Notes: I noticed in the movie version of Half-Blood Prince that Hermione sometimes wore trousers with her uniform, so I'm going to assume that applies to girls at the upper levels. Also, I admit to having a fairly rosy interpretation of some characters- I like to believe lessons were learned in the wake of the previous wars.

Warnings: Okay, a while back I said we were about done with angst, but I think I may have lied. The worm is beginning, as they say, to turn, but there's no guarantee he'll enjoy it.

Chapter Nine

There was, obviously, a whole lot more fallout from the mudblood incident than there had been from the one at the Quidditch tryouts. On Tuesday morning, when Hufflepuff had double Transfiguration with Slytherin, Darcy and Ian reported that Professor Slughorn had taken away twenty house points from Clint's brother, Barney Barton.

"And he would have taken more, if Barton cared one bit about the house," Darcy said.

"Why did he take any, if Barton doesn't care?" Annie asked.

"As a warning to the rest of the house," George guessed, and the two Slytherins nodded.

"Exactly," Ian said. "And he's got detention for a month, and he's lost the first trip into Hogsmeade."

"Wow," Mitchell murmured. "Good for Slughorn."

"And then we had a house meeting and Professor Slughorn told us all that he'd lived through two terrible, wasteful wars caused by exactly the attitude... that word... expresses, and he had always hoped to see Slytherin live it down," Darcy said. "It was awful. I would much rather he had yelled at us."

"I thought he was going to cry," Ian admitted.

"Well, I mean, my Dad was in Slytherin just after the last war, and he says there were a lot of Dark types getting Sorted there even in his time. It was like everything bad about Slytherin kind of came to the top in those years. I suppose all the houses go through something like that every hundred years or so," Darcy shrugged.

"Although it's hard to imagine what Dark Hufflepuffs would be like," Ian said, in an obvious attempt to lighten the mood.

"They push their way to the front of queues," Darcy replied quickly, just as Professor Coulson walked into the classroom.

In fact, Slytherin wasn't the only house to have a meeting in the aftermath of the incident. Loki later heard that Gryffindor and Ravenclaw did, too. And Professor Sprout called everyone into the common room, where she very quietly and seriously talked about the harm that had been done in the past by people who were obsessed with the "pureness" of wizarding blood, and then about the contributions of people who came from Muggle backgrounds.

"I am sure I don't need to say this," she finished up, "because I know this is a good house full of good people, but attitudes like that are the opposite of everything we value here in Hufflepuff."

Loki had sat on the floor with a cluster of first-years and listened attentively, but a part of him wondered if his real parents were in Azkaban because of ideas just like the ones Professor Sprout was describing.

Natasha didn't sit with Loki and his friends anymore. On Tuesday she had come up to Loki as the students entered the class and told him, perfectly calmly and quietly, that she liked him and she was very sorry, but she was Clint's friend and so she couldn't be his right now.

Loki had been expecting that, of course, and the funny thing was that having her just come right out and say it hurt a lot less than it would have if she had pretended she wasn't cutting him off. And the really weird thing was, Natasha didn't seem to mind at all that the other Slytherins were still friendly with him and his housemates.

"This has nothing to do with houses," Natasha shrugged. "Clint isn't friends with the other Slytherins. Only me."

Loki found himself wondering whether Clint was going to be allowed to keep on being friends with Natasha, but he didn't ask, because the thought made him so angry he felt hot all over.

Over the next few weeks Loki stayed away from Thor, and Thor and his friends- including Clint, who seemed to be their mascot- stayed away from Loki. The coolness didn't really affect the relationships between the two houses, since Hufflepuff and Gryffindor had been friendly for about a thousand years before Loki was born and it would take more than this to make a big difference, but the first-years were a little careful around each other.

It didn't make things as unpleasant for Loki as it might have, because at least the Hufflepuff first-years were all friends with each other. That was both comforting and handy, since everyone seemed to be good at different classes and they helped each other with their schoolwork. Pippa, who still treated broomsticks like ponies, turned out to be much the best flyer in the class and before long all the first-year Hufflepuffs were patting their brooms and calling them "good girl" just like she did.

She and Dennis had never been around owls before they came to Hogwarts, and both of them liked to join Loki, Annie, George and Mitchell when they went to play with Bronwyn.

"Is it hard to learn to take care of an owl?" Dennis asked, as he threw the sock-ball (which Loki had made out of the ruined socks from the first day) across the lawn and they all watched Bronwyn swoop, hover, and then drop talons-first upon her hapless prey. By this time she had worked out that her prey would only flee again if she brought it back to be thrown some more, so she snatched up the socks and flew back to Loki, ignoring Dennis's outstretched arm.

"Not very hard," Loki said, handing him back the socks. "There are some good books at Flourish and Blott's, or you could ask Mr. Cadwallader at Eeylops to suggest one. And lots of witches and wizards can give you advice."

"Cool," Dennis said. "I guess it's like having a dog in the Muggle world, only they can carry your post."

"Did you ever have a dog?" Loki asked eagerly. He had always thought he would like to have a dog.

Bronwyn, as usual, declared the game over when she ignored the final sock-throw and flew back to the owlery. Loki stuffed the ragged bundle into his pocket and the group of friends started walking back to the castle.

As they came up the path that led around the corner to the courtyard, they heard yelling and laughter. It wasn't the shrill sound of kids their own age, so Loki automatically slowed down and the first-years used a little caution as they came around the corner of the castle.

There was a gang of older students in the middle of the courtyard- Loki recognized several prefects- laughing and hooting and yelling encouragement at Stark.

Who was pointing his wand at someone upside-down in the air, hanging as if by his left ankle, robe fallen down over his face and black-trousered right leg kicking. There was black-and-yellow edging on the collar of his gray jumper.

"Had enough, Rogers?" Stark called.

Loki didn't even think about what he was going to do next before he did it. All of a sudden his wand was in his hand and he was charging up the path toward the laughing group, aware of the other first-years running with him, also with their wands out.

He was so angry he could hardly see or hear anything, but just before he would have gone barreling into Stark from behind, Rogers' muffled voice cut through the roaring in his head:

"No, give me another minute. I've just got to get this stupid robe off, I can't see anything."

"When you think about it, it's not a practical way of dressing," Annie's sister Becky spoke up from the fringe of the group.

"Okay," Stark said, "just yell if you need me to let you down. Oh, hey there," he added casually, as he noticed the rapidly approaching group of first-years. His eyebrows went up at the sight of their wands, and Loki hastily shoved his back into his pocket as he came to a halt.

"Oh, great," Rogers said, purple-faced, as his robe went fluttering to the ground beneath him. "Exactly what I needed, a bigger audience." He tucked his legs together and did a sort of upside-down situp so he could see the others the right way around, then unfolded and looked rather mournfully at his wand, lying on the ground half-concealed by his robe. "Okay, I think I have the same problem again- "

"Can you even do an Accio charm without your wand?" one of the onlookers, a sixth-year Ravenclaw prefect, wondered.

"Not so far," Rogers told him.

"May I ask what you are doing?" asked a voice behind them. Everyone, including the first-years, jumped, and Stark flicked his wand at the same moment Becky raised hers and muttered,

"Spongify!"

Rogers dropped to the ground, which was now soft, and bounced. It took him a moment to scramble to his feet.

"Good afternoon, Professor Slughorn," Stark said innocently, shoving his wand into his robe.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Stark," said Professor Slughorn as he walked toward the group. "What a very curious sight to meet my eyes, as I take my postprandial constitutional. I sincerely hope you were not doing what you appeared to be doing. I had the impression you and Mr. Rogers are good friends."

Stark looked genuinely horrified. "Oh no. Nononono. We were just playing around. Really, sir."

"Really," Rogers confirmed, looking surprisingly guilty for the one who had been jinxed. "Tony heard about a spell called Levicorpus, and it sounded like a pretty good defensive jinx, so I said we could try it on me. It's really kind of cool, professor, it's non-verbal and- "

"I am familiar with the spell," Professor Slughorn said quietly, looking from one sheepish face to the next.

"It really does work pretty well," Rogers went on nervously. "When you're jerked up in the air you almost always drop your wand- at least I do, Standish hung onto his once, didn't you Standish- ?"

"I beg your pardon?" Professor Slughorn asked. "Are you telling me that you have been taking turns to jinx each other?"

"Um, yes," said Potts, who Loki hadn't seen up to this moment. "Mostly Steve, to be honest- "

"I get less seasick than the others, when I'm upside-down," Rogers explained. "But everyone's had a turn getting jinxed except Becky, because… skirt…" His face, which had faded back to its usual pinkness, went red again.

"We've all had a go at casting it, though," Becky spoke up, with an air of confession.

"And you all managed it? Non-verbally?" The older students all nodded. Professor Slughorn pursed his lips thoughtfully. "That is, I admit, a fine bit of spellwork. I hate to discourage it, but… You do promise that, except in cases of dire emergency, you will only practice it among yourselves, after everyone has agreed in advance? You won't use it to harass or embarrass other students, or frighten any of the younger ones? Honour bright?"

"Yes, sir," Stark replied quickly. There was nothing teasing about his manner now, as if Professor Slughorn's good opinion really mattered to him. Professor Slughorn considered for a moment longer, then nodded.

"Very well," he said. "As long as you keep your word." The older kids were all nodding vigorously. The professor seemed to notice Loki and his friends for the first time. "Here to enjoy the show?" he asked genially.

"Um," Mitchell muttered, speaking for everyone.

"Actually, I think they were coming to Steve's rescue," Stark explained. "At least, they all had their wands out when they came running up." With a return to his usual manner, he added, "I don't know what they were planning to do- tickle us, or something."

Professor Slughorn raised his eyebrows. "Is that true?" he asked. Nobody answered. "Mr. Odinson?"

Loki gulped. "Well, we thought… it looked like… and we didn't see Becky- Sawyer- so we didn't know at first it was only a game. So, um- "

"Loyal," Stark said, grinning now. "Not necessarily prudent."

"I think that might be worth five points to Hufflepuff," said Professor Slughorn, with a smile. He was just turning to walk away when Rhodes spoke up:

"Sir? You said you were familiar with Levicorpus?"

"Yes. It was not generally used in fun, when I came to know about it."

"Well, can you ever cast it at more than one person at a time? I mean, suppose a person was being attacked by a bunch of Dark sorcerers- ?"

"I'm sure Professor Fury will be glad to hear that you are taking such concerns so seriously," remarked Professor Slughorn. "Are you asking for a demonstration?" Eager nods all around. "Very well. You might wish- " he gestured at Becky and the first-years to move out of the way.

Then he took out his wand and flicked it upward, all in a single smooth gesture. All the older students except Becky went flying up into the air. Most of them dropped their wands, and all of them shrieked in surprise. The professor let them hang a moment, then brought his wand sharply down and drew it sideways. All the airborne students went wafting gently to the ground like leaves falling from a tree. Professor Slughorn took a gracious bow, and then continued on his interrupted walk.

Loki was very thoughtful as he and his friends continued on their way.

~oOo~

"You would have to be so good in Charms, to be able to do a spell like that," Loki said later that evening, as they all worked on their homework in the common room. He had his wand out and was trying to perform Wingardium Leviosa on a curl of parchment. So far he was only making it roll a little, and that could have been just stray breezes.

"What, that Levicorpus? Yeah," Mitchell agreed, looking up from his History of Magic essay.

"I wonder if it takes a lot of energy to cast a spell to pick up something as big as a person," George went on thoughtfully. George was quite good at Charms, and had gotten his feather to lift up several inches in class already.

"As big as Thor," Loki muttered to his curl of parchment.

I do not need to be rescued by Hufflepuffs.

"What was that?" Annie asked.

"Nothing," Loki said. He imagined Thor kicking in the air, upside-down with his robe over his face, and smirked a little to himself. First, though, he would have to make this bit of parchment fly.

~oOo~

"Yes, Mr. Odinson?" said Professor Slughorn, nodding toward Loki as he raised his hand.

"Sir, we've been working on a potion that cures boils. I was just wondering… is there such a thing as a potion that causes them?"

Professor Slughorn looked very hard at Loki, who tried to keep his expression innocently curious even though his stomach felt like it was filling with hot water. Finally, the professor replied,

"As a matter of purely academic interest, yes, Mr. Odinson, there are such potions. They do not, however, form part of the curriculum here at Hogwarts, and we will not discuss them in this class." He continued to look hard at Loki, who nodded and lowered his eyes back to his cauldron.

~oOo~

"What kind of a question was that?" Annie demanded at break, as the four friends walked down the corridor together.

"What kind of a question was what?" asked Loki, who knew perfectly well what Annie was talking about.

"'Is there a potion that causes boils?'" Annie reminded him. "Why on earth would you want to cause boils?"

"I never said that I did," Loki snapped. "I just wanted to know if there was such a thing. Now let's hurry up or we'll be late for Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"Yes, well, don't ask Professor Fury about potions to cause boils if you know what's good for you," Annie warned.

"Right, as if I'd be stupid enough to do that," Loki sneered back.

~oOo~

"Very nicely done, Mr. Odinson!" exclaimed Professor Flitwick, as Loki's feather floated high above the class. "An excellent demonstration of Wingardium Leviosa!"

Loki smiled, trying not to look smug, as he let the feather drift back down to the desktop.

"I'm not surprised," Mitchell said, after class. "You've been working on practically nothing else for weeks. I had no idea you were so set on doing well in Charms."

"I want to do well in all my classes," Loki told him.

"Which is why you've been ignoring your homework in every class except Charms?" Mitchell said skeptically.

"And Potions," Annie said quietly. "He's been working really hard in Potions, too."

"Is there something wrong with that?" Loki asked angrily.

"No, it's just- "

"What's the matter? Scared I'll end up doing better than you?" Loki demanded, horrified by the nastiness in his tone.

"You were trying to do Wingardium on an empty ink bottle last night," George spoke up. Loki whirled to face him, with the choking feeling that everybody was turning on him. He opened his mouth, but before he could speak George went on, "And you keep looking at the last chapters of the Potions book, the part that talks about the really nasty ones. What are you planning, Loki?"

"Nothing!" Loki almost shouted, pushed past his friends, and ran outside toward the owlery.

None of them followed him.

~oOo~

The dormitory was dark and quiet. Loki could hear everyone else breathing gently in their sleep. He lay on his side, back to the door, curled up in a ball wishing he dared get out of bed and fetch his floppy rhinoceros from the drawer in the wardrobe. He had never noticed how threatening the shadows were, here in the Hufflepuff dormitory at night. He had always thought this was such a safe place even when it was dark, but now it seemed like anything could be lurking in the corners.

To dispel the unpleasant thoughts, Loki pulled the covers over his head and started to make up stories. Next week was the Halloween feast, and everyone would be at the house tables. Loki pictured himself sitting at the Hufflepuff table, with all his friends around him. (He ignored the stab of pain as he recalled that he was hardly even talking to Annie right now, and George and Mitchell were so uncomfortable around the two of them that they usually just went off and worked together.)

Don't think about that. He was at the Hufflepuff table, and people talked to him, and… liked him again. And then Thor said… said something stupid about Hufflepuffs, and Loki pulled out his wand, and a whole bowl of mashed turnips flew through the air and dumped themselves over Thor's head, and everyone was laughing at him-

Quidditch was starting in two weeks, and Gryffindor would play Hufflepuff. And Thor would be playing Beater for Gryffindor, because of course they still let him play, and he hit a Bludger right at Rogers, even though you weren't supposed to hit the Bludger at the other team's Keeper unless the Quaffle was in scoring position, because Thor thought it didn't matter, what he did to Hufflepuffs. And then Loki cast a jinx that made Thor's broom swerve around like a wild Hippogriff, and Thor fell off, and everyone laughed at him-

The walls and the floor were dark stone, mossy and damp and ice-cold under Loki's bare feet. There was one window, high in the walls, so high Loki wouldn't be able to see the sky again for years and years, not until he was a grownup, and even then only if he was very tall. The door to the cell was solid oak but there was a smaller one set in the bottom, so the guards could open it and push food through- when they remembered.

Loki sat on the stone floor, in the corner, shivering and watching the darkness flow in through the window to fill the cell. The corners were full of nasty things that glided and fluttered and waited for Loki to turn his back on them, for him to go to sleep.

And then he realized that one corner of the cell was darker than all the others, deeper, and there was… there was something in there. Two sets of eyes, that glittered in the dark as they watched him, and got bigger as they crept closer and closer to him. Loki scrambled backward, but the cold stone stopped him. He clamped both hands over his mouth to smother the whimper trying to come out.

"Don't be afraid," a voice said, raspy and thick, oozing toward Loki like a breath of foul air. "Why should you be afraid, when you are ours, you belong here- "

"I don't," Loki squeaked, trying to make himself so small they would never be able to find him. "I don't belong here!"

"Of course you do, you don't think you belong in Hufflepuff, that is the nicest house, and now they know what you are they don't want you anymore."

"Of course they don't," a second voice agreed, the voice that belonged to the second set of eyes. "Of course they don't want you, you don't belong there, only good people belong in Hufflepuff, and you want to hurt your brother. You know you should be here, know what you're going to be, what you are already- "

"I'm not! I'm not, I'm not!"

"You are. You are ours, Loki."

"Loki!"

Something was holding onto him, shaking him. Loki panicked, tried to lash out, but with the covers all pulled up around his head he couldn't get his hands free. He twisted and thrashed, and whatever was holding him tightened its grip. There was a weight on top of him and he couldn't breathe.

"Loki! Wake up!"

Loki opened his eyes, found himself almost nose-to-nose with Mitchell, whose eyes were huge. The lamps were lit, and over Mitchell's shoulder he could see George, hovering. The other first-year Hufflepuff boys were all hanging back a few steps, scared and white-faced.

"Hnnh?" Loki tried to say something, but he couldn't make any words come out.

"You were having a bad dream," Mitchell said, sitting down nervously on the edge of the bed. "You sounded really scared."

"I was… I was… "

George turned and ran out of the room, coming back a minute later with a glass of water. Loki sat up, managed to steady his hands enough to take it. "Thank you," he mumbled, and gulped from it.

"Do you want me to get someone?" George asked, fluttering his hands. Loki stared at him in confusion, and George went red. "Or not, I just- "

"No, no, it's… thank you," Loki repeated. "I'm all right." No one looked convinced. Loki suspected he didn't, either. "I'm all right," he repeated, a bit shrilly, and drank the rest of the water.

"Okay," Mitchell said, taking the empty glass from him. "Is it okay if we leave the lights on?" It took a second for Loki to realize Mitchell was speaking to him.

"All right," he said in a small voice.

"Okay," Mitchell said reassuringly, and turned to look at the rest of the group. "Let's all go back to sleep, yeah?"

"Okay," everybody muttered.

But nobody did.