XXIX
The next morning Kakashi had his first lesson in Care for Magical Creatures with Professor Hagrid. After everything Harry had already told him about Hagrid being the first one to introduce him to the magical world, Kakashi had been a bit excited about finally getting to meet the man in person. It turned out surprisingly disappointing.
Apparently, during the first Care for Magical Creatures lesson with the Slytherins and Gryffindors one of the creatures had attacked Draco Malfoy and left him with a broken arm. At least, that was Malfoy's story. According to the Gryffindors, the injury was only a scrape and barely worth mentioning. In any case, it had successfully destroyed Kakashi's Care for Magical Creatures classes.
Under his beard, Hagrid was pale, and his bottom lip wet and wobbly from biting down on it. He needed at least three attempts to explain anything at all, clearly worrying to make a mistake. And instead of learning about the hippogriffs the way Harry's class had, the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs were made to learn about Flobberworms, which was boring and dull. If Kakashi didn't remember that Flobberworm juice was also an ingredient in both yesterday's Potion class and the ice cream cup Harry had bought him on his first day in Diagon Alley, there would be nothing about these worms, Kakashi found worth remembering. This way, at least, he could ponder the fact, that their pale pink blood was apparently edible, though they smelled disgusting.
"This was boring," Zacharias complained on their way back to the castle. "I should get rid of it. I have too many electives anyway."
"Give Hagrid a chance," Hannah said. "After what happened to Malfoy, no wonder he's a bit out of it. Maybe it will all pass in a few days and we can learn about hippogriffs too."
"How's Malfoy doing?" Megan asked in a quiet voice. She only spoke very rarely and Kakashi could only barely hear her. "I heard he almost lost his arm."
"Malfoy is just a whiny little wimp," Zacharias grunted.
"Granger said it wasn't that bad," Ernie said, as they met up with their other classmates for their History class. "He's just making an elephant out of a molehill."
"I heard he even told his father," Susan added. "I mean of course he did, It's Malfoy after all. But apparently, his father sent a complaint to the ministry. Wants to get Hagrid fired."
"No wonder, he's so out of it," Hannah said sympathetically.
"Anyway, it's boring. I don't really care why," Zacharias said again. "And now we have history…Damn, I already hate Fridays." He dragged his hand through his short blond hair. "I can't wait for Monday. We have Defense Against the Dark Arts then. The second years said the new teacher is really good."
"What did you hear?" Susan asked curiously. "I heard he killed a Dementor on the train. Granger said he did that when Potter fainted."
"He didn't kill it," Ernie said.
"Granger said—" Susan repeated, but she didn't get to finish.
"Granger said, Professor Lupin chased it away, not that he killed the Dementor."
Susan pouted at that. "Do you think they can be killed?" She asked curiously.
Hannah shook her head. "We're supposed to stay away from them." She looked worried. "They are dangerous. You know what Dumbledore said."
"Yes," Justin agreed, holding the door for them. "I for my part won't get in their way. I didn't fancy getting petrified last year. Really, I'd rather stay away from all these creepy creatures." He shuddered. "It's the reason I didn't take Care for Magical Creatures." He turned to Kakashi. "Ah, Charlie, did anybody tell you about last year?"
Kakashi shook his head, although he had read a bit about the Chamber of Secrets and Harry had at least mentioned it during one of their conversations over the holidays. However, Kakashi believed, that if information was freely given, he shouldn't deny it. Whatever Justin wanted to tell him about anything to do with Hogwarts and the events of last year, Kakashi would listen. Maybe there was something useful to be gained. Just a few minutes ago – without even asking for it – he had learned that apparently none of his classmates knew the first thing about how to fight a Dementor. Asking Professor Lupin really seemed to be the best opportunity for him to learn anything about that. He'd have his first lesson with the new teacher on Monday.
For now, History of Magic wasn't nearly as boring as he had expected after Zacharias complaint. He saw why Zacharias and his other classmates felt like that, though. Most of the students slept through half of the lesson because Professor Binns was a ghost who spoke with a sort of monotony that reminded Kakashi of practicing a very slow breathing technique.
But what he had to say about the history of the Statute of Secrecy was actually quite interesting.
Professor Binns also didn't seem bothered, when halfway through the class the kids stopped listening entirely when Draco Malfoy started loudly complaining about his arm. It was the first class, Kakashi had with the Malfoy.
"Father says, he sued the school and Hagrid. If everything goes well, that big oaf won't have his job at the end of the year," he announced to a girl sitting next to him, Pansy Parkinson. Her nose reminded Kakashi a bit of Pakkun. He rather liked her face, though she wasn't conventionally attractive, and the way she giggled at Malfoy's story of losing somebody their job also didn't make her seem particularly likable.
"How is it? Does it hurt?" She asked- Her whisper was loud enough that everybody in the class could hear it.
"Yes," Malfoy answered. His lips turned into a suffering grimace but then he made a brave face. "The nurse said I almost lost it." It was the same Megan had said earlier, telling Kakashi that Malfoy must have been talking about this all day. "I still can't write, and this morning Weasley had to cut my ingredients." He shook his head. "He's ruined it on purpose! Professor Snape almost subtracted points, but of course, that would've been unfair since it was Weasley's mistake. Ultimately, Professor Snape made Weasley hand his potion in for mine…" He sighed. "But it's Weasley's potion." He shook his head as if in disgust. "You know, he's horrid at Potions, so I can't imagine it will be very good. Now I have to explain to father, why I won't get an Outstanding in the assignment."
"I'm so sorry," Pansy cried out in shock at the unfairness of it all. "I would've offered to help if you had said something earlier."
"It'll have to do," Malfoy whined.
"As if Snape would ever give you less than an Outstanding, even if Weasley made your potion," Zacharias called out to Malfoy from his seat in the back row. "And now stop whining, Malfoy. My ears start bleeding."
Malfoy glared at the Hufflepuff. "Maybe stop listening in on other people's private conversations, Smith," he hissed.
"It's impossible not to listen," Zacharias defended himself, "you're speaking louder than Professor Binns."
"As if you'd want to follow the class, anyway," Pansy snapped.
Draco's two burly friends – by now, Kakashi knew their names were Crabbe and Goyle – laughed stupidly.
"Shut up, all of you!" Ernie warned.
It was finally enough, even for Professor Binns, who stopped his monotonous litany in front of the class. "What is this about?"
"Professor Binns," Pansy cried out, "Draco is still injured from the hippogriff attack yesterday."
Malfoy perked up at that. "Yes, Professor. My wrist hurts too much to write. I can't keep up."
Worried, the old ghost peered at the bandages around Malfoy's forearm.
"Ah, that's a shame. Of course, one moment…" He looked at the rest of the class. "Would anybody here be willing to share their transcript?"
There were long faces all across the room. The Hufflepuffs all held their heads low, and from the Slytherins, there were only a few who had written down anything at all, never mind a full transcript that they felt confident to share.
"This is discouraging," Professor Binns sighed after a few seconds with a tone of outrage. "This utter lack of comradery." Clearly, despite teaching this class for years, he seemed to have no concept whatsoever about how few of his students paid attention at all. Wouldn't he at least realize that at the exams?
"I can," Kakashi said raising his hand.
Startled heads turned to him. Justin even nudged him in the side.
"What?" Kakashi asked curious about the reaction. Even Malfoy who had essentially asked for a transcript stared at him as if he had two heads.
"Why would you help Malfoy?" Justin whispered. "He's a twat. He wouldn't move a finger for you."
"I have a complete transcript," Kakashi said, pointing at his parchment. He was aware that it was likely riddled with spelling errors, as he still didn't have the English spelling rules down, but he thought it would be enough for Malfoy to be able to read it. And Professor Binns was right. It was a terrible showing of comradery, if out of an entire class of kids not a single one could be bothered to help an injured classmate, no matter how much he might be exaggerating his injury.
"Excellent, Mr. Maddox," Professor Binns exclaimed causing Hannah, Susan, and Ernie to laugh. "15 points to Hufflepuff. Now, where was I?" He looked into his own textbook trying to find the thread of his interrupted lesson again.
"You were talking about Italy's refusal to implement Section 3 of the Statute," Kakashi informed him.
"Ah, yes. Thank you, Mr. Madlin," Professor Binns nodded, "Another five points."
"Thanks," Kakashi said not at all bothered by the constant misremembering of his fake name. He didn't really care for house points but clearly, his classmates did, judging from the way Ernie, Hannah, and Susan grinned. Only Zacharias and Justin were still scowling at him.
"He won't thank you for it," Justin hissed when Professor Binns continued his lecture. "If you're so proud of your transcript that you want to share it, give it to me and the rest of house Hufflepuff…Hell, give it to the Ravenclaws or Gryffindors for all I care, but Malfoy's evil."
Kakashi frowned. He glanced back at Draco Malfoy who was still staring at him with wide eyes before Pansy started talking to him again.
"He's just a kid," Kakashi observed. Malfoy had seemed rather obnoxious every time he'd seen him. The way he treated Neville, Harry, and Harry's friends was horrendous, but Kakashi would hardly describe him as evil.
"Okay," Justin nodded glancing back at Malfoy as well. "I see why you would say that. You don't know him after all. But his father's a death eater. Everybody knows. Last year I was almost killed, and Potter said, that it was his father's doing."
Kakashi hadn't heard about that particular accusation, though he had already heard from both Ron and Harry, that Malfoy's father was a death eater. He knew that a death eater was a follower of Voldemort. However, if meeting Sirius had taught him anything, then that, not everybody accused of being a death eater necessarily was that. And even if, Kakashi thought separating people into good and evil categories was a rather childish thing.
Kakashi had fought in a big war and killed people for his village. The people he had killed were his enemies who had murdered his comrades or would have if given the chance. From Konoha's perspective, they were evil. And still, just earlier this year he had found a bingo book from Kirigakure with his own face in it and a bounty on his head…It had been a stark reminder that for shinobi and civilian in other countries, he was the enemy, and he was evil.
However, even if he were to adhere to such bleak black-and-white thinking… "So, his father would be evil," Kakashi concluded.
Kakashi knew a thing or two about carrying the burden of being his father's son. As a child, he had seen his father as a hero and the greatest shinobi of his village, and many others had seen it like that too, thus he was expected to follow in his footsteps, and to surpass him even. That alone was a heavy task to lay at the feed of a mere child – even if that child was a prodigy. Then his father had been labeled a traitor and a coward and Kakashi had struggled and strived against that image…Now he knew his father was a hero who had sacrificed everything for the life of his comrades, even his good name…And no matter what people thought of Kakashi…No matter how much they thought him his father's son, he knew for a fact, that he could never be that. He had already failed at that.
His father was the hero who had saved his comrades. Kakashi was the scum who had failed them.
Even if Mr. Malfoy was evil…it didn't say anything about Draco Malfoy.
"Didn't you see, how he runs around the school as if it belongs to him?" Justin asked shaking his head. "Draco and his father, believe me, if they knew your blood status, they'd wish you dead."
"I'm pretty sure he knows," Kakashi replied. "Anyway, if you want, I can give you the transcript too."
Justin was about to insist before he reconsidered. "Sure," he nodded. "I think Susan knows a spell how to duplicate it, so we can make a copy for everyone if you don't mind."
Kakashi shrugged. "I don't mind. Go ahead. But I have poor spelling."
"Me too," Justin grinned. He scratched his curly-haired head. "Snape and McGonagall almost always subtract points for bad spelling. But if you show McGonagall a doctor's slip for dyslexia, it'll be okay. At least with her, she respects that. No chance with Snape, though."
Kakashi had no idea what dyslexia was, nor did he really care about losing points for bad spelling.
Just as Justin planned, as soon as class finished, he waved Susan over, so she could duplicate Kakashi's transcript.
"You wrote 'secrecy' with a Z," Zacharias said as he picked up his copy. "And what's…?" His eyes narrowed, then he snorted in amusement. "Oh, is that supposed to mean Czechoslovakia?"
"Don't be an asshole," Hannah said, slapping the back of Zacharias' head.
Justin peered at the paper. "Hm, that isn't correct," he said. "That's outdated. Czechoslovakia separated this year." He chuckled. "You could make some extra points telling Binns about that."
At that moment Draco Malfoy strolled past them to the teacher's desk. "Professor Binns?"
"Yes, Mr. Mallaby?" The ghost turned from his chalkboard to the kid who was visibly bristling at being called the wrong name.
"It's Malfoy, Sir," Malfoy said. "My name is Draco Malfoy."
"Of course," Professor Binns said. "I think I taught your father and grandfather, didn't I?"
Malfoy nodded. He was red in the face and probably wondering how Binns could still forget the name even three generations in.
"What were their names again?" Professor Binns mused. "Lucas and Bilius Mallaby!"
"Abraxas!" Draco hissed. "Lucius and Abraxas. And it's Malfoy. My father was a longtime member of the Hogwarts Board of Governors." He added in an outraged tone.
"Very well, Mr. Malfony, what did you want to talk about?"
Malfoy apparently gave up then, though he looked close to tears, when Zacharias and Justin started laughing behind him. "I wanted to inform you that Czechoslovakia split up," he said glaring back at Justin. "Just this year. You mentioned them in the list of contracting states to the Statute of Secrecy."
"Oh, did it?" Professor Binns exclaimed excitedly. "That's rather thrilling news. I will need to look that up for our next lesson. If a country splits apart that wouldn't be of concern for the Statute of Secrecy for as long as the ministry doesn't split apart as well. With the separation between muggles and the magical world, a muggle country splitting doesn't necessarily mean the same for the magical community. So, I can't answer your question quite yet." Kakashi didn't fail to notice, that Malfoy hadn't actually asked a question. "Twenty points to Slytherin, for being so well informed on current matters."
"Thank you, Professor," Malfoy said with a dignified bow, before he turned around, shouldered a satchel, and left the classroom with a venomous glare towards the Hufflepuffs.
"That asshole," Justin hissed. "He just listened in on us. He probably can't even point at Czechoslovakia on a map!"
"I can't either," Ernie shrugged.
"It's next to Germany and Poland," Nitin picked up his copy. "I want to visit Prague one day." He looked at Ernie who was staring at him. "You should really read Kafka and Hašek."
The others looked at him as if he spoke a foreign language.
"I know Kafkaesque," Megan said after what felt like an eternity, sounding uncertain.
Nitin shook his head as he packed his copy of the transcript away and left after Malfoy and the other Slytherins.
Ernie looked after him. "They are muggle authors, right?" he asked as Kakashi was packing away his things. "Kafka and that other one?"
Kakashi found Draco Malfoy again in the Great Hall at the Slytherin table. He was talking to a group of teenagers who Kakashi thought might be the Slytherin Quidditch team.
"I don't know if I can go to practice tomorrow," he just announced to the other boys, when Kakashi came up behind him. "My arm still hurts."
"Take the time off, until you're back in shape again. I'll talk to Professor Snape about our first game," a much older boy with broad shoulders and a heavy jaw replied. "We were supposed to play the first game of the year against those Gryffindor weaklings, but with your injury…We need our seeker."
"The first game is always in the first week of November, right?" another boy asked in a nasal voice. "I won't be angry if we can get out of that one…Weather is always dreadful around that time of the year."
Malfoy and the broad-shouldered boy laughed.
"Malfoy," Kakashi called out for him.
The blond boy turned to him, looking surprised.
"What do you want, Major?" The rest of his team turned to Kakashi as well watching him with varying levels of interest.
"You're the new kid they're talking about," the broad-shouldered one said. "The one who didn't know they were a wizard." His voice was a bit like a frog, Kakashi thought. He was also difficult to understand because he laughed as he spoke. "I heard Peeves got you good yesterday."
"It was a waste of a perfectly good cake," Kakashi agreed, then he turned to Malfoy who was frowning at him. "Your transcript." He pulled the extra copy Susan had created for him from his satchel.
Malfoy looked baffled as he took it. "You really meant it, when you said you'd share it?" He stared wide-eyed at the first line of the parchment, then back at Kakashi.
"You thought I lied?" Kakashi scratched his head. "Why would I lie about that?"
Malfoy shrugged.
One of the older boys looked over Malfoy's shoulder at the parchment. "History of Magic," he deduced from the title. "And I thought Potter's Mudblood friend is the only one who paid attention to Binns in your year."
"Don't call her that," Kakashi said, remembering Neville's outrage at the word.
The older boy looked at him. Then the whole Quidditch team busted out laughing. "You're one too, aren't you?" The boy asked. "That's why you didn't know you were a wizard. What is it with Mudbloods and History of Magic?"
Kakashi shrugged, because the question seemed utterly benign to him, but was also easily answered. "I guess, getting accustomed to a world's history, makes it easier getting a foothold in it."
"Infiltrating and invading it, you mean," one of the other boys hissed. "I know all about your strategies."
Kakashi shrugged again, because technically, the boy was correct – at least when it came to Kakashi. He knew from many missions, that learning about a place's history was the first step in trying to infiltrate it. Not that he needed that with Hogwarts and the magical world. That place had been awfully easy to infiltrate.
The broad-shouldered boy suddenly burst out laughing. "And they say, Mudbloods bring interesting new perspectives and knowledge into our world," he exclaimed oddly happy. "Look at that." He pointed at the parchment. "All this guy will bring is bad spelling. What kind of idiot writes 'Secrecy' with a Z? And look, he wrote 'negotiations' with SH. Negoshiashons." The whole group laughed.
"He misspelled Czechoslovakia, too" Malfoy obviously remembered what Zacharias had said earlier.
"Well, how by Salazar's beard to you spell Czechoslovakia?" somebody asked silent enough that not everybody at the table picked it up.
"And he wrote Parlament with an I," one of Malfoy's burly friends added. Kakashi thought that one was Crabbe.
"Yes," Malfoy said, "because it's Parliament, not Parlament, you idiot. You spell that with an I." He knocked Crabbe in the ribs with his elbow, then he turned to Kakashi who was about to leave. "Thanks."
"No problem," Kakashi said. "If you still need them for next week, just ask."
Malfoy's eyes widened. "Why would you—" he started, but then he caught himself. "Yeah, I'll tell you," he announced in a somewhat imperious tone.
"It's not any extra work for me," Kakashi answered his unfinished question regardless. "So why not?" He shrugged. "Apparently, I'll share my transcripts with my housemates anyway. Susan knows a duplicating spell so I can just ask her for an extra copy."
Malfoy stared at him as if Kakashi's words made no sense to him. For a moment, Kakashi considered if he had maybe messed up his sentence structure again. He hadn't felt that uncertain about his sentences in a while, but as he thought about what he had said he didn't find a mistake.
"Uh, and you don't mind sharing?" Malfoy asked eventually.
Kakashi shook his head, somewhat annoyed because he'd just explained that.
"He wrote 'Signatories' without a G," one of the boys said.
"Well, you could almost excuse that. With Binns' bored tone he always makes it sound like 'sinnatories'." The group laughed when the boy imitated Binns' bored voice.
"So, what excuse is there to write 'obituary' as 'obitrary'?"
"I think that's supposed to be 'arbitrary'."
"Knock it off!" Malfoy grunted when Kakashi was too far enough away for any other kid to hear – but to Kakashi, the words were still clear as day.
"I think the mummy was coolest," Ron nodded with a grin on his face. "I mean, my spider was not too shabby, but the mummy was just awesome." He dipped a piece of bread in the gravy that remained from his dinner.
"Why didn't Professor Lupin give me a chance, though?" Harry complained not for the first time. They were all still excited about their battles with the Boggart, and he just wished he'd had a chance as well.
"Nah," Ron shrugged eating his bread and continuing to talk with his mouth full. "Think about it, nobody wants You-Know-Who in the middle of the staffroom." He snorted.
Admittedly, Harry saw Ron's point, but he didn't think the Boggart would've turned into Voldemort. He already had the Dementor clear in his mind, although he still didn't know how he would've turned that creature funny.
"Anyway," Hermione interrupted then. "Why is Professor Lupin afraid of a crystal ball?"
Harry shrugged. Maybe Lupin saw too many shaggy black dogs in them, he thought amused. He was distracted when somebody came up behind him and Ron.
"Look at that." Seamus put a parchment scroll down in front of Ron and Harry. "I got that from Wayne Hopkins."
Wayne was one of the Hufflepuff's in their year, though Harry had never had any contact with him apart from a group project in Transfiguration in their second year. He was a quiet boy and as far as Harry knew a substitute Keeper for the Hufflepuff Quidditch team, but he never saw him play.
"What's that?" Ron asked, picking up the parchment. "The Sinnatory States of the Statute of Secrezy," he read out loud. "Who writes 'Secrezy' with a Z. And what the heck's 'Sinnatory' supposed to mean?"
"It's 'Signatory States'," Seamus corrected.
"Okay," Ron shrugged uninterested. "What about it?"
"Is that from Charlie?" Harry guessed at the same time, recognizing the tidy font like a typewriter had written it. And then there was the bad spelling. "I'm pretty sure Charlie wrote that."
"You're sure, somebody wrote that?" Ron asked with a curiously raised eyebrow. "It looks like it's printed."
"Believe me, I watched Charlie write. He does Calligraphy."
"What's Calligraphy?" Ron looked confused.
"It's a form of art," Seamus replied distractedly. "Anyway, you're right Harry. The new kid from Hufflepuff wrote that. It's the History of Magic transcript."
Immediately, Ron was interested. His eyes quickly traveled down the scroll, scanning the neat script. "That's amazing," he exclaimed. "Hermione, that's better than yours."
"What are you talking about?" Hermione exclaimed from the bench opposite them. She snatched the parchment from Ron's hand and quickly read through it. Then she blushed. "Right, this is good," she admitted begrudgingly, though, unlike Ron, she avoided comparing it to her own transcripts. "How did you get that?"
"Wayne gave it to me," Seamus repeated.
"Yes, I heard that," Hermione said impatiently. "How did he get it? I doubt Charlie would just hand this over."
Seamus shook his head. "No, he did. Wayne said, he had no problem sharing, so Susan made a copy for all of them. He even gave one to Malfoy, Wayne said."
"Why would he give one to that git before giving it to us," Ron complained taking the parchment back from Hermione. "This is really good. Look at that!" He pointed at a precise outline of the event leading to the Statute of Secrecy halfway down the scroll. "The spelling is horrendous, but that's genius. Why are your transcripts never that clear, Hermione?"
"If by clear you mean easy enough to understand that even an idiot like you can grasp it," Hermione snapped back.
"Anyway, this is great, so how do I get one of these," Ron asked Seamus ignoring Hermione's retort.
"Wayne said, he'll just hand them over. So, ask Charlie directly. He can't do a duplicating charm though, so…"
"Yeah, no worries, Hermione can do that," Ron said with a grin.
Hermione crossed her arms. "And why would I help you with that?" She sounded both standoffish and annoyed. "You should just pay attention to History of Magic yourself. At least make an effort! It's so interesting."
"Come on Hermione," Harry begged, because he had tried to pay attention to History before, and it reliably ended with him falling asleep.
"It's cheating," she insisted.
"It's not, technically," Seamus disagreed. "Binns doesn't grade our transcripts after all. Everybody still has to do their own homework and exams. It's just helping each other learn something we all have trouble with."
"Helping each other," Hermione snorted. "You mean you all using the new kid's generosity and not giving anything back."
Harry felt a little bad now that Hermione put it like that. Surely, in a few weeks, Kakashi's interest in History of Magic would wane the way Harry's interest had died under Binns' boring teaching style. And then if half the school relied on his transcripts, they'd just pressure him to continue. Technically, they could all pay attention themselves, even if Harry didn't know how to make a thorough transcript like this.
"Charlie doesn't mind," Ron insisted. "Didn't you listen?" Seamus nodded along, and even Harry found himself nodding, although he wasn't certain if he agreed because he believed Seamus or because it would just make History of Magic so much more convenient for him.
"Of course, he minds," Hermione insisted. "You're all idiots, that you can't see it." She glared at them. "You don't know how that is. He's in a new school, in a new world, so of course, he pays attention in one of his first classes and then his new friends ask him to share what he wrote." She grimaced. "I know how that is! He just wants to make friends, and he thinks that will do it. But you think the likes of Malfoy will thank him for it?"
Ron grunted. "Well, I don't get why he'd share with Malfoy anyway. But we're not Malfoy. And Charlie already is our friend."
"And I really don't think he's the type who cares that much about buying friends," Harry added trying to think the way Charlie would think. He failed abysmally because the boy was still a mystery to him. "I mean, he doesn't seem like it."
"How would you know?" Hermione asked. "You only know him for a month. Why else would he do that, huh? It's not like you pay him."
Ron huffed. "Maybe he's just being nice, hm? Who knows? Maybe it turns out not every nerd in this school is a selfish know-it-all who doesn't want to share her work with the stupid common folks."
"That's enough, Ron!" Harry warned, but it was too late.
"I have to do my Arithmancy homework," Hermione announced as she jumped from her chair and hurriedly left the Great Hall.
"You didn't even go to Arithmancy!" Ron called after her angrily.
"Leave her be!"
"She didn't," Ron insisted. "Arithmancy is at the same time as Care for Magical Creatures, so she couldn't have gone there."
Harry dragged his fingers through his hair, annoyed. "That's not what I mean. Why did you call her selfish?"
Ron glowered at him. "Because she is!"
Seamus looked from Harry to Ron. "Is this still about History of Magic?" he asked tentatively.
"Why would she buy that fat cat?" Ron exclaimed as if he was just waiting for a chance to let loose. "Scabbers is already sick, and now that fat ball of fur is hunting him all across the common room. He can't even relax in our dorm room because nothing is safe before that menace!" He slapped his hand on the table. "Scabbers barely leaves my side when I'm in the common room. But when I'm not there, he has to hide. I always fear that I come back, and that beast ripped him to pieces."
Harry was tired of the argument by now. Partly, because he agreed with Ron, but he didn't know how to tell that to Hermione in a sensible manner. Why did she have to buy the one cat that couldn't stop trying to murder Ron's rat? It wasn't really Hermione's fault, he guessed. Sure, Crookshanks had been rather aggressive even back in the shop, but nobody could have known how unrelenting he would hunt Scabbers. But still…Scabbbers was there first, and it wasn't right, that Ron now had to fear for his rat's life. Harry also didn't know why Hermione wasn't doing anything about it. At least she could lock Crookshanks away when she wasn't around to have an eye on him. Instead, the tomcat roamed free, that sometimes even Hermione didn't know where he was.
"Anyway," Ron said standing up to look for Charlie. "Let's ask Charlie! Is he—Ah!" He pointed at Charlie at the Hufflepuff table. "There he is."
Ron grabbed Harry's sleeve and pulled him along. "Charlie! Charlie, wait up!" Ron called out when Charlie was about to stand up and leave the Great Hall alone.
The brunette stopped and turned to them. He waved and waited for them to catch up, only to turn to the exit the moment they arrived. "I'm going to the Library," he explained. Ron grimaced behind Charlie's back. "I have to do extra research for Professor Snape's class."
"What does the bat want?" Ron asked running along next to Charlie.
Charlie held the door for all three of them. "He wants me to catch up on the first- and second-year material."
Harry groaned. "What a pain," he complained. Of course, Snape would demand Charlie do that. If every teacher just expected Charlie to catch up on all the material himself, why were there even teachers in this school? Harry couldn't imagine doing all that alone.
"I need to get the textbooks."
"We could give you our books," Harry suggested, gesturing between himself and Ron, "from last year."
Ron shook his head. "Ginny has my old books." He sounded both apologetic and a bit ashamed. His family's poverty always bothered him.
Harry felt bad about forgetting that for a moment. He had thought, it would be easiest for Ron to just ask his parents to send his old books over…but of course, that wasn't possible. He quickly jumped in. "I put my old books in my Gringotts vault. Maybe the goblins could send them here." But he wasn't certain that would work.
Charlie shook his head. "Thanks, but I don't think it's necessary. Snape said the Library has everything I need."
"Sure," Harry agreed, uncertain. "But you can't write into the library books and you can only take them for a month before Pince starts annoying you about it." He remembered that Charlie never met Madam Pince. "She's the librarian. Very protective about her books. It would be easiest to get your own copy." He considered the options. "Maybe Hermione would lend you hers. Her parents can just send them over."
Ron pulled a face. "Hermione hates sharing her books," he grunted. "You know…because people scribble into them or leave stains and dog ears."
Charlie stopped short, staring at Ron with big eyes. "Why would somebody leave dog ears in a book?"
Ron blinked confused about the question. "You know…," he started but then shook his head. "To mark the page…You don't do that?" He snorted. "You're like Hermione, huh? Leaving the pages pristine and undamaged."
But Harry didn't know if that answered Charlie's question. The boy still looked confused but then he just shook his head and climbed the stairs.
"You can show me the way," Charlie suggested. "Susan said it's on the first floor."
"The Library?" Ron and Harry came after him. "Yeah sure. We can show you. But we actually wanted to ask you something."
Charlie glanced back at them.
"Seamus…One of our classmates told us you share your History of Magic transcripts around," Ron continued. Charlie nodded "I wondered if we could have a copy too."
Charlie frowned at that. For a moment Harry considered that he might be angry at the question, which made him wonder if he really shared the copies around as freely as Seamus had suggested. He remembered Hermione's earlier words. But then, Charlie only shrugged, and when he spoke, he sounded more confused than put-off by the request.
"Sure, why not? Just copy them from somebody, everybody has them anyway."
Ron grinned relieved. "Great. We just wanted to make sure," he said naturally including Harry who had had no say in the matter, "that you don't mind."
"I don't mind."
"You're awesome, mate." Ron clapped Charlie's shoulder who jumped forward either from the force of the clap or from surprise. "I heard even Malfoy got a copy," Ron added as he led the way to the Library. "Don't know what he told you to make you give him one. Or did he steal it?"
"I gave it to him," Charlie answered matter-of-factly.
"That way," Harry said, as he turned into the library corridor.
"I get it." Ron nodded. "You don't really know Malfoy, so how would you know? But we don't help the Slytherins."
Harry agreed with a decisive nod. He'd gladly see Malfoy and his posse fail all his classes. Sadly, Malfoy – despite everything – was apparently a good student, so Harry had been disappointed in that regard during the last few years. No reason to make it even easier for him. Draco Malfoy already had enough of an advantage with Snape shoving Outstandings up his arse.
But Ron wasn't right, Harry remembered. Charlie might not know much about Malfoy, but just yesterday Harry had witnessed Malfoy bully Charlie and Neville. Why would Charlie give his written notes to Malfoy of all people, even after the boy had bullied him? Again, Harry remembered Hermione's insistence that he did it to make friends.
"Yesterday I saw Malfoy bully you and Neville," Harry started stopping in the middle of the corridor, "why would you still help him?"
Charlie stopped as well and looked at him quizzically. Then he shrugged as if he didn't know the answer himself.
"You don't just share the copies around to buy friends?" Harry asked suspiciously and worriedly.
Charlie's eyes widened a little. "To buy friends?" he repeated sounding both confused and a bit amused. "How would that even work?"
Harry looked at Ron. For both of them – while the thought hadn't initially occurred, it was at least easy to follow Hermione's thought process. Smart kids doing their less talented friends' homework as a service between friends wasn't that uncommon. Harry – and more often Ron – still sometimes asked Hermione to just let them copy parts of her essays. Hermione didn't like that, but because they were friends, if Ron and Harry really had trouble with it, she would sometimes relent. Even though Harry understood her reluctance, he thought it was mostly harmless. After all, they were friends and helped each other with other tasks as well. But for somebody to do that for a virtual stranger, even their bully wasn't quite as harmless.
Ron scratched his ginger head, looking a bit flustered. "You know, like when somebody asks you to do their homework. You do it because you think that makes you friends."
Charlie shook his head. "Would it?" At Harry's and Ron's quizzical look he added. "Make us friends, I mean, if I did your homework?"
"No," Ron immediately cried out. Harry shook his head forcefully.
They meant it in a good way, but Charlie looked taken aback and almost a bit hurt.
"I mean," Ron added quickly, "we're friends already. But you shouldn't feel pressured to do our homework because of that. And you surely shouldn't do the homework for somebody who's not your friend, or who's even bullying you, just because you hope they'll stop if you do that."
"Ah." Charlie seemed to understand finally. But then he simply continued walking. "Don't worry, I don't do anybody's homework."
Ron and Harry looked at each other and then hurried to catch up to Charlie.
"So, you don't…But you still share your transcript with Malfoy the git."
Charlie didn't even seem to see the connection. "His hand is injured, so he can't write."
"Of course, he can write." Ron threw his hands up in frustration. "He's just a whiny baby. He made me do his potion for him, too. I think, the bastard even enjoyed it. Buckbeak barely grazed him."
"That's the hippogriff," Harry intercepted quickly not knowing if Kakashi already had his first Care for Magical Creatures lesson.
Charlie seemingly considered this for a moment. "That's not really my business to judge," he said then.
"Yes, it is," Ron exclaimed in frustration, "if he makes you write the transcript for him."
"Ah," Charlie stopped and turned to Ron. "He didn't make me write anything for him. I wrote the transcript for myself and it only took a few seconds for Susan to copy it. It was no extra effort at all."
There was a reproach in Charlie's voice. Was he annoyed at them? Ron looked at Harry helplessly asking for support, but Harry just shrugged. Even if he didn't understand why Charlie would share anything with Malfoy, apparently nobody had forced or pressured him, so it wasn't their business.
"The Library?" Charlie's tone was sharper than before.
"Uh…Down the corridor, just at the end of it." Ron looked embarrassed now. "But you still don't mind if we make a copy for ourselves?"
"Mah," Charlie hummed turning to the library doors. "Be my guest."
Ron grunted when they were alone in the corridor. "I don't get it."
"Yeah, me neither," Harry agreed scratching his head. "I swear yesterday I caught Malfoy just short of calling him a…," he grimaced, "you know."
"Yeah," Ron hummed. "Anyway, I need to go to the common room. Make sure that Scabbers survived the day." He scowled.
Tiredly, Harry stopped listening not interested in another angry rant about Crookshanks. He looked out to the darkening sky, as they passed a window. Their first weekend of the new school year promised dreadful weather.
That was just fitting he thought.
Just three days in and this year already promised to be a disaster. There was a mass murderer on the hunt for him, his new Divinations teacher prophesied his death, he fell unconscious after a Dementor's attack, his best friends' pets tried to kill each other leading to tensions between Ron and Hermione, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher didn't trust him to take care of a Boggart, and Malfoy and his father tried to ruin Hagrid's carrier over that farce of an accident.
Harry was used to surviving at least one attempted murder every school year by now, but at least the years before the problems didn't hit him in the face right on the first few days.
Suddenly, deep in thought, Harry bumped into Ron. Rubbing his nose, he looked up.
"Harry," Ron sounded uncertain. "Tell me I'm dreaming." Confused, Harry followed his friend's line of view. A chill ran down his spine. What was going on?
"No," Harry whispered. "I see it too."
"But we just left Charlie in the Library."
There halfway up to Gryffindor Tower, they met Charlie deep in conversation with Neville.