wand to get out?"

"The stinking mudblood stole it from me. Look, can you help me get out of here?"

"Yeah, that would be no problem," Dewey answered and kept walking.