One thing that had changed at Hogwarts since Harry's sixth year was the teaching staff, with at least three of last year's staff either dead or in Azkaban, Harry had new Defence, Potions and Muggle Studies professors. Muggle Studies was now a required class, even if you weren't taking the OWL or NEWT qualification. The new professor, Stephen Hughes, had introduced himself as 'muggleborn and bloody proud of it'. He was also head of the Eighth-Year house, as loosely speaking they were a house.
Harry didn't mind having to take Muggle Studies, Professor Hughes mostly taught practical things like how muggles performed everyday tasks, of travelling, washing their clothes and cooking. The classes usually dissolved into what Professor Hughes called 'enthusiastic debate' between Harry's classmates, particularly the muggleborns and half-bloods, which to Harry was like watching a verbal ice hockey match. Today's class had overrun due to a lengthy debate, about how to make tea. Finally, the class had agreed that putting the milk in first was abominable when using a tea bag but could be tolerated if using a strainer and leaves, although the jury was still out over no milk in tea and which biscuits were best. Hermione did not enjoy Muggle Studies; she had complained since their first class it was a waste of time. Harry and Ron had taken bets from the other Gryffindor's how long it would be before she stormed out of this class like she had Third Year Divination. Harry had the end of the winter term but looking at her mutinous scowl today he didn't like his odds.
'Honestly! An hour arguing over tea.' She complained as she, Harry and Ron made their way into the crowded corridor. 'Doesn't he realise we have NEWTS this year, that the only reason we came back was to do our exams. I have so much actual work I should have been doing.'
'Maybe it's for magical co-operation.' Said Ron
'What?' Hermione snapped at him. When she was this riled up everyone was in the firing line.
'Well, it's just everyone talking isn't it. Shows we're not that different if we all have an opinion about how to make tea or whatever. If someone from every blood status is mad enough to put the milk in first. Just goes to show don't it. We're not that different.' Ron explained as they shuffled with the crowd towards the grand staircase. Hermione rolled her eyes but looked somewhat mollified.
Ahead of them, there is a shout and then repeated heavy thuds.
'What the?' exclaims Ron. Harry already has his wand out and is pushing his way through the crowd of students, he knows Ron and Hermione are right behind him. At the top of the marble stairs all the students are staring down, students on the stairs have parted, all of them are eerily quiet. Between the students is a trail of books, broken ink bottles, a school bag and about halfway down the stairs a lump of robes with blonde hair. As Harry joins the crowd on the top step, the lump that is Malfoy moves slowly, eye's cast down as his long fingers collect up his bag and books.
'Who did this?' Harry asks quietly. A group of lads, Harry thinks they're sixth years, start to snigger. 'You did this?' Harry demands of them.
'Leave it Potter.' Malfoy has finished gathering his salvageable things and is now carefully picking up the bigger shards of his glass ink bottle.
Harry glared at the group of sixth year lads. 'He deserved it, and worse, he shouldn't even be here.' The leader glared down at Malfoy.
'That's not your decision though, is it Jones?' Hermione asked, 'I'll be reporting this to Professor McGonagall. The rest of you should get down to lunch.' She added irritably to the crowd of onlookers.
'You can't prove we did anything Granger. Come on guys.' Jones and his fellow sixth years swaggered down the steps, each bashing shoulders with Malfoy as they went. Malfoy nodded once at Harry and Hermione before turning to follow the crowd of students.
'Do you think that's been happening a lot?' Hermione asked as the three followed Malfoy a safe distance away so as not to be overheard.
'Probably, I think he's avoided most of it, always early for class and leaves straight away.' Harry said his eyes boring into the back of Malfoy's head.
'Maybe we should do something.' Hermione chewed her lip.
'No, we shouldn't.' Ron's voice was low. 'He's not a house elf Hermione, he's not a new cause. He did deserve that, tripped down the stairs, it's hardly anything compared to what he's done is it?'
'That's not really the point Ron. You don't make a wrong right with more wrongs.' Harry tuned out Hermione. Some part of him agreed with them both, Malfoy had let Death Eaters into Hogwarts, he had endangered all the students, he had cast at least two of the unforgiveable curses, he had inadvertently poisoned Ron, he had tried to kill Dumbledore and been an accessory to Snape murdering Dumbledore, which was actually euthanasia but only Harry knew that. Besides all Malfoy's actual crimes, he'd been a little shit in their younger years, bullying Hermione for her teeth, Ron for being poor and Harry for being Harry. He was conceited, arrogant, spoilt and selfish. A tripping jinx and a tumble down some steps wasn't anything compared to all Malfoy had done. But Hermione was right, attacking him didn't make things right, nothing could. Except maybe stopping the circle of hatred, saying it was ok to attack Malfoy suggested it was ok to attack anyone who had done wrong. The circle restarted, the good guys attack the bad guys until they become the bad guys and a new generation of good guys is needed to stop them. Harry sighed.
'and Ronald, you were the one who said, if we can all find things in common when making tea, then maybe we're not that different.' Hermione finished her speech just as they entered the Great Hall for lunch.