"And don't come back to this library until you can behave like civilized human beings!"
Artimus Rand jumped back, narrowly avoiding the door that burst open. Two tall boys stormed out of the faded white colonial-style building that housed the Salem library. Artimus leaped off the walkway, convinced the pair would have bowled him over had he not moved.
"Nice going, jackass!" The dark-haired boy snapped. "Now we're banned from the library!"
The second boy, who had red hair and a large nose, glared at the dark-haired boy. "Well we wouldn't be if you woulda just went along with my idea instead of bitching about it."
"Oh yeah. Like your ideas are all so wonderful."
Artimus watched the two boys stalk off, still yelling at one another. He rubbed the back of his head. Is it gonna be like this all year?
He suddenly felt eyes on him. Slowly he rotated his head to the open door. Miss Mulberry, the skinny, tight-faced librarian with thick glasses and black-gray hair tied in a bun, stood in the doorway, arms folded.
"Are you going to be a problem, too?"
"Uh, no ma'am. I'm just here to work on my History project."
Miss Mulberry eyed him suspiciously. For a few seconds, Artimus wondered if she would let him enter.
Finally, she moved aside. Artimus walked through the door, avoiding eye contact with the librarian. He clenched his teeth as he walked past the rows of shelves jammed with old books of various sizes. He still had the feeling of being watched by Miss Mulberry. After what he saw with those two students, she might very well watch him his entire time in the library. Artimus sighed at the thought.
He halted near the section marked GEOGRAPHY and peered round the shelf.
Cecilia Malfoy sat at a desk, looking bored as she stared at an open book.
Artimus chewed on his lower lip. Two weeks ago his heart would be racing frantically being so close to someone related to a Death Eater. But in all the times they'd been together, Cecilia hadn't threatened him at all. That didn't mean she'd been pleasant toward him. Just . . . business-like. Most of their conversations dealt with their project on Magic and the Battle of Trenton. They almost never engaged in small talk, which made it difficult for him to find an opening to dig deeper into Cecilia's and Serinta's real purpose at Salem. It also didn't help that Jimmy was . . . what was the Muggle phrase? Oh yeah, "up his ass" about information regarding Cecilia. What did he think? He'd keep it to himself if she said anything important?
Still, Jimmy is relying on me, and so far I haven't done anything.
So today he'd try a new tactic. Instead of waiting for Cecilia to give him an opening, he'd try to make one himself . . . by simply being friendly. Maybe it would work. Heck, she didn't seem as horrible as all the other Slytherins Jimmy talked about.
He took a deep breath and headed over to the table.
"Hi, Cecilia."
Cecilia looked up from her book. "Artimus." She nodded without smiling.
Artimus took a seat across from her. His eyes went to a couple of foot-tall figurines standing on the table. One bore the image of America's first Muggle President George Washington. The other was the rotund, balding form of Haldus Hillbibble, leader of the American Wizarding contingent that opposed the British during The Great Break, what the Muggles called the American Revolution.
"Hey, they look nice." He nodded to the figurines. "You did a good job."
"Thank you," Cecilia said flatly.
"Well, my father finally owled me that book with all of Haldus Hillbibble's correspondence with his wife during the Great Break." Artimus pulled out the book from his bag. "There's one in here that has his conversation word-for-word with General Washington just before the Muggle rebels crossed the Delaware River and attacked Trenton. And . . ." He pulled out a piece of parchment. "I have the charm written down that can transfer all those words into the figurines so they can carry out that conversation. I think Miss Venatici will really like it."
"Let's hope so."
"She will. I mean, Miss Venatici's one of the best teachers here. Don't you think so?"
Cecilia leaned back in her chair, folding her arms and staring at Artimus. "Is there some reason you're acting so nice to me, Rand?"
"I just . . . I . . ." Artimus' jaw hung open as he struggled to come up with something to say.
"Let me guess." Cecilia leaned forward, a harsh gaze aimed at Artimus. "O'Bannon put you up to this. What does he think? If you're nice to me I'll let my guard down and mention how I'm plotting to get revenge on him for beating my cousin in some stupid Muggle game back at Hogwarts?"
Goose pimples sprang up all over Artimus' body. His legs quivered. His eyes flickered from one side to the other. He saw no one else in sight.
Artimus' breathing quickened. Under the table he slid his hand over his robes and toward the pocket where he kept his wand. Would he really have to go for it?
What would Jimmy do? What would Jimmy do?
Cecilia kept staring at him. The silence became unbearable.
He stopped in mid-breath as the idea hit him. He'd throw it right back in her face.
"Well . . . g-given what I've hear about your family, that's certainly possible."
Artimus expected Cecilia to draw her wand. His mind raced through every spell he could remember from Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Could he best her? Would he get suspended like Isaac Pinder and Duncan Maloney did for fighting another student?
But Cecilia Malfoy didn't go for her wand. She simply sighed and slumped in her chair. Artimus' eyebrows went up. Of all the reactions he expected from her, this wasn't one of them.
"Do you want to know something about my family, Rand?"
It took Artimus a few moments to respond. "Um . . . okay."
A sour look formed on Cecilia's pale face. "The Malfoys are arrogant, power hungry, bullying, racist pondscum."
Artimus couldn't stop his jaw from dropping.
"Surprised I'd say something like that?" Cecilia continued. "I'm sure after all the stories O'Bannon must have told you about Draco, you probably think all us Malfoys march in lock step, asserting our superiority on the British Wizarding World and swearing our allegiance to the Dark Lord."
Artimus trembled at the mention of the evil wizard.
When he didn't respond, Cecilia went on. "Well he's wrong. Just because your friend had some unpleasant experiences with my cousin at Hogwarts, he thinks that makes him an expert on my family? He doesn't know a bloody thing about the Malfoys."
Artimus drew a breath and found his voice. "So what's wrong with your family?"
Cecilia bit down on her lip for a moment. "It's not my parents, really. It's mainly my Uncle Lucius and Aunt Narcissa. I don't know what it's like in this country, but in Britain, in many circles, blood status counts for just about everything."
Artimus just nodded. That was still true in certain places up and down the East Coast where the majority of the country's oldest wizarding families lived. He'd even seen that first hand from his father, who tolerated half-bloods and looked down his nose at Muggle-borns.
"There are wizarding families in Britain that can trace their lineage back centuries," said Cecilia. "Some over a thousand years, even before Hogwarts was founded. They're fanatical when it comes to clinging to their pureblood heritage. They see Muggle-borns and half-bloods as interlopers in our world, undeserving of the honor of being a witch or wizard. And Merlin help anyone in a family like that who marries outside their blood."
Artimus sat up straighter. "You're not a pureblood?"
Cecilia cast her eyes to the table for a moment. She drew a slow breath. "Not in the strictest sense. My father is a pureblood. My mother . . . both her parents were Muggle-born. And my father, Uncle Lucius' brother, dared to fall in love with her. When he told everyone they were engaged, they were disowned by the rest of the family, cut off from the family fortune. Draco and his parents live in a huge manor, while my family lives in a hovel. Uncle Lucius and Aunt Narcissa can sit on their arses and make money, while my parents have to work menial jobs just to put food on our table."
Every fear and worry Artimus had about Cecilia vanished. He tried to imagine her predicament. It proved very hard for someone like him, brought up in comfort, never having to want his entire life.
"I'm sorry."
Cecilia's face was unreadable. Artimus expected her to snap at him, to spare her his false sympathy . . . which wasn't false at all.
Seconds passed without the British girl speaking. Artimus pressed his fingers together and continued. "You know, my own father doesn't think too highly of Muggle-borns. Says they don't have the skills to be really successful in the Wizarding World, not having grown up in it. But still, I can't imagine him disowning me because I'm friends with Jimmy."
"You're lucky then, Artimus."
For the first time, Cecilia sounded like a human being. Her tone wasn't stiff. He detected true emotion in it. Not the anger and resentment he'd heard a minute earlier. She almost sounded . . . glad for him, that he didn't have to endure the same experiences she did.
She leaned to the right in her chair, staring down at her lap.
"Um . . . are you all right?"
Cecilia sighed and looked up at him. She managed a brief smile. "Yes. I'll be fine. It's just . . . this isn't a pleasant subject to talk about. And it's not like anyone back in England feels sorry for me or my parents. Thanks to Uncle Lucius . . . actually, thanks to a reputation that goes back centuries, most people either fear or hate the Malfoy family. So if one of us gets knocked down a peg or two, it's a cause for celebration."
"I wish there was something I could do." Artimus couldn't think of anything else to say.
"Unless you know a spell to take away Uncle Lucius' money and give it to my parents, there isn't."
Artimus frowned and lowered his head.
"I'm sorry." Cecilia shook her head. "I know you're just trying to be nice. Honestly, I'm not used to people being nice to me, or doing things for me, which is why I'm still perplexed as to why Uncle Lucius convinced the Hogwarts Board of Governors to send me to Salem for a term."
"He did?" Artimus tried to feign surprise, since Jimmy had told him that a couple weeks ago.
Cecilia nodded. "He's up to something. He always is."
Artimus licked his lips. His shoulders tightened. Did he dare ask her? "Um, Cecilia? About you uncle. Is it true what they say? Is he really . . . a Death Eater?" He whispered the name.
"Oh he most certainly is."
Artimus intertwined his fingers to keep his hands from shaking. "And . . . and your parents?"
Cecilia briefly chuckled. "Are you serious? My father married the child of Muggle-borns. That makes him a traitor in the eyes of all pureblood fanatics . . . most especially You-Know-Who."
"So do you believe all the rumors that he's back?"
"I do. I don't care what The Daily Prophet says. Besides, I've heard the Ministry of Magic is putting pressure on them to suppress the story and smear anyone who speaks to the contrary, like Harry Potter. I wouldn't be surprised if Uncle Lucius had a hand in all this."
"I'm sure one day your uncle will get what's coming to him."
"Oh, he will. I'm sure of it."
"Really?"
Cecilia nodded. The stony mask Artimus had grown used to seeing over the past two weeks returned to the girl's face. "When I'm done at Hogwarts, I'm going to make it my mission to become rich and successful. And when I've acquired enough power, I'm going to use it to ruin my uncle and his family. Then they can live in a rundown shack while my parents and I dine every night in Malfoy Manor."
Artimus studied the look on her face. This girl was dead serious about getting revenge on her uncle.
He leaned back, still staring at her. He wondered how Jimmy would react when he told him the truth about Cecilia Malfoy.
TO BE CONTINUED