Here we go with chapter 9. After several months of delay. Sorry. I do this for fun. Sometimes life says it needs to wait.

Thanks to riley1506106, Husker Nation and mattblue057 for the reviews! I'm glad you all like it. And again, thanks to anyone that's fav'd and subscribed.

…..

There's an elephant in the room, isn't there?

So, Goose. *sigh* No, this is not a self-insertion. Yes, everyone that writes a Mary Sue says that. (And let's all be honest. This is a heck of a Mary Sue here.) But it's not a self-insertion. If it was a self-insertion, Jon would wind up with Hermione, because girls like Hermione are what I'm most attracted to. (But that would be sad and cliché, so I'm not doing that.) Not to mention it would ruin what I have planned for later…

You'd have a better argument if you wanted to accuse me of turning Captain America into a teenager and throwing him into Hogwarts. That would hold some water. (I mean, you see the story pic, right?)

But Jon and I are very different. Oh sure, there are bits of me in there, as I created him and I'm writing him. But he relies more upon other inspirations. I'd say that my own personality makes up, at most, 20% of Jonathan. And that's being generous.

Regarding Luna… And this is going to irk a few Potterheads. First, let me admit I've never seen the movies in their entirety. I've seen a lot of clips on YouTube, but that's it. That said, Evanna Lynch doesn't quite fit the Luna I imagined when I first read these books, nor since I've revisited them. Heck, how I imagined Luna didn't quite fit the description from Rowling herself!

I'm not going to describe how I imagine Luna (though she doesn't look like Evanna Lynch, FYI), because the beauty of stories in written form is that, as the reader, you can imagine or cast whoever you want as a certain character. For example, Pierce Brosnan plays Sirius Black in my head. And everyone that reads this is free and clear to imagine what each character looks like. If you want to plug Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, and Evanna Lynch into this, go right ahead. If you have your own image of everyone, use that too. And if you throw away my description of Jon in favor of your own, happy days! I don't care. You are free to imagine whoever you want here.

So, Goose, I understand your comment. It's probably true of a lot of stories like this. (Everyone who writes a Mary Sue says the same thing.) So I don't expect to change your mind. I've offered my defense.

And with that out of the way, let's continue with this shameless (and sometimes poorly written) Mary Sue! Again, I only own Jonathan. Everything else belongs to JKR.

o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o

"Depth of friendship does not depend on length of acquaintance."

Rabindranath Tagore

o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o

Hermione, Jonathan, Harry, and Ron entered the Great Hall to find it in a state of chaos, and everything seemed to revolve around the House Points counters.

Ginny walked up to the group. "Have you heard what's happened?"

Everyone shook their heads, except Jon. "No," Hermione replied. "What's going on?"

"Gryffindor earned one hundred house points in the middle of the night. No one can figure out how, and the professors aren't talking."

"One hundred bloody house points!" Ron yelled loud enough for the whole hall to hear.

Jonathan glared at Ron. "Language." Looking back to his left, Jon could see McGonagall and Flitwick huddled together, looking at the crowd of students as if they were trying to figure out what to do.

"Hey, Jon's always up like two hours before anyone else." Ron blurted. "What happened?"

Jon turned his attention back to the group. "What makes you think I know?"

"Because you're the bloody loon that's always up before dawn to go for a run. Whatever earned us a hundred points had to do with you."

Jon opened his mouth to respond when two voices came from behind him.

"Ah. There you all are."

"Been looking for you lot all morning."

"At least, since we've been up."

Fred and George Weasley came up behind the group, settling on either side of Jon. The twin to Jon's right held out his hand. "Fred Weasley."

To his left, the other extended his hand. "George Weasley."

Jon crossed his arms and shook both their hands at the same time. "Jonathan Lionheart."

The twins grinned. "So, you've seen what's happened?"

Hermione nodded. "What we don't know is how."

Fred shrugged. "Not sure. But be warned; Malfoy's on the warpath."

"Says he's gonna give Harry here detention for a month for cheating the system." George offered.

Ron huffed. "I'd love to see him try. Harry had nothing to do with it. I think it has something to do with Jon."

George looked at Jon. "Really?"

Jonathan glared at Ron. "Even if I was involved, I wouldn't say."

Another loud commotion could be heard just outside the entrance to the Great Hall. Draco Malfoy, dragging what looked to be a third of Slytherin house behind him, stormed into the Hall, shouting various accusations as he approached.

"They can't win the House Cup on merit, so now they have McGonagall giving them house points for nothing!"

Harry groaned. "Brilliant…"

Jon and the group turned to see Malfoy and his group of Slytherins stop about ten feet away. "Managed to get Professor McGonagall to give you house points for nothing now, Potter?"

Jon gave a humored huff. "Draco, your mouth is movin'. Might wanna see to that."

Draco flushed and a few other students chuckled. Squaring his shoulders, Draco opened his mouth to respond before another voice interrupted.

"Suggesting that a head of house would award house points without merit is a serious accusation, Mr. Malfoy." To the right, Flitwick and McGonagall stood looking like referees before a boxing match. "A very serious allegation, indeed. I hope you have some evidence to support your suggestion."

Draco looked flustered. "Well, I don't see any other ways Gryffindor could have earned so many house points."

McGonagall stiffened. "Careful, Mr. Malfoy. Your position as prefect does no allow you to throw baseless accusations towards professors. Certainly not heads of house."

There was a sudden silence in the hall before an annoying 'hem, hem' from behind the Slytherins caught everyone's attention. Standing there looking like she was seeing something amusing was Dolores Umbridge, Professor Snape standing to her left. "Still, it is curious for a house to jump so high in points, with no explanation, after having lost so many points in one day."

"I too would enjoy an explanation." Snape drawled.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jon could have sworn he saw McGonagall roll her eyes. "I can assure both of you that the points were justly earned, and were awarded by myself, Professor Flitwick and Headmaster Dumbledore."

The sickeningly sweet smile of Umbridge got even wider, enhancing her toad-like appearance. "That still does not explain the reason. WHY were the points awarded?"

Jon tensed. He didn't care if anyone knew about his part, but he was worried about Luna. From what he was able to tell from how people called her "Loony," she wasn't exactly treated nicely; and if her sleepwalking habit got out, the mocking she currently got would only get worse. Not to mention if someone wanted to be a real bully, catching her sleepwalking would make for a juicy opportunity…

"It was decided," Professor Flitwick started to squeak, "that given the nature of how the points were earned, the students involved would decide if what happened became public knowledge."

"Ahh. And pray, who were the students involved?" Snape asked.

Professor McGonagall looked at Jon. Jon sighed. "I'm one of them. And I would like to keep the incident under wraps."

"Told you so," Ron muttered under his breath, Hermione elbowing him in the ribs.

Umbridge, impossibly, widened her smile. "Who was the other student involved?"

Jon squared his jaw, not saying a word.

Snape began to look angry. "Mr. Lionheart, tell us who the other student was."

"No, sir."

"Ten points from Gryffindor. Lionheart, you will tell us who the other student was."

The Gryffindor's in the hall erupted in anger at the loss of house points. Harry came up next to Jon. "You're gonna have to tell them, or Snape'll take away all the points and then some."

"Let him. I'm trying to protect someone."

"Who?"

Above the ruckus that had become the Great Hall, no one seemed to notice a pale blonde haired witch that managed to work her way into the middle of the near riotous group. She made her way over to Professor Flitwick and the two had a small conversation. Jon couldn't hear any of what was being said, but from the sudden sag of the small professor's shoulders, he could guess Luna was saying something like it didn't matter if people knew.

Flitwick held his wand up to his hand, magically amplifying his voice above the crowd. "Everyone settle down. The other student involved has decided she doesn't mind if what happened is known." The crowd went quiet and all eyes turned on Luna.

Draco laughed. "It would be the Loony…"

Jon took one step towards Draco, causing Harry and Ron to grab the back of his robes, whispering "don't do it" and "you can't."

It was McGonagall that cut Draco off. "Mr. Malfoy, if you finish that sentence you'll earn detention for the week. As it is, fifteen points from Slytherin."

Padma Patil had worked her way to Luna, wrapping her in a half hug. "Are you sure, Luna?"

Luna nodded, her usual dreamy expression on her face. "I'm sure. Besides, everyone will find out someday anyway."

McGonagall looked at Jon. "Mr. Lionheart?"

Jon looked at Luna. Most people he knew that slept walked were embarrassed by it. Luna didn't seem to care, and that struck Jon. She already had people calling her nasty names, and he was sure, worse. Why would she open herself up like this? Did she just not care? 'Kudos to her if that's the case, but still… A person can only take so much.'

Unfortunately for Jon, with Luna willing to tell what happened, he didn't have many choices. He could say no and keep the secret, but at what cost? Snape and Umbridge were already problematic, and Jon had promised Dumbledore he'd do what he could to keep a low profile. He'd already sort of failed on that front and letting the whole school know he'd saved Luna wouldn't help much there, either.

He looked Luna in the eyes one last time. She gave a half smile and a nod. He sighed. "Alright. If Luna's okay with it, so am I."

McGonagall nodded. "Very well. Early this morning, Miss Lovegood was walking the castle, making her way…"

'Hem, hem.' "Excuse me, but why was Miss Lovegood out of her dorm past curfew?"

"I don't do it on purpose, Professor. I sleepwalk, you see. We've tried different remedies, but it can't seem to be helped. Besides, the extra walking is good exercise, and I don't miss out on sleep."

Draco looked like he was about to laugh until he saw Jon standing squarely next to him, his right hand clenched in a fist and cocked back for a swing. Given the size difference between them, Draco swallowed nervously instead.

Most of the students just gawked, wise enough not to giggle. Umbridge looked at Luna like the girl had two heads, while McGonagall continued. "Miss Lovegood's sleepwalking habits have been known by the headmaster and staff for some time. Usually, she is not out of her dorm for very long, but according to Prefect Patil, Luna had been out of her dorm for some time. Professor Flitwick and Miss Patil had begun searching the castle to retrieve Miss Lovegood."

"And Lionheart's part in all of this?" Snape asked.

"Mr. Lionheart discovered Luna in the main hallway, making her way towards Ravenclaw tower." Flitwick began. "As she began to ascend the stairs, they began to reposition themselves. As Miss Lovegood was not awake, she was not aware." He swallowed. "She stepped off the top of the second flight of stairs and fell to the floor."

The crowd started murmuring. A few girls gasped, and Padma grabbed onto Luna a bit tighter. Even Ron reacted. "Blimey."

"Mr. Lionheart saved Miss Lovegood with a quick bit of thinking and solid spell work. Had he not been there, or been as responsive as he had been, I'm afraid the mood today would be very different." McGonagall finished. "That is the reason for the jump in house points; Jonathan Lionheart saved a students life."

Gryffindor house erupted into cheers and Jon got several claps on the back.

McGonagall leveled her eyes on Umbridge. "Does that answer your question sufficiently?"

Umbridge squinted, seeming to look for some reason to find a fault. "What was Mr. Lionheart doing outside of his dorm after curfew? Surely he doesn't sleepwalk as well?"

"Mr. Lionheart requested permission to leave the castle in the early morning for a chance to run, as was part of his routine at Ilvermorny. The request was granted with rules that he has abided thus far."

Umbridge frowned. "Very well."

Snape looked at Jon with a look that couldn't be read before turning on his heel and making for the professor's tables. Flitwick decided to end the gathering. "Now if we're all quite finished with this fuss, you don't have much time left for breakfast. I suggest you all eat as quickly as you can. I grant ten points to Jonathan for his attempt to protect another student from ridicule, even though he was forced to relent in the end. And if we hear, or hear of, anyone mocking Miss Lovegood for what happened, there will be detention and a loss of house points."

The crowd began to break up as the students made their way back to their various house tables.

Jon found himself surrounded by Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and the twins. "That was brilliant, Jon," Harry said.

Jon rolled his eyes. "Much ado about nothing. Anyone else would have done it."

"Mr. Lionheart!" Professor McGonagall called out. "Come here, please."

Jon walked over to where McGonagall and Flitwick were standing, stopping at a relaxed attention, hands behind his back. "Yes, ma'am?"

"I wanted personally to thank you for saving the school from a tragedy. I know that Luna is not the most popular student in school, but many of the professors are quite fond of her."

"It was nothing, ma'am. I'm sure any other student would have done the same."

A look crossed Flitwick's face that Jon was pretty sure meant he wasn't convinced. "All the same, Mr. Lionheart. Thank you."

"And I can assure you," McGonagall continued. "We will be paying attention to make sure Miss Lovegood is not treated poorly for this. Sadly, we can't stop everything, but we will do the best we can."

Jon nodded. "Thank you, Professor. Is there anything else?"

"No, that's all. Please, grab something to eat."

Jon nodded, stopping himself from saluting, again, but did spin on his heels in a military turn and started heading for the Gryffindor table.

Professor Flitwick watched Jon walk away with a curious look on his face. "Do you get the feeling there's more to him than we know?"

A sad look crossed over McGonagall's face. "I know there's more to him than we are aware."

"Do you think he's dangerous? He does seem to have something of a temper."

McGonagall shook her head as the two professors made for their seats at the staff table. "I have no doubt that he is dangerous, Filius. But I also have no doubt that he is good."

Jon sat back down next to Harry, pouring himself a cup of coffee and grabbing a bowl for some oatmeal.

"What did Professor McGonagall want?" Hermione asked.

Jon shrugged. "Just to thank me."

"Well, you did save another students life," Harry said.

Jon shrugged. "It's not that big a deal, really. She fell, I caught her. You'd have done the same. Any other student would have done the same. Well, except maybe Draco."

Ron shook his head. "I don't think any Slytherin would have saved her."

Jon set his coffee mug down. "I don't think that's true. I noticed only about a third of Slytherin was with Draco. The rest sat down to eat, not seeming to care." Jon turned and looked at the Slytherin table, finding clearly the division between what appeared to be three separate groups.

One group rotated around Malfoy. They seemed to hang on his every word, completely obsessed with him as if he was famous. 'I need to learn more about his family. I know they have pull in the Ministry. I need to know just how much.' Some of the girls in the group looked timid when it came to Draco, but Jon couldn't tell if this was because they liked him, or if they were afraid of him.

The second group, the middle of the table, seemed completely unconcerned with Draco Malfoy and his affairs. There didn't seem to be a group leader, but the most conversation seemed to buzz around two girls. One had blonde, wavy hair. Where Luna's hair was a pale, dirty blonde that appeared straggly, this girl's hair was golden, wavy and smooth, coming down to just past her shoulders. She had a striking face that consisted of a strong jawline, a pointed but fair nose, and lips colored in a dark red lipstick. She was almost a classic femme fatale, except she looked more severe than seductive as if she was somehow above everything and everyone.

The girl next to her was completely different. She had dark skin, most likely of African descent, and it glowed of a bronze tone. Very curly and shiny black hair bounced with every move of her head. Her face was rounded and soft, but very beautiful. While her blonde haired friend looked suited to standing in a museum as an art piece that never moved, this girl was one you took places and lived life vibrantly. A wide smile and a loud voice with a flirty tone, she was fire while the blonde girl was ice. While her antics usually earned a side-ways glare from the blonde girl, occasionally a slight smirk would grace the blonde girl's lips, telling Jon they were most likely friends, and the closest the middle group had to leaders.

The third group was even more different. While the second group was lively, and Draco's group was disruptive, the last group was quiet. Jon couldn't tell if these were the misfits of Slytherin, or if they were more studious than the other groups since several of them had textbooks open next to their plates. This group seemed to have a leader. Sitting at the end of the table, elbows on the table with her head resting on her hands, was a serious looking red-haired girl. She wasn't as cold as the blonde girl from the middle group; instead, she looked calculating, eyes flicking to each person on the table, watching their movements and listening to what was said.

Her red hair wasn't as loud as the Weasley kids; it was more cinnamon than fire. Cut short, her hair ended just past her jawline, accentuating her lean and angular face. Her nose was thin and straight, and her lips, while thin, seemed to usually sit in a mild pout, but gave way to either nervous looking smiles, or bright beaming smiles if someone said something she found funny.

She seemed to Jon to be an enigma; one minute reserved and calculating, the other smiling and jovial. She struck Jon as the kind of girl that knew everything about everyone in her own house, and possibly even the entire school. She glanced over at Jon and the two locked eyes as if each were trying to discover each other's secrets. Eventually, someone at her table said something and caught her attention, a smile crossing her face before she broke into a fit of giggles.

"Oi, loony. What are you staring at?"

Jonathan turned back to Ron. "I was looking at the Slytherin table. Trying to get a measure of the students. I stand by my statement. Excepting Draco, I'm sure many of the Slytherins would have saved Luna's life."

Ron shook his head and muttered something that sounded like the word mental.

Hermione shook her head. "Well, I for one agree with Jon. Not all the Slytherins can be as bad as Malfoy. I think the rivalry goes so deep, though, that no one in either house is going to try and break the division."

"Maybe it could be Jon to do it." George quipped from beside Hermione.

Jon smirked. "Well, it does seem us Yanks are always sorting out you Brit's troubles."

Hermione glared. "Prat."

o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o

Morning classes had gone well, for Jon at least. Double Charms and Transfiguration had lead to Jon receiving high amounts of praise from Professors McGonagall and Flitwick, being given much less homework than the rest of the class, and earning the ire of one curly-haired witch.

"You can't possibly be this good already. You're only fifteen! It's almost as if you could teach the class." Hermione whined as herself, Jon and Neville made their way towards the Great Hall for lunch.

Jon shrugged innocently. "I told you, everything we were taught was enriched. Wizards were being drafted into the war at," Jon swallowed, trying to come up with a suitable number, "sixteen years old. We needed to be ready. There's plenty I don't know. We completely skipped on Magical History, and Care of Magical Creatures was thrown to the wind, too. There's plenty I am way behind on."

Hermione looked at Jon as if she was looking for cracks in drywall. "Well, I suppose that makes sense. From what you've told me so far, the war you suffered was terrible."

Jon nodded. "I'd like to avoid another if I can." Hermione looked pensive for a moment. "Hey," Jon asked. "Where did Harry and Ron go? They bolted out of Charms like two prairie dogs runnin' from a coyote."

Hermione and Neville chuckled. "They needed to go to the library to finish their essay on potions. The one you apparently did on the fly in detention with Professor Snape."

Jon rubbed the back of his neck. "Oh. You're not going with?"

A flash of anger crossed Hermione's face. "No, I don't think so. Ron can handle himself."

"What about Harry?" Neville asked.

Hermione looked torn. "I'd help Harry, sure, but…"

"Ron did something again." Jon supplied.

Hermione bit her bottom lip. "Yes. In charms class."

Jon looked puzzled. "When?"

"Oh, when Professor Flitwick had you demonstrate the summoning charm."

"Was this about house elves again? I heard something about it yesterday."

She shook her head. "It doesn't really matter. I just want to be away from him for a bit."

Neville chuckled. "He's a bit stubborn, sometimes."

Jon frowned. "And insensitive."

"He's not always like that, just… Sometimes."

Jon just shrugged. "Well, that's something, I guess. Hey, I need to swing up to the dorm and grab the books for the rest of the day."

Neville nodded. "Okay. We'll save a seat for you."

"Thanks." Jon started making his way back up to Gryffindor tower, going through the crowd like a salmon upriver. Up the stairs and around the halls, he was just about to make the portrait of the fat lady when a sultry voice came from behind him.

"It's not polite to stare, you know."

The suddenness of the voice startled Jon, and he spun around, reaching for his wand only to find the redheaded Slytherin girl leaning in the corner of two walls, half hidden in shadow. His reaction caused her eyebrows to go up. "Easy, cowboy."

Jon frowned, letting his arms hang at his sides. "It's not nice to sneak up on people, either." Where she was standing made Jon think over the last few moments. There was no way he could have not seen her, even in the shadow. "Where did you come from?"

She smiled coyly. "I can avoid being seen, if I wish." She stepped towards him, bringing them within arms reach of each other. She stood about a head shorter than Jon and found herself looking up to meet him in the eyes. "I'm still waiting on that apology."

"I thought we were even, what with you sneaking up on me."

She pouted. "No. No, my sneaking up on you was from your lack of paying attention. Your staring at me was simply rude. There is a difference, you see."

Jon frowned again. "Not sure I see it that way."

She tsked twice. "Well, I suppose I can't blame you. American manners and all."

Jon glared. "You come here for something, or just to throw insults? I'm kinda in a hurry." He started to turn away from her, but she grabbed his arm.

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry. I was only curious. I came to try and get to know you."

Jon turned. "Get to know me?"

She smiled again, a sort of dazzling smile that Jon suspected put many boys under a spell. "Yes. You're an oddity. The first American student in Hogwarts, who seems to be as smart if not smarter than the great Hermione Granger." Her voice carried a note of jealousy around Hermione's name as if she was consistently finding herself second to the bushy haired Gryffindor. "I wanted to see what you were like."

"You wanted to see what I was like, or you wanted to see if you could learn anything useful." Her eyes went wide for a second before her playful, slightly seductive mask came back. Jon continued. "See, I figure you're the girl in Slytherin that knows everything about everyone. I thought at first it was just in your own house, but now I think it's the whole school. So the question is, are you a gossip, or do you like having things to use against people?"

For a second, there was a flicker of hurt in her eyes, before she recovered. "It's not nice to make such assumptions about a girl when you don't even know her name."

Jon realized that his theory about her earlier was right; this girl was an enigma, someone you couldn't really pin down. While he was wary of her, he had a feeling in his gut that while she was a bit sneaky, she was trustworthy. He didn't know why he felt it, he just did. Trusting his gut, he relaxed his posture a bit. "You're right. That's something I can apologize for." Jon stuck out his right hand. "I'm Jon Lionheart. Sorry for making assumptions."

Her smile widened as she shook Jon's hand. "I'm Guinevere. Guinevere Cygnus. And you're forgiven."

Jon smirked. "Still no apology for sneaking up on me, huh?"

She laughed. "Oh no. You're just going to have to learn to pay more attention. With as skilled as you seem to be, I'm sure you'll figure out a few of my secrets."

"Time will tell."

She smiled again. "Well, Jonathan. I look forward to talking to you again."

"In another hallway with no one around?"

She chuckled. "Haven't you heard? Gryffindors and Slytherins don't mingle."

"I heard something like that, but who likes to follow a crowd?"

"I'm guessing you, for one. But for now, Jon, let's keep this dark. It's more fun that way." She backed away and started going down the stairs. Jon peered around the corner to find she had completely disappeared, but he saw a quick shimmer in the light. 'Disillusionment charm. Clever.'

o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o - o

The rest of the day's classes had gone well. A few near scuffles with Malfoy that Jon managed to keep his temper under control for, so he was counting those as wins. He had been in the Gryffindor common room with Hermione working on his History of Magic homework, but since she had gone to her dorm, Jon sat back and thought about everything he'd seen and learned.

At some point, he'd dozed off and found himself being woken to the common room door opening, and Harry clambering in. A quick look at the clock on the wall told John it was forty minutes past midnight. 'Heck of a detention.'

Harry looked horrible; tired and haggard from the day, but also frightened, scared, and even worse, angry. He was rubbing his right hand as he started to make his way towards the stairs, not having noticed Jon.

"Hey, Harry."

Harry jumped, grabbing a rail for support before looking over and seeing Jon. "Oh. Hey. Didn't, umm, didn't see you there."

"I figured. Didn't mean to scare you. Umbridge kept you this long for detention?"

Harry seemed to get even angrier. "And then some. She gave me detention for the rest of the week."

Jon frowned. "She got under your skin again?" Harry nodded, swallowing. Jon put his hands on his hips. "Well, that sucks. Sorry. "

Harry nodded. "Thanks."

"You hurt your hand?"

Harry seemed panicked. "Uhh. Yeah. Tripped on the way in."

Jon didn't believe it for a second but wasn't going to press. Harry seemed to hate it when people did that. "Just not your day, I guess. You get a chance to work on any homework?"

Harry shook his head. "No. It'll have to wait."

Jon shrugged. "Well, I'm no Hermione, but if you want, I was about to finish the essay for Professor Binns about the Giant Wars. It's not too hard if you want to knock it out. Or the Moonstone essay. Besides, you go to bed the way you are, you won't sleep. Better to calm down a bit. C'mon, let's knock this out."

Harry paused for a moment, then came down and plopped into a chair across the table Jon had been sitting at. "I could really use some help with the Moonstone essay."

"Easy as pie. Speaking of pie, you hungry?" Harry nodded. "Alright, I'll be right back." Jon went up into the dorm, collected two MRE's and two canteens, and then came back down, giving Harry a chicken fajita MRE. "Here you go. This one's pretty good. And some water. Sorry it's not Hogwarts quality, but the included brownie is actually really good."

Harry looked at Jon. "Thanks. Sorry to be a bother."

Jon waved him off. "You're my friend, Harry. Helping a friend ain't no bother." Harry laughed softly. Jon looked at him. "What's so funny?"

"Don't take this the wrong way, but the way you talk. Things you say. Like 'ain't.' You never hear things like that here."

Jon shrugged. "Yeah, well, I've heard quite a few strange words in my short time here so far."

Harry tapped the MRE with his wand, heating it up, and then peeled it open. "Smells really good, actually." He took a bite. "Not bad."

Jon grinned. "That's one of the newer ones. The last one I had was a bit older, not as nice. Figured I'd spare you the torture."

The two boys ate in silence for a couple of minutes before Harry looked up at Jon. "Can I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"Where are you from, exactly? I know America, but America is kinda big."

"Oh. Southwest Texas, not too far from San Antonio, I guess. My dad… He was a Commander in the MACUSA Rangers, so he wanted to be close to their headquarters. We had a house out in the sage, away from everything and everyone. Gorgeous place, hilly brush land. My family owned land in Texas I guess since the No-Maj Civil War. I grew up there…" Jon took a bite out of his lasagna.

Harry looked at him. "How old were you, when…"

"My parents died?" Jon supplied. Harry nodded. "Eleven. They were… They were killed."

o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o

There wasn't much Jon could see from the small gap of the porch and the ground. But he could see his mother laying on the ground, and his father on his knees, trembling.

"I'm going to give you two more chances, Lionheart." A hand reached down and grabbed his mother by the hair, yanking her up. "Will you support our cause?"

There were whispered words that Jon couldn't hear before an enraged voice yelled, "ENOUGH! Will you support us?"

"No."

A pause, a blast, and his mother's body fell in the dirt. Tears flowed from Jon's eyes as he heard his father cry out in anguish.

A pair of boots stood in front of Jon's father. "Last chance, Lionheart. You still have your son. We will find him. If you cooperate, we'll let you keep him."

Jon's father looked towards the house as if he knew Jon was watching. His pain filled face turned to one of stone and determination.

The was a laugh. "Do you really want your son to see you die like this? To die for nothing? I will make sure he knows nothing about you. When I am done, he will never know you existed."

Jon's father stared at his captor. "He will know that his father died to keep him safe. That his father stood when others would not. He will always remember that his father loves him. And before you kill me, he will know to never give up." With a flash Jon's father had raised his right hand, a wand appearing from thin air. A curse shot from the wand into the man standing in front of Jon's father. A scream came from that wizard.

For a moment, Jon thought his father might survive, that he could still have a family, until out from the barn across the yard, he heard a voice; "Avada Kedavra!"

A green flash, and Jon's father fell to the ground.

o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o

"I was rescued not long after by the man that would become the headmaster of Ilvermorny, Tobias Webster. He brought seven Rangers to see if he could save my family. After my parents were killed, the Commandant of the Rangers pressed for MACUSA to go to war. I spent the next few years… At Ilvermorny. An orphan."

It wasn't a story Jon often told. Most people knew it and never bothered him about it. He couldn't remember the entire night, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to. But over time more and more of the memory came to him, usually in dreams. Which is why he ran.

Harry was staring at his half-eaten MRE. "Sometimes I wonder which is worse." He said quietly.

Jon tilted his head. "If which is worse?"

"Knowing your parents or not."

"You never knew yours?"

Harry nodded slowly. "No. Voldemort killed them when I was a baby." Harry told Jon about his parents, a bit about the First Wizarding War, and how his mom was killed trying to save him.

Jon looked at Harry. "I didn't know, Harry. I'm sorry."

Harry looked at Jon, a hint of a smile on his face. "You know, you're only the second person to say you're sorry for me that I didn't feel was trying to patronize me."

"Who was the first?"

"Hermione."

Jon nodded. "Yeah, she seems the genuine type."

Harry nodded. "Can I ask you something else?"

"Yeah."

"Do you ever wonder if maybe people are put into your life for a reason?"

Jon smiled. "I don't wonder, I know. My mother made sure I knew that the people that came into my life always had a reason. Good or bad, each person is special, and so is their reason for being."

Harry smiled. "I like that." He looked at Jon. "I'm glad we're friends. It feels like… I finally have someone who can understand where I'm coming from." He looked down. "I know Hermione tries. And Ron does, too. But everyone else just sees The Boy Who Lived. They always seem to miss the boy that is living."

"Well, no offense, but you're just not that big a deal in the States." Jon said with a grin.

Harry looked up and then started laughing. He got Jon laughing too, and the two boys spent a few moments just laughing for no reason in the presence of a friend.

When they calmed down, Jon looked at Harry. "Alright, that's enough pushing it off. Let's get this essay of yours wrapped up so we can get some sleep."

o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o

Well, there's chapter 9.

I had a few suggestions to get some members of Slytherin house involved in the story, and I liked the idea. It's a slow plugin, and one of these characters is an OC, but Slytherin house isn't really that deep in established characters, so I figure making an OC or two isn't really making a mess, just fulfilling a plot idea.

I am sorry this took so long to update. I got busier than I expected in the real world and it created something of a writer's block. It took me forever to make an update I liked, and this was the completion of those efforts.

I would like to address something I've noticed. There was a story I was reading, Harry Potter and the Slytherin Ice Queen. It's a really great story written by Hugo L.R. Reed, but he's not going to update it anymore because of some really crappy reviews.

Look, I get it. We go through these thousands of pages of fanfiction and we all find stories we think are either silly or poorly written, or we just don't like. And each person has a different definition of what they like and don't. I guess my biggest question is this; if you don't like it, just don't say something. If you see a story you don't like, just roll your eyes and browse away for another. You don't need to put someone down.

Constructive criticism is one thing. "Hey, you have a lot of spelling mistakes. Download Grammarly, it will help. Keep writing, I like the story." That constructive. You pointed out a problem, offered a solution, then offered praise. Constructive.

I won't stop writing because someone doesn't like my story. (Sorry Goose.) I write for my own please, a way to escape the real world for a few hours and recharge. I share in case others might like my stuff. Many fanfic writers are like that. Others take this very seriously.

My point, I guess, is this. If you don't like something, fine. You're entitled to not like it. But throwing out bad reviews does no one any good. And it ends up depriving people of really neat stories that they enjoy reading.

That's all, I guess. Hope you like this update, sorry it took so long, and have a fun week.

Oh, in the Columbo, just one more thing.

I'm considering changing the name of this story, if I can. The current title doesn't really seem to fit it, I guess. I'm not really sure. If you care, let me know what you think. Thanks!