Chapter Twelve: 'Cause When we Jumped the Ship, oh man, that Boat, it Flipped!
In the morning, as the Slytherins woke up and went to the common room, they waited. Lissabetta's advice/order remained clear, and as an entire House they went up to breakfast.
To say the other houses were nervous was an understatement.
"And I thought Hufflepuffs were the loyal ones," Filius muttered to Pomona.
"Well, something has the Slytherins riled up," she replied. "They are acting very defensive."
That showed in the halls. A Gryffindor so much as thought of going for their wand? They had five Slytherin wands pointed at them. They so much as said one word that could be construed as an insult? They were torn apart with a vicious protectiveness.
And the very center of it was the first years.
The older years banded together around their firsties, showing up to walk with them places.
The seventh years asked the first years to sit with them at lunch.
Harry sat in between Jonah and Matt, while Draco and Blaise sat next to each other by Jonah. Daphne sat with a faintly Veela girl named Desdemona Allaraian, Medea Moran, a high level Charms student, Tracey, and Shasta Robinson, a girl of Native American descent and the first in her family to attend Hogwarts. Pansy sat on the other side of the table with Lissabetta and her best friend Justina North. Millicent was sitting with Crabbe, Goyle, Theo, Killian Anderson, and Aleksander.
"The first game of the season is always us versus Gryffindor. An explosive one to start with. Just trust us to keep the Weasley twins off your back and you'll be fine- but be sure to keep an eye and ear out for the Bludgers, just in case they take a cheap shot," Jonah explained to Harry.
"If need be, lead their Seeker around," Matt continued. "The fans love a good Seeker chase, and if you can distract the other Seeker, they can't look for the Snitch."
Lunch continued with the Beaters giving Harry advice, while Blaise and Draco talked with Aleksander and the other boys, and Millicent.
Transfiguration was when the real trouble started. The Slytherins sat at the front of the room, as per normal, but this time Harry and Blaise sat by themselves. Draco, Theo, Crabbe, and Goyle sat at one table and the girls at another.
Hermione was the first Gryffindor to walk into the room, and Neville was not too far behind her. Harry waved them over, and they hesitantly took seats next to the two Slytherins. The Gryffindors walking in gave them stares, and Neville deflated.
"Oh, we're going to be harassed even more," he muttered, and Harry shook his head.
"Your house is stupid if they're really that… Well… I just can't even," Harry replied.
"That's why Hufflepuff and Slytherin at least are better. We don't bully our housemates like Gryffindors, and we don't betray them like Ravenclaws," Blaise said, shrugging. "Besides, you've got at least three fourths of the school on your side if you're seen being friendly with us."
"Three fourths?" Hermione asked, her eyes widening. Harry shrugged.
"What can I say? Everyone loves me," he replied, smirking. Blaise leaned over, whispered something to him, and he nodded.
"What were you saying?" She asked, and Neville blanched and grabbed her arm.
"Hermione, you don't ask people- especially Slytherins!- that," he hissed.
"Well now we know why you're Gryffindor," Harry said.
McGonagall walked into the classroom.
Everyone shut up.
"I have heard some concerns being raised about your abilities to learn in this classroom," McGonagall began. "I would like you all to know that Professor Dumbledore himself checked over the room and found it to be perfectly fine."
Surprisingly, Parvati and Lavender started giggling, and Lavender raised her hand.
"How are we supposed to trust that? I mean, have you heard the rumors?" She asked.
"I can assure you, that whatever rumors you may have heard are entirely unfounded," McGonagall replied, and Pansy raised her hand.
"But they aren't!" She protested. "I heard it from a Ravenclaw who heard it from an older Ravenclaw who heard it from a seventh-year Hufflepuff who heard it from another Ravenclaw! It has to be true!"
"Just because you heard it from a Ravenclaw does not make it automatically true," McGonagall replied.
"We actually heard it from Padma," Parvati said. "She's friends with Slytherins. She knows all the best news around the castle because they do."
"One of our seventh years says they experienced it- first hand," Tracey stated, and everyone who had heard the rumor oohed.
"Which one?" Lavender asked.
"One of them," Tracey replied. "A couple of the sixth years, too."
Whispers broke out around the room.
"Quiet, please," McGonagall said. "I'm sure that whatever silly rumor is going around is absolutely false."
Harry raised his hand.
"Of course you would say that, according to every person in every year higher than ours says you always say that."
"Besides, you don't even know what rumor we're talking about," Draco added.
"For all you know we could be talking about how there's supposed to be a dead unicorn in the forest," Theo continued.
"But we aren't- this one's a little closer to home," Daphne added.
"It's a little more terrifying," Lavender chipped in.
"A little more unsettling," Parvati said.
"It's why we're so defensive today, and why Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw are following suit," Blaise continued.
"If you were smart, you would too," advised Tracey.
"Because there's something very troubling…" Harry said.
"Very disturbing…" Blaise continued.
"And makes us question why everyone thinks the sun shines from Dumbledore's ass," Theo finished, and the Slytherins crossed their arms and sat back. Hermione gasped, and McGonagall looked offended.
"Ten points from Slytherin and detention tonight at eight," McGonagall said. "Just you, Mr. Nott."
Theo shook his head. "I'm not going anywhere alone."
"Too much possibility of him getting eaten by a Cerberus," Lavender piped up, throwing Daphne a Look. A Gossip Mistress Look.
"And dying a painful death," Parvati finished.
"Well, since we're not really learning anything…" Draco stood. The rest of the Slytherins stood with him. "Parvati, Lavender, Hermione, Neville, would you care to join us for a study session in the library?"
"I would be honored," Parvati said, standing and curtseying. Lavender followed her lead, and Neville stood and bowed. After a couple moments, Hermione stood and executed a rather stiff curtsey.
The Slytherin first years plus the four Gryffindors exited the classroom, flocking to the library. They found one of the more secluded tables, and picked their seats.
"Drakey, be a dear and go get us that one good Transfiguration book," Pansy asked, batting her eyelashes at Draco. He huffed, rolled his eyes, and stood to collect the book. Tracey gagged.
"We know you two are betrothed, but you don't need to constantly remind us of it," she said, crossing her arms.
"We just want everyone to know how strong our love is," Pansy replied, sighing and looking very sappy/wistful.
"You are sickening," Millicent replied, turning to Crabbe and Goyle.
"True love is true love," Lavender replied, sighing and leaning in towards Pansy. Parvati followed suit.
"Oh Merlin's left butt cheek," Theo muttered, blushing. "They're multiplying."
"We need to flee while we still can," Blaise said, standing up and making towards the exit. Harry quickly reached up and grabbed the back of his shirt.
"Nuh-uh," he said from where he was sitting in between Parvati and Daphne. "If I'm stuck with them, so are you."
Blaise sighed and sat back down with a huff, but the smile pulling at the corners of his mouth gave him away.
Draco returned with a rather thick book.
"Okay, what did we leave off with last time?" Tracey asked, opening it.
"Pen to pencil," Daphne replied, pulling a cheap-looking ballpoint pen out of her bag. "Incantation: materiatus. No specific wand movements."
"You four should read the theory on it before trying it out," Tracey suggested, passing the book to the Gryffindors. The four of them read while the Slytherins practiced the spell. Theo was the first to successfully turn the pen to a pencil.
"How do I turn it back?" He asked, taking a peek at the book.
"You know that one," Daphne replied, rolling her eyes. "Restituo." The pencil handily turned back into a pen.
Eventually the time checked out to be the end of their standard Transfiguration class, and the Gryffindors packed up.
"Thanks for lettings us study with you," Hermione said as they left. Soon Susan, Hannah, Megan, Lisa, Padma, and Morag showed up. Padma pulled the two mind arts books out of her bag and set them on the table. Draco cast the muffliato as they sat down.
"You know, we're going to need a truly private place to start practicing," Megan pointed out.
"Ask the house elves," Susan said. "They know Hogwarts better than anyone."
"We can ask when we go down to our common room tonight as we go by the kitchens," Hannah said.
"Time of reckoning, you lot," Daphne said. "Which discipline first?"
"We should start with Occlumency," Draco said. "Most of us already have a solid foundation, so we can help the newbies."
"Well, first thing is you have to start by meditating," Blaise said. "So get comfortable, but not too comfortable, close your eyes, and focus on your breathing."
The group fell silent as eventually most everyone fell into their trances. Harry kept shifting, and he was trying to meditate- honest, he was- but whenever he could feel himself about to go under- and even more recently a bit sooner- his mind would start buzzing. It hurt.
When everyone talked about how they did, Harry nodded and smiled. They headed down to dinner, this time Daphne taking the books. The first years sat at their own end of the table again, and when dinner was over the group started to head to the library.
"Hey, guys, I need to talk to Harry," Blaise said, pausing the group. "We're going down to the dorms. You guys go on ahead."
They all nodded, and let Blaise lead Harry down to their dorms. He sat Harry down in a bed, and crossed his arms.
"Talk," was all he said. They waited in silence for a few moments. Then a few more. Then a couple more. Then…
"Dang it, Harry, I can tell when someone's just come out of a meditational trance," Blaise said. Harry looked away.
"I couldn't," he murmured.
"I understand it's difficult to start learning meditation, but that doesn't mean you can't," Blaise replied. Harry clenched his jaw.
"I literally couldn't," he replied.
"What do you mean?" Blaise sat down next to him.
"My mind kept buzzing right as I was about to enter a meditational trance… And it hurt," Harry replied. Blaise closed his eyes, then opened them and stared straight at the wall.
"The mental block," he said.
"The mental block," Harry agreed, nodding.
"That needs to get taken care of," Blaise said, wrapping his arm around Harry's shoulders and hesitantly pulling him closer.
"Blaise?" Harry asked, his voice wavering.
"Yeah?"
"What are your step-siblings like?"
"Well, the oldest is Maverick Short. He's about thirty, Lord of the Ancient House of Short. He has a little sister, who I am actually related to, named Talia Short. She's twenty, and engaged to Thurston Rice. Then there's Koryn, he's about twenty-seven. And Redrick, he's twenty-five. Joylin Ferris is twenty-two, and Anastasia Dolohov is seventeen. Then there's me, then Zachariah, and finally Isaiah."
"It must be nice to have a big family… Do they all like you?"
"I like to think they do. I'm closest to Koryn, Stacey, and Zach, but the others are all okay."
"My cousin hates me."
"The one you grew up with?"
"Yeah."
"Well, Draco's your cousin too, and I think you have another one who's a seventh year Hufflepuff. You have cousins that don't hate you now."
"I think I like that."
"I'm glad."
"Blaise?"
"Yeah."
"Why did I have to live with people who hate me?"
"I don't know."
Harry closed his eyes and leaned into Blaise. He could feel his chest expanding and contracting with each breath.
It was almost enough to put him into a meditative state- but his mind buzzed again.
Soooooo yeah.
Question: Anti- or pro-vaxxer? And why?
Next Time: Harry meets the Malfoys, Harry gets a headache, and Harry blows shit up.
