CHAPTER 7

Notes: Marie wrote part of this, like… the first 8 paragraphs. After that, it's all mine XD I do indulge in some Mary Sue-age self-insertion, where I put my character Cinnamon in to warn Fred and George. I know realistically they would not be intimidated by some random chick, but whatevs. Flame me anyway if you want; there's no such thing as bad publicity.

"Now, who can tell me what these are?" Professor Grubbly-Plank asked. D's hand shot up, as did Hermione's. "Yes, you with the black hair."

"They're bowtruckles!" D said happily. "They guard trees which have wand-quality wood. To obtain wood or leaves from such a tree, one should give the resident bowtruckle or bowtruckles an offering of wood lice, which is their favored food. They do, however, eat fairy eggs whenever they can get them."

Professor Grubbly-Plank smiled. "Wonderful! Fifteen points to Slytherin! Now, if you'll all split up into groups of three, I'll give each group a bowtruckle, which I want you all to sketch. I expect all of the body parts to be labeled." (AN: O-ka-ay, if you say so…)

Everyone split into groups immediately and without a second thought, until there were two people left without groups.

Leon stared openly at D, then at Professor Grubbly-Plank, then back at D. "You don't really expect me to work with that girly, snake-talking freak, do you?" he demanded of the professor, motioning to D with disgust.

D's eyes filled with tears. Leon took a step back, unsure why he was reacting this way to the fact that he'd made "one of them Slytherin bastards" cry. He should be proud of himself. Why was he feeling ashamed?

Professor Grubbly-Plank glared. "Ten points from Gryffindor and detention. You should know better than to treat your fellow students that way. He's done nothing to you. Now get your bowtruckle and get to work!"

Leon took a few steps toward D as the kami persuaded a bowtruckle to step onto his hand so that he could pick it up. The young Count brought the creature up to his face, and it slowly reached out toward one of his eyes. However, just as Leon was about to pull out his wand, the bowtruckle did something completely unexpected and wiped away a tear with the back of its curved claws.

"What the fuck?" asked Leon. "Whuh--How come it likes you?"

"Perhaps because I am, as you say, a 'freak,'" said D calmly. "She knows I won't hurt her, don't you girl? Yes," he cooed. "You, on the other hand, would do well to be cautious. I am not sure Mindy trusts you."

"Mindy? You fucking named that thing?" Leon's eyes were bugging out of his head.

"No, you dolt," snapped D impatiently, an extreme rarity (which would become more common as he got to know Leon). "Mindy is the name her mother gave her. Have you no common sense?"

"Hey, don't yell at him," said Parvati. "He's only human, just like the rest of us."

D arched an eyebrow. "I would expect even a human to know that all animals name their young," he said loftily.

'What the hell? Even a human?' Leon frowned slightly. "And what would that make you?" asked Leon, every bit the know-it-all.

"Well, that would be--" started D nervously.

"That would be none of your damn business," cut in Draco Malfoy, casually resting a wrist on D's shoulder. "He's smart (er than you, at least), more talented, and--"

"And what, Drakey-poo? Are you in wuv with him or something? Aaw, that's so cute," said Fred Weasley, who was going on a niffler-hunt with George and Lee.

"I'd watch it if I were you," came a low female voice behind Draco. A beautiful girl with silvery-white skin and a sheet of floor-length candy-brown hair stepped out from the shade of the tree. "D has very close ties to the vampire community in addition to his own place among a race of Chinese big shots." (No, this is not a reference to the Mafia. Actually, she's subtly implying that D is a Chinese god. Thing is, is it's so subtle that Fred and George don't pick up on it.) "I wouldn't taunt him if I were you. No spell you know can work against the, ah, company his family keeps. In fact, if I had to guess, I'd say that D's learning this not to defend himself, but to have a more powerful offense. So watch your bloody mouth about him, alright?" The girl departed.

"Who's she?" asked George.

"You mean, who does she think she is," said Fred. "Telling us off like that…"

"I think she was serious, Fred," said George, very serious himself. "I wouldn't mess with D anymore if I were you."

And from that point on, Fred and George (and even Peeves, eventually) left D alone. They didn't find out who the girl was for quite a while, but as it's not important to the general plot, I'll leave that particularly juicy detail out for now.

If only Leon were able to take a hint as quickly as Fred and George….