[Hogwarts Express]

Nate entered a cabin full of Gryffindors. It had the Weasley Twins, Alicia Spinnet, Angelina Johnson, Katie Bell, Oliver Wood and Lee Jordan.

It was lucky that Nate came in when he did, there was only one seat that was empty in the cabin.

All of them turned towards him as they heard the cabin door slide.

The Weasley Twins and Jordan gave him a nod.

"Looks like a quidditch team meeting, shall I show myself out?"

Spinnet said, "No need, Nate, you are quite welcome."

Oliver cut in, "I think you should wa-" but he was silenced by the outraged look the girls in the cabin gave him.

Fred/George chuckled, "Looks like you are quite popular with the ladies here." Jordan nodded while George/Fred said, "My less funny brother has the right of it, Grey here is very popular with the ladies without even trying."

Nate couldn't help the blush due to embarrassment when he saw the girls in the cabin blush.

Oliver groaned, "You lot are shameless. You are thirteen- act like it, will you?"

"Oh! The Quidditch Captain is going to rat us out to McGonnagal."

"Can we proceed past this topic?" Nate asked, employing occlumency to suppress his emotions. Angelina nodded, "Before Grey came in, you were telling us about The-Boy-who-Lived?"

Nate nearly grimaced openly at the awe in her voice.

"Seems like an alright bloke to me. A bit scrawny, nothing a year of Hogwarts meals won't fix." Nate realized it was Fred that was answering the questions.

Bell asked, "Does he have The scar?"

"He does, lightning-shaped on the forehead," Fred said nodding.

"Damn, did you ask if the stories about him and his adventures are true or not?" Bell asked wistfully.

"Don't think so, we had to help the bloke through the entrance to the platform."

"That's too bad," Bell murmured.

"No need to pressure the lad, y'know, Dumbledore moved him out of the public eye after you-know-who killed his parents." Oliver chimed in for the first time.

Nate nodded from his seat between Angelina and Alicia Spinnet, "He is just a boy, Voldemort was mostly killed by Lily Potter."

The sudden eerie silence in the room was somewhat expected by Nate.

Bell squeaked out first, "Y-you said the name!" looking side-to-side as if a dark wizard would come at Riddle's name.

' Not for a few years, Katie.' Nate shook his head inwardly, ' Not that anyone knows of the Taboo. People forget quickly.'

"I did, Katie."

"B-but!" She sputtered at the shameless acceptance.

"I am a half-blood with a father and grandmother that are muggleborn, in addition to that my family supports the Progressives in the Wizengamot. Do you think Voldemort would have cared whether I said his name or not?" Nate asked coolly, "I refuse to give an enemy, anything but the barest decency, enough to be polite as I kill them."

Bell gulped at the cold words. As Jordan whistled, "I can certainly agree with that, Grey."

Oliver said shaking his head, "People don't fear his name because of that. It is said that he actively hunted those who said his name. Only Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix said his name. There are certain people in the Order who mocked You-know-who to his face." as he talked of the Order his face had gained a sense of the deepest respect.

' The Order Of Phoenix is treated reverently by the Gryffindors. It was an open secret that it was a secret group led by Dumbledore. The only thing that comes to close to that level of reverence is the Dark Forces Defence League.'

"Yeah mate but that's Dumbledore." Fred looked at Nate and shook his head, "I will recommend you don't do it mate. There are still a lot of his followers that went free."

Nate smirked arrogantly,"I am Voldemort's equal."

Oliver snapped, "That is a very arrogant statement, the only equal you-know-who had was Headmaster Dumbledore."

"And that same man agrees that I am his equal. It isn't arrogance if it is true, Wood."

"Stop bragging." Oliver scoffed, not believing Nate.

"I am not bragging, ask your wand." Oliver's wand pressed into his neck as it was levitated by Nate wandlessly.

"Ask all your wands," Nate said calmly as he made the wands point at their masters.

George said carefully, "I think we all understand."

"Sorry, but wandless magic of such a level normally proves my point, the only edge Voldemort has on me is age and experience." Nate said gently as he returned their wands, "That's why I don't really fear the man that much, but I can certainly respect him."

"You respect you-know-who." came the incredulous voice of Fred, as if the very concept was alien to his mind.

"I do, Voldemort was the best wizard to have ever roamed this castle. Including me and Dumbledore."

Johnson tilted her head, "But weren't you his equal?"

"Voldemort's capacity for destruction and death is unmatched. Heck, I am not sure I and Dumbledore could cause as much death as he could together."

"B-but Dumbledore has fought him." Fred sputtered.

"A duel between wizards severely limits what both sides can use. Duels use fast-paced magic like curses, charms, transfiguration, etc. are more common in duels.

That does not take into account magics like rituals, blood curses, necromancy, dark creatures, etc. Voldemort could do more damage overall, even if he couldn't overpower Dumbledore or me in a duel, dueling isn't that important in a war, they are fought politically, militarily and economically." Nate explained. All of them nodded, seeing the logic.

"But if Dumbledore wasn't there we would have lost anyway. Nobody could match you-know-who," Oliver said thoughtfully.

"Dumbledore and the Order was the backbone of the Progressive resistance in the civil war, and how many of them do you think lived to see past the war? Not many and most of them died in horrible ways. Alone and in pain.

Respecting them is one thing and being them another, most of those people were just men and women who wanted to do the right thing.

Don't put Harry Potter on a pedestal, if the pedestal you place him upon is made of the blood of his own parents." There was a cold dead silence in the room.

Nate added sadly, "Never thought about it that way, have you?"

He got up and slid the cabin door open, "I need to change into my robes, we will reach the Hogsmeade station soon."

AN:

Conversations, conversations and more conversations. Humans are truly social creatures. They can't help but talk, about the misery of others, the happiness, the pain, the wars, etc.

We like the sound of our own voice. Myself included.

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