3. Wrackspurts declare you sane


"Draco," Pansy called to snap him out of his trance.

"Potter doesn't hate me."

"Oh brilliant, what's this now?"

"The whole school hates me and Potter doesn't hate me." He said a little dumbly.

"Then Potter clearly doesn't belong in this school."

Draco turned to look at her. "He doesn't. Why is he here? Shouldn't he be with the aurors charging into the next dozen life-saving missions?"

"Auroring is an awful career choice if you ask me."

"He's clearly capable of saving anyone, so the fact that he saved me wouldn't at all have implied that he doesn't hate me— yet he apparently doesn't— how could he? And why did he have to save me in the first place? I still don't know whether to feel grateful or resentful about it— I mean, I could have ended this fiasco of a life right there, and the git had to extend it, probably while congratulating himself on his heroics— you bet it'd be the death of him one day if it hasn't been already— why are you looking at me like this?"

"I should have known. You've never needed encouragement to talk about Potter."

"As we've been telling you for the past years," Blaise interjected, "you could easily talk to the man and put us all out of our misery."

"Oh I'm sure I heard wrong, but did you say easily?"

"You've managed to get all buddied up with Boot, and he wasn't staring at you all through breakfast. Can't be that hard."

"A lot of people could stare at me all through breakfast contemplating murder in their heads."

"You flatter yourself with significance, darling. No one but Potter has the determination to keep at it all through breakfast."

"The staring? Or contemplating my murder?"

"You are a nuisance. And you know if he weren't staring at you, you'd be staring right back at him."

"And that's only because you're avoiding the 'glare-at-each-other' thing of all bygone years." Blaise said.

"Well. Now must be the point where I forcibly change the topic to avoid incriminating admissions." Draco said, "how are you guys doing with the Charms project? Stop looking at me like that, Pansy!"

"Pitiful, Draco Malfoy." She said while shaking her head.


Lunch break found Terry in the Slytherin common room. He and Draco talked about Charms for half an hour. Then Terry left, and Draco was still talking about Charms— or whatever Muggle-magic hybrid monster they created.

"I can see arithmancy shortcuts for a lot of their calculus. Honestly, it's such an inefficient process, and the expressions must become so monstrous. It's by Merlin a miracle they solved anything at all."

"Oh no."

"What?"

"You're turning into a Ravenclaw."

"Fuck you. My sanity is still in check." He paused. And then looked up, "on second thoughts…"

Blaise snorted. "On second thoughts, he's always been like this. Oh no Pansy, don't you fret. If you only knew the things he got up to in the boy's dorms—"

"—Reading till three AM in bed with a lumos? I know Blaise."

"But do you remember the time he tried to glue the Giant Squid's tentacle to our window?"

"Doesn't that sound just like me." Draco said drily.

"That botched permanent sticking charm? The one time you were reckless as a Gryffindor?"

"Best thing is," Draco mused, "that shit worked for two seconds before the window disappeared, drenched me and no one else, then went back into place."

"Even the seventh years were amazed."

"Have you ever had the castle shook her head disappointedly at you?" Draco said long-sufferingly, "that's what that was."


Harry thought it was just his luck that he bumped into Malfoy leaving the Great Hall. It must be the theme of the day— Harry Potter and Malfoy-Encounters of Entrance Halls. They stared at each other like two threatened kneazles, then Harry had to blurt out:

"You don't hate me."

"Neither do you hate me. Personally I don't know which is more surprising."

More silent staring ensued.

After what must have been centuries, they were saved by the skipping footsteps of one Luna Lovegood.

"Hi Harry, Hello Draco."

"Hey Luna— what are you doing here?"

"I was following the wrackspurts. They said they were all on a pilgrimage to the next promised land, and it led to the two of you."

"Should— should we be worried?"

"Don't worry, Harry. Their religious activities are a lot more volatile than human's. I've been watching them for years. But now I'm looking for a close relative of theirs called muritos, they help you see how close one is to Zen. It's fascinating that a magical being exists as evidence for what's inexpressible to Muggles. But that isn't really a surprise, since even most witches and wizards are blind to them."

"Burritos?"

"No, Harry. It's muritos, where 'mu' means nothing. Now can I observe your ear canals to see if any of them are with the wrackspurts? It might get all of us one step closer to the world of truths."

Harry's hands protectively went to his ears, and Draco said "Thank you for the offer, Luna, but I'd rather remain seven hells below enlightenment." Then he shuffled away to escape down the hall.

Harry sniggered at the commiserating glance they shared— before checking himself because this was Malfoy — then turned to Luna and shook his head.

"Oh. Sorry, Harry. Was that over the line of 'too much'?"

Harry nodded.

"Whoops. Your social standards are really so arbitrary…" And she walked away as dreamily.

"You're right," Harry muttered to her retreating back, "with some people you just never know what to do."