3. The Splendiferous Six

The next term flew by for Alastor. Aurelius basically left him alone, as did his fellow Slytherins. This was fine with Alastor. He wanted nothing to do with the politics and maneuverings of his House. Alastor spent his free time with his friends, roaming all over the castle and grounds. Rremly often insisted that the six of them study together and the only neutral place they could was in the library. Studying together helped them all around because Belladonna, Percy, and Stewart were quite talented at Transfiguration and helped the others with it. Griffith, Percy, and Stewart were quite the 'charmers', while Belladonna, Alastor and Stewart were all quite good at Defense Against the Dark Arts. Potions was another class Belladonna, Alastor, and Stewart enjoyed while Percy took to Astronomy quite well. As for Rremly, he alone was proficient in all those subjects and was the only one who was able to stay awake or pay attention in History of Magic and was also the only one with a green thumb where Herbology was concerned.

During one such study session, Percy, Griffith, and Stewart sat by themselves at one table, supposedly working on Charms, while Alastor and Rremly sat with Belladonna, working on Transfiguration. Alastor finally managed the transfiguration and began working on the essay that went with it. The three were startled when the other three plopped into the three chairs on the other side of the table.

"Do you need help with Transfiguration?" Belladonna asked with a crooked smile, looking from Percy to Griffith to Stewart and back again. She clearly knew the answer would be in the negative.

"No," Stewart shook his head.

"We have a question for Rrem," Griffith added, smiling mischievously.

Rremly looked up from the essay he finishing up. "A History of Magic question?"

"Not that either," Percy shook his head this time.

"Herbology?" Rremly raised an eyebrow.

Griffith shook his head as Stewart leaned forward across the table while Percy looked on with an easy smile. "We know that the entrance to the kitchens is near the entrance to the Hufflepuff dormitories."

"So, we were wondering if you happen to know the exact location of the kitchens," Griffith continued.

Alastor and Belladonna looked at Rremly, who eyed the three boys across from him suspiciously.

Belladonna asked the question that had to be on both Rremly's and Alastor's mind, "Why do you want to know? Do you have a little prank up your sleeve?"

"Oh, no, not at all," Stewart answered, shaking his head.

"No pranks, honest," Percy added.

Belladonna smirked. "Right, and I'm the queen of England."

Grinning, Stewart started singing: "God save our gracious queen!/Long live our noble queen!/God save the queen!"

"Shut it!" Griffith covered his friend's mouth with his hand. "Do you want to get us kicked out of the library?" Alastor didn't quite see what Stewart did next, but Griffith's reaction gave it away. "Ow! Stew! Not so hard!"

Belladonna rolled her eyes while Alastor, Rremly, and Percy all covered their mouths to stifle their laughter, but the damage was done. The mild mannered librarian, Mr. Browning, appeared at the table. "If you boys can't be quiet, you'll have to leave."

"Yes, Sir." The boys waited until he'd gone before looking at each other. "Well, Rrem?"

Shaking his head in an amused sort of way, he replied, "All right, fine, let's go."

Whooping, Stewart and Griffith jumped up and raced for the door while Percy sauntered after. Alastor, Belladonna, and Rremly gathered up their books before following them.

"Oy... I don't think I'm feeling so great... d'you think it might have been something I ate?" Stewart asked, wincing a little and turning his eyes to his friends, one of whom was also similarly wincing.

Both he and Griffith looked imploringly at the others, fully aware of the tiny smirk on Alastor's face as well as the concern on Rremly's. Percy, however, merely tutted and patted their shoulders.

"Quite possibly," was his response.

"Yeah, it could have been any one of the half-dozen éclairs you each ate," Alastor added. "Or maybe one of the dozens of cauldron cakes, two pies each, and two dozen biscuits."

Percy teased, "You both really need to learn when to say no."

Stewart and Griffith exchanged looks and groaned. "Maybe you two should go to the hospital wing." Rremly suggested.

"Yes, Poppy," Stewart replied, rolling his eyes.

Rremly looked puzzled while Griffith and Percy laughed. "Er, Stew, my name is Rremly, not Poppy."

"I know," Stewart grinned, "but that's exactly what my sister, Poppy, would suggest."

Alastor chuckled. "She sounds like a fussy thing."

"Oh, she is," Stewart confirmed with a nod. "Quite a little blighter, but with a heart of gold."

Griffith swatted his friend's shoulder. "C'mon, Stew, let's go to the hospital wing before all the food we ate comes back up."

"Right," Percy agreed and helped steer them in that direction.

Alastor, Belladonna, and Rremly exchanged looks before following them. "Percy, would Poppy really say something like that?"

"Oh, yes," Percy confirmed with a wink. "She knew at the ripe old age of six that she wanted to be a Healer."

Stewart and Griffith had paused to let the others catch up. When they did, Stewart added, "You didn't hear what she did when she was seven, did you, Percy?"

"No." Percy shook his head.

Stewart and Griffith exchanged grins. "I had a pretty bad cold when I was ten, so Poppy, to keep me from getting worse or giving it to our parents or her, locked me in my room and put up a sign on my door that said 'Kwarentine'." He spelled it out for them and they all chuckled. "She kept me in there for four days, and made sure I got food and drink, but that was the extent of it." He grinned as he added, "I, of course, had a stash of cauldron cakes and chocolate frogs to tide me over, and that's why I'm so daffy today."

As the boys laughed over the story, Alastor mused, The more I hear about Poppy, the more I want to know. Before he could think too much about it, though, they arrived at the hospital wing.

"Mr. Moody? May I have a word?" Alastor glanced up at his professor and nodded.

"Yes, Sir." Waiting until the rest of the students had gone, Alastor approached the teacher's desk. "You wanted to see me, Professor?"

The professor regarded him for a moment before speaking. "Indeed, I did, Mr. Moody."

Alastor shifted slightly under the professor's scrutiny. "About what, Sir?"

"You are a fine student, Mr. Moody," the professor told him. "Perhaps my best yet."

Alastor couldn't help smiling at the compliment. "Thank you, Sir."

The professor tutted, shaking his head. "No need to thank me, Mr. Moody."

"I want to, Professor Dumbledore," Alastor answered earnestly. "You're the first to tell me something like that."

Professor Dumbledore gazed at Alastor over the tops of the gold-rimmed half-moon spectacles perched on the bridge of his long, crooked nose, bright blue eyes piercing. "What of your father? Has he never given you a compliment?"

"No, Sir," Alastor shook his head.

Alastor fidgeted once more under the professor's piercing gaze. "I see. Very well. Now, off to lunch with you."

Nodding, Alastor left the potions classroom and headed off to the Great Hall, his heart light for some reason.

The spring holidays began to approach and Alastor dreaded them. He would be under his parents' constant scrutiny the whole week and it was a pretty sure bet that his father would have the birch switch ready for him, since he had yet to give up his friendships with Griffith, Percy, Belladonna, and Rremly. He sighed gustily at the thought of getting switched again.

"Al? Is something wrong?" Percy asked, breaking the silence.

"What?" Alastor blinked and looked around the library table at his friends. "Oh, no, nothing's wrong."

Stewart looked skeptical. "C'mon, Al, we're your friends. You can tell us."

Alastor looked around at his friends once more. All five returned his gaze with varying degrees of curiosity and sympathy. "Well, I'm not looking forward to going home for the spring holidays."

"How can you not look forward to it?" Griffith asked, looking puzzled, as the others exchanged looks that Alastor couldn't quite decipher.

Alastor sighed again. "I have no wish for pity, understand, but home doesn't feel like home. My family and I don't get on well."

"Don't get on well?" Stewart asked the question this time, all five of them looking startled.

Alastor nodded reluctantly. "I didn't want to say anything because I don't want you fellows to think I'm looking for sympathy."

"Welcome to the club," Belladonna tossed out, her expression enigmatic.

The other boys looked between Belladonna and Alastor for a few moments before they returned to their studying. Feeling too uncomfortable to stay any longer, Alastor stood and left the library. The others followed shortly afterwards, talking amongst themselves in quiet voices.

"Hey, Al! Wait up!" Stewart's shout brought Alastor around to see the other boy running down the corridor towards him.

He waited until Stewart had come to a stop beside him, panting. "What did you want to talk about, Stew?"

"Read this." Stewart shoved a piece of parchment into Alastor's hand.

Puzzled, Alastor did as Stewart requested. It was a letter from Stewart's parents to the boy. Alastor's puzzlement turned to delight as he read it. "You're serious, Stew? Your parents want me to visit during the holidays?"

"Yeah!" Stewart confirmed with a nod and his trademark daffy grin.

Alastor's smile was the biggest Stewart had seen on the other boy. "I'd love to!"

"Great!" Stewart grinned himself as he shook Alastor's hand. "Besides, this'll give you a chance to meet Poppy, Ro, Jules, and Joss, since Griff and Percy live nearby and all."

Alastor nodded in agreement as they started down the corridor together. As they walked, though, a sudden thought wiped the smile from Alastor's face. "Wait, Stew, my parents might not agree to it."

Stewart scratched his head. "Can't you just owl them and ask?"

"It's not that simple," Alastor replied, running a hand through his hair. "You've seen the way Mother treats me in public." Stewart nodded silently. "It's the same at home."

Stewart stopped dead, staring at Alastor. "You can't be serious."

"I am serious, Stew," Alastor told him quietly. "I'm fed and clothed, but that's about the extent of the attention I get from my parents."

A smooth voice commented from nearby, "I can help, Alastor."

Blinking, the two boys turned to see a very familiar red haired third-year Slytherin leaning against the nearby wall.

"You want to help me, Aurelius?"

"Of course," Aurelius straightened up and walked over to the two younger boys. "Why shouldn't I?"

Alastor glanced at Stewart, who shrugged. Looking back at his brother, he asked, "What do you mean by help?"

"Well, I couldn't help overhearing that you've been invited to spend the spring holidays elsewhere," Aurelius answered, managing something close to a smile. "Nor could I help overhearing that you're worried our parents will say no."

Alastor nodded. "You overheard correctly, Aurelius."

"So, I was thinking that I could convince Mother and Father that letting you spend the holidays with the Pomfreys would be best for you," Aurelius explained, examining the nails of one hand. "Help you to expand your horizons and so forth."

Alastor blinked. "You're serious? You're not just pulling my leg?"

"Of course I'm serious, Alastor." Aurelius looked surprised that his brother would doubt.

Alastor glanced at Stewart once again, who could only shrug. "Well, all right, then. Go ahead if you want."

"Excellent," Aurelius reached out and squeezed Alastor's shoulder, a little harder than necessary, but he left before Alastor could speak up.

Rubbing his shoulder where Aurelius had squeezed it, Alastor watched his brother go.

Stewart looked at him for a few moments. "Is something wrong with your shoulder?"

Alastor quickly dropped his hand. "No, nothing's wrong with it at all."

"Right," Stewart sounded skeptical, but didn't push the subject. "Well, let's go get some dinner."

Together, the two boys headed off to the Great Hall.