Leo made a face as if the name was a piece of old hair he had just pulled out of his mouth. Ted actually knew about this boy's origins. In fact if it hadn't been for Greyback this boy probably would not exist.

Draco Malfoy was a servant when the Dark Lord Voldemort ruled the Wizarding world. Greyback made an alliance with the Dark Lord in exchange for children to bite. The Dark Lord also invited Greyback to stay at his headquarters, which happened to be Draco Malfoy's home. At some point Draco Malfoy had done something to piss off the Dark Lord, so he was always scared and on edge.

Greyback took Malfoy out for a night on the town to help him relax. He took Malfoy to a bar and got him shit-faced. Then he told Malfoy that the alcohol would only make him feel good for one night, but sex would make him feel better a lot longer. He must have been pretty drunk to bang a muggle, because all of the servants of the Dark Lord were completely prejudiced to muggles. So now here Ted was talking to the product of Draco Malfoy's one night stand.

"Has your father contacted you and your mother at all?" Simon asked.

"Well he felt guilty enough to buy us a two bedroom flat, but other than that he hasn't even spoken to my mother. He got married a few years later. When I got my Hogwarts letter he sent me some gifts; 100 galleons, an owl, and a Nimbus 2500. But I don't even like flying," said Leo. Ted looked up at the large grey and white owl in the over head compartment. It was certainly a handsome bird. Also a Nimbus 2500 was a top racing broom which must have cost Draco Malfoy a fortune. "After my first year he sent me ten galleons every birthday and ten galleons every Christmas."

"That's not bad," said Ted.

"He's my father," Leo said bitterly. "He's never bothered to meet me even once. He's also rich as hell, so twenty galleons a year is nothing for him. He doesn't care about me because I'm born from a muggle mother."

Leo decided to look out the window and not talk anymore. Ted had guessed that Leo had never told anyone any of this, and felt quite embarrassed and irritated with himself now.

"It's not so bad," Ted tried to say. He wasn't sure why he was trying to cheer up this sulky teenage wizard. "At least you have your mother. Did she ever marry someone else?"

"Yes. She married a muggle and had a daughter with him five years later, then a son two years after that. They make a picture perfect muggle family, and I'm their weird teenage wizard son," Leo complained.

"Hey at least you're not as scrawny as Simon," Ted said with a grin, trying to lighten the mood.

"You'd be scrawny too if your internal organs vanished whenever you used too much magic," Simon said indignantly.

"What do you mean?" Ted asked. Leo forgot his sulking for a moment and looked away from the window and at Simon. His frown turned into a look of concern.

"I suffer from chronic vanishing sickness," Simon explained. "It's a genetic disorder. My grandfather had it and it skipped a generation to me. For some reason whenever I use too much magic my internal organs vanish. They always reappear in less than an hour, but whenever I lose a kidney or my liver I get sick until it comes back. And I have to wear a stupid looking helmet and chest plate whenever I want to use magic, in order to prevent my brain and heart from vanishing. Everyone thinks I'm a freak in class. It's a horrible disease. It hinders my ability to use magic so much. I definitely know more than Jason and Neil, but they get better marks than me because they don't have to be afraid to use magic because of a stupid disease."

"I'm sorry man," Leo said quietly. Suddenly his daddy issues seemed insignificant.

"Well it isn't all bad. My dad is an Auror and my mom is the head of the Department of Magical Transportation in the Ministry of Magic so they are pretty loaded," said Simon, and then added bitterly, "I think they engrossed themselves with work so they wouldn't have to think about their poor ill son."

"Well at least you're rich," Ted said with a small smile. Both boys decided to look out the window again. Ted felt pretty awkward now that these two strangers just poured their hearts out to him. But he really felt bad for both of their situations. He also realized that neither of these boys had any friends, which is why they had to find the most empty compartment to sit in.

Ted suddenly felt angry. These stupid wizards shunned them because, in Leo's case, who his parents were, and in Simon's case, because of a disease. Both boys had no control over these things, but none of the stupid wizards could understand. They were obviously both very talented: Leo with his art work and Simon with his obvious intelligence. Both boys were funny too. Anyone would be lucky to have them as friends.

Ted pulled his trunk down from the over head compartment and rummaged through it. He pulled out his deck of Exploding Snaps cards, then heaved the trunk back into the overhead compartment.

"Dude do you drink musclegrow potions or something?" Leo asked. "You lift that trunk as if it was a plate of rice cakes." Ted grinned.

"Alright, now that I know you two are loaded, let's play some exploding snaps," Ted said as he weaved the deck between his fingers. Whenever he played Exploding Snaps with werewolves they always bet money.

The boys spent the rest of the train ride laughing and playing Exploding Snaps. When the sky was fully dark outside the window Ted started to feel buoyant. By now he was able to recognize this feeling as Veela charm. Ted focused hard on the feelings of anger and embarrassment that he had felt last time he saw Victoire.

Victoire popped inside the compartment. "Hello Ted," She flashed her dazzling smile.

Peacocks, Ted told himself. Peacocks.

"Can I help you with something?" Ted asked Victoire in the same condescending tone Jason had used with Ted. Victoire seemed taken aback. She tried to turn up the Veela charm. Peacocks! Ted shouted to himself.

"Sorry about earlier, I was busy with my friends," she said.

Busy being a bitch, thought Ted.

"But we should definitely hang out at Hogwarts," Victoire said. She flashed her smile at all three boys in the compartment. Ted thought her white teeth would blind him. "See you around." She left the compartment gracefully.

When she was out of earshot Ted muttered, "Yeah, see you around you two-faced bitch."