Author's note: I know its short, but there's more coming over the course of the weekend, so don't panic. :P
Chapter 33 Riff Raff? (Part 1)
Harry put down his bag and slumped down into the desk in time for the next class. He hadn't managed to catch up with Hermione and Ron at all and was beginning to think they were avoiding him. He started when he heard someone put their bag down beside him.
"Hiya Harry." Neville said, glancing nervously around the room.
"I didn't know you were in this class Neville." Harry said, perking up a little.
At least he did have friends in this class.
"Yeah," Neville replied, still looking around the room. "There are only 3 Gryffindors in our class now. Guess we'd better stick together"
He gave a nervous chuckle and went about unpacking his things. Harry looked around the room at the other faces in the room. He could see Malfoy sitting with Zabini on the other side. Just in front of them sat two Hufflepuff girls who kept looking nervously behind them, as if expecting to be hexed by the two Slytherins. Behind the two Slytherins there were two boys, one each from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff.
In front of Harry were three Ravenclaw girls who were not yet seated, and were talking and giggling with Pavarti Patil. Harry rolled his eyes at them before taking his own books out. He could hear the two Slytherins snickering and looked over at them.
"What are you looking at Potter," Malfoy spat.
"Absolutely nothing," Harry replied with a smirk.
Malfoy narrowed his eyes and walked over to the desk that Harry was sitting at. The entire class turned to watch.
"Is that the best you can come up with Potter. It seems as if the absence of the mudblood is making you dumber by the minute." Malfoy said with a smirk.
Zabini was laughing under his breath. The two Hufflepuff girls rolled their eyes and began fussing with their notes, while the others in the class continued to watch with baited breath.
"Then again," Malfoy continued. "She wouldn't fit in very well here would she?"
Harry looked around, confused.
"Oh don't tell me you didn't notice!" Malfoy exclaimed gleefully.
Zabini started laughing a little harder, as did Parvarti. The Ravenclaw girls looked scandalous.
"Oh but it's about time that they got rid of the riff-raff and chose only the higher society for the advanced classes. Of course, there are some exceptions…" Malfoy said, looking meaningfully at Neville, who looked down, embarrassed.
"What are you talking about Malfoy?" Harry said angrily, not wanting to be dragged into whatever game Malfoy had decided to play today.
"Oh nothing, just the absence of dirt from the class." Malfoy said innocently, wiping an invisible speck from his sleeve.
"How tastefully put." Came a voice from the door. They all turned and saw Professor Helsing leaning against the doorway, clapping lightly.
"Bravo" she said sarcastically.
Malfoy flushed slightly and the girls who had been standing watching the interaction scattered towards the nearest seats.
