Third Chappie

"Congratulations, Mr. Whitman." Dumbledore said, after viewing his report card. "You are officially a Second Year now. Another two weeks and you can finally join the year of your age group, assuming you'll pass of course. Just study and you'll do fine."

That was 2 weeks after his arrival. Jack only had a week to go before becoming a Third Year.

Ralph nodded and headed out to the corridors. He didn't know any of the Second Years. He had Third Year friends such as Michael, but they were no good for the time-being. So what would he do between classes? He didn't want to be seen wandering around alone like a hermit. He was accustomed to being accompanied almost everywhere he went.

He spotted Kyle during his train of thoughts, his First Year acquaintance.

"That's it? You've finally been promoted?" The tiny boy inquired.

"Yeah…"

"Oh. I'm really going to miss you. I know you won't hang out with me. You'd probably say you will. But I know it. You won't."

"You could at least fake some happiness for me and offer cong-"

"You'll most likely find someone in Second Year and forget all about me."

"Kyle-"

"I've seen it before. You were bluntly humiliated to be seen with us. With me. You say you want me to fake happiness. You couldn't even try to appear ensconced, even in the slightest measurement. You made it so obvious you hated being seen with us."

"If I had known you feel that-"

"Do you appreciate anything I did for you whatsoever? Who helped you with your studies? Me. Who guided you and escorted you when you were new to this place? Me. Who defended you against Jack? I did."

"I thanked you-"

"Merely saying 'thanks' isn't genuine gratitude. It's simply a display of etiquette and politeness. You don't repay favors by shooting out that word. It's so easy; anybody can do it without effort. People could go to the moon for you, and if all you can say is 'thanks' and feel satisfied then without rendering any form of redemption then you really would be abusing the Give and Take policy."

"Well what is it that you want then?"

"If you can't even figure that out then you aren't even eligible to be placed into First Year! Let alone second. I think it's despicable that I'm so bloody smart that when I requested to skip First Year they rejected. Only because I'm physically small. You know why I want to skip so badly? I have no friends here at my year. They consider me a 'geek', when I talk to them like the way I'm talking to you know they call me 'talkative' and order me to 'Shut up!', but it's only because unlike them I'm passive, intellectual and so have much to say. I use complex words they don't understand; they refer to me as 'weird' and walk off. When it's them who are pathetic for obtaining vocabulary which quantity is equivalent to the size of a sand grain."

Ralph froze. Was Piggy's spirit back to haunt him?

Kyle stopped talking and looked at him expectantly. What was Ralph to say to that? 'Oh too bad your friends are crazy and you should be King of the World'?

Kyle's face fell at Ralph's silence and without another word, turned and began walking off.

Ralph's brain finally clicked. He was now aware that he was left with an ultimatum: Go after Kyle and assure him that he'll remain a loyal friend of his… or go look like an idiot and say something amongst the lines of 'Hi can I be your friend?' to the Second Years and risk being rejected. They had laughed at him when he was walking alongside the First Years after all…

He needed someone to accompany him during times of hardship.

He ran and caught up with Kyle.

"I'm sorry. Can we be good friends from now on?"

Kyle looked up at him engrossed in thought. Has the damage already been done?

"Sure." He said, and grinned.

Ralph grinned back. More of a grin of relief, but better than a squirm of indignity at the "best" he can do for a friend.

Stop thinking that! He scolded himself. Kyle is a good, noble and misunderstood genius. You're lucky to befriend him.

A girl with long blonde locks, whom he had never seen before, suddenly walked past him. She shot him a quick friendly smile while she flicked her hair away from her shoulders when she noticed him staring at her. He, too quickly, returned it.

"What year is she in?" He asked Kyle in a daze after she walked off with a friend.

"Second." Kyle said, grinning as he comprehended Ralph's reaction to his hormones, a stage one goes through during puberty "Her name is Svetlana and she's originally Russian. Single. Which boy doesn't figuratively drool all over her?"

"Was I that obvious?" Ralph asked worriedly.

"Yes. But don't take it bad. They all are."

Ralph felt a strong desire to talk to her. Hear voice. Know everything there is to know about her… meet her acquaintance at least.

He was glad Kyle enlightened him a bit about her. However he had to resist asking more questions. It'll make him look like an obsessed stalker.

An idea clicked in.

"I've only been here for 2 weeks and I miss muggle food like Coke and Oreos already. How could you people tolerate a whole year without them? With the Headmaster's approval, I'll open a muggle snack stand in the hallways."

"So you can meet her while she's giving her orders and so that she can hear about you when you're the Talk of the School, right? Clever."

"I just don't know why nobody's done anything like that here before."

McGonagall was enraged when she saw the queue at the stand the following day.

"I am the Head of your house." She berated after a Transfiguration class "You should have come to me for permission. That's my responsibility."

"It doesn't matter, with all do respect. You wouldn't have objected anyway. I have learned from my mistake and intend not to repeat it."

"Are you claiming that your psychic? I would have objected. This food you're selling is junk. It contrasts Hogwart's healthy food severely. And all the wrappers and caps are the cause of litter."

"We're residing in this boarding school for an entire year with the insignificant exception of the scarce Winter Holidays, if you don't mind me commenting, Professor," Kyle added "so it's ok to have junk food once in a while, it gives you pleasure and it's a change from routine. As for litter, there are certain spells that can take care of that in a matter of seconds."

McGonagall eyed him with astonishment.

Then her expression softened.

"Well, why not? Third years and above to get treated when they go to Hogsmeade after all… I'll leave you in charge of the litter then. Mind you, if I see so much as a gum wrapper- I shall prohibit you from progressing with it. How did you procure your product supplies?"

Ralph didn't have the slightest clue what procure meant. Kyle whispered the definition,

"Oh, I um, had them mailed to me. By post."

"That explained the numerous owls with huge packages at breakfast…"

"It wasn't enough. There was such a huge demand for them… I left half the queue to no avail."

"Business opportunity! Increase the prices…" She replied with a smile.

"I think I might just do that…" Ralph answered, turning away. "Bye Professor."

"Hold on Mr. Nadjowski, stay behind as I need to talk to you." She commanded Kyle.

Ralph waited patiently outside. The three students he met at his first day approached him.

"Cool idea." The boy he remembered called Ron complimented. "Harry you never told me how cool those popsticles were."

"Popsicles," Hermione corrected.

"I never got to eat much. Dudley would gobble any he would lay his sight on, so I wouldn't stand a chance."

"Pig." Ron remarked.

"Did you see the way those disgusting Slytherins reacted to the muggle food though?" Hermione asked conversably.

"All the more food available for the rest of the houses." Ralph said brightly.

"Here here." Ron and Harry said in unison.

"Well how were your first 2 weeks here Ralph, do you like it?" Hermione asked.

"It could have been better," Ralph winged, contemplating the fact that it would be a whole extra week before he'd finally get to join his official classmates thanks to Jack.

Kyle finally arrived.

"Well hope things start to look up, sincerely." Hermione said, walking away with her friends.

"See you." Harry called, and Ron waved.

"What did McGonagall want?" Ralph asked Kyle.

"To see whether I'm still interested in skipping classes. I quote her, 'Your objection illuminated your intelligence.' Wow, remind me to always contradict her!"

"Don't push it."

Ralph felt the urge to express what had been bothering him for quite some time now.

"Why on Earth did Svetlana arrive practically last and so ended being at the back of the queue?" Ralph asked Kyle fervently and rhetorically.

"Oh well, there's always tomorrow…" Kyle said optimistically. "Remember to acquire abundant orders this time though."

Suddenly he saw something that made his heart skip a beat. Jack looked like he was having the time of his life, clearly teaching Svetlana how to ice-skate. The door to a normally empty unoccupied classroom had a sign hung on it that read:

Come have fun ice-skating! Healthy exercise! Activate those human motor skills. Only for ₤3 per hour. Free if you want to be taught/trained how to do it by yours truly, Jack Merridew!

That boy never let Ralph top him in anything.

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