Relief
It took Serpens a lot of effort not to cry. He thought he might as well just go upstairs and pack his trunk right now. But where was he going to go? He stood up and started to leave. "Where are you going?" Sarah asked.
"I'm going to go pack up my trunk, where do you think?"
"Well," Emma said, exchanging a significant glance with Sarah. "Your father said that he wouldn't pay for your education anymore. There is no way he can get his money back from this year."
Serpens cheered up, maybe there was a way he could make some money this year. "Let's go to charms then!" Serpens, Sarah, Emma, and Sam all got up and headed to the charms room.
*
When they sat down in the charms room with the other Gryffindor first years, they heard a squeaky voice coming from nowhere. "Good day." Then a tiny body appeared from behind the desk. "I am Professor Flitwick." Professor Flitwick started talking about the relevance of charms and their daily use. After what seemed like hours, Flitwick said "Now, let's practice some basic wand movements. Swish and flick, swish and flick…"
Everybody swished and flick with their wands in their hands. "Now remember," Flitwick reminded them, "Try not to say anything odd while you are practicing, you might just perform a rather unwanted charm."
"I don't think we can perform an unwanted charm just by talking." Sam said, swishing and flicking. He was wrong though, because with a whoosh, Sam's head was covered in great big boogies. "Ah!" Sam yelled, Serpens could barley hear him. "Ge- t ff!"
"Oh dear," Professor Flitwick said, "Scourgefy!" Immediately, all the boogies covering Sam disappeared.
Emma and Sarah were giggling so hardly, Serpens found it quite an accomplishment that they didn't wet themselves. "Shut up." Sam said when the boogies had been lifted. "It's not funny!"
Then they had transfiguration; Professor McGonagall just lectured them about the importance of transfiguration. After tat long forty-five minutes, they headed off to lunch.
Right when Serpens sat down at the Gryffindor table, and started to relax, he felt a cold hand grab his ear, and drag him across the Great Hall. With one look of dread, Serpens realized that the man dragging him was his father. He ran along side Draco, as to make sure that his ear didn't totally rip off. When they were heading down the third corridor, Serpens thought he saw a painting move, ever so slightly.
After what seemed like ages of pain, Draco Malfoy plopped Serpens down at a chair in front of Dumbledore's desk. As he looked up he saw Dumbledore staring down at him through his half moon glasses.
"Dumbledore!" Draco said, standing up. "I order you to expel this boy," He said with a nasty look at Serpens. "At once!"
"I'm sorry, but I can't do that." Dumbledore said calmly. "He has done absolutely nothing wrong.
"But, I will no longer pay for his education, you know, you have already given me the gold back."
Serpens looked up, as though asking silently how Dumbledore could do that to him. "Yes, I have. But I am sure someone will pay for his education."
"Who?" Draco asked, half laughing.
Suddenly, Emma, Sarah, and Sam appeared from beneath an invisibility cloak. "I sent an owl to my father this morning, and he said that he would pay for Serpens's education!"
Dumbledore smiled, "And does he have written proof?" Dumbledore said smiling. Sarah handed Dumbledore a piece of parchment.
I, Harry Potter, will pay for Serpens Malfoy's whole Hogwarts career.
Harry Potter
Draco looked up disgusted. "Well, Serpens, you got lucky. But, you are no longer my son. You are no longer a Malfoy. You are not allowed back in my mansion you blood-traitor!" And he left.
"So, er, now I'm just Serpens?" Serpens asked oddly.
"Until someone takes you in, yes." Dumbledore said.
*
Serpens, Sarah, Emma, and Sam went back to the common room. Serpens walked up to Sarah and said "Er, just wanted to say, thanks."
"No problem."
Sam walked up to them, "Come on Serpens, let's play a game of chess."
*
On Halloween, Serpens woke up in a great mood. The teachers were sure to take everything easier on them. He didn't think that Sam would be able to take anything more. He and Emma were rather good at spells. Sam and Sarah, however, could improve.
During transfiguration, Professor McGonagall handed each student a match to practice turning a needle. Emma changed her needle first, and so helped Sam. When Serpens finished his he helped Sarah.
"Here," he said after trying a new tactic. "You need to move your wand like this." He waved his wand.
"Right." She said determinately. She got it eventually, Serpens felt rather proud of her. There were butterflies flapping all around his stomach.
*
That night after the feast, Serpens was reading up on jinxes while Emma was helping Sarah and Sam with levitating charms. "This is getting ridicules!" Emma said, finally getting annoyed neither of them could do it. "I'm going up to bed."
"Well," Sam said, "There's no point in staying down here if Emma's not going to help, I'm going up too." And the two went up to their dormitories.
Sarah got up and walked over to Serpens. "Thanks for helping me with my transfiguration."
"No problem." The last few people who were in the common room got up and left. Sarah and Serpens were alone.
"I wrote my dad and mum today." She said.
"Oh," Serpens said. It was a rather random statement.
"And they said that you could come over for the holidays." She said. She was laughing.
"Are you serious?"
"Yeah, I am." She said, and she stood up and kissed him on the cheek.