Joshua woke up early the next morning, a result of living with the Dursleys. Though it was probably a good thing considering what he had to do first. He began by carefully removing his bandages, applying a light gentle salve on his burns, and applying new bandages. Though it hurt excessively, he made no sound. Joshua then put on his school robes and went through a much more normal routine. Brushing teeth, relieving himself, etc.
When he got out of the bathroom, he looked around at the other beds and the people in them. It seemed that he had roommates. Although it could be uncomfortable for the other boys to room with him at first, them being around him more should make it easier over time. Ernie MacMillon could prove to be an annoyance, but Joshua had faith that nature, be it earthly or human, would sort him out.
Joshua went down to the common room and sat down in a chair and began to read his course books. A few minutes later, Tonks came down and was surprised to see Joshua. "Wotcher, Graham."
"Hello Tonks. May I ask why you're up early?" Joshua asked politely.
"Eh, sort of raised like that. Mum and dad made it clear that the early bird gets the worm in our house. Basically whoever woke up earlier got the better food for breakfast. What about you?"
"I was raised to wake up early as well. Though my relatives did it because I was meant to make breakfast before school." Joshua said calmly.
"...Does what they did to you not bother you?" Tonks asked carefully.
"They didn't understand me, that led to fear, fear to anger, anger to hate. I very much dislike them for all they did and will never forgive them, but remaining bitter and angry is pointless. If I allow myself to obsess over them, they win." Joshua said in his usual calm.
Tonks couldn't really say much in response to that, so she changed the subject. "Well...are you excited about learning magic?"
"I have been practicing magic for a while on my own, though I look forward to learning more advanced techniques."
"But I thought you were a muggleborn?" Tonks asked, confused.
"I am an orphan, I cannot be certain of my blood status. I have, however, been practicing magic. Observe."
Joshua raised the book into the air in his hand, then lowered his hand while keeping the book in the air. Tonks looked somewhat gobsmacked, but then laughed an almost maniacal cackle. "I look forward to seeing what kind of reactions you get from your classmates. Try to knock Draco Malfoy down a peg, will you?"
"Only if necessary." Joshua answered.
"Good enough." Tonks replied.
Joshua then grabbed the book out of the air. Just in time too, as Tonk's laughing seemed to wake everyone else up. Tonks then stood up in front of all the first years and said "Alright then you lot, look alive, I'm gonna escort you all to the Great Hall, then you'll get a map for finding your classes along with your schedules. Follow me."
The first years followed Tonks to the Great Hall following the same route as last night. They all made it quickly, then seated themselves at the Hufflepuff table, and proceeded to eat breakfast, or in Joshua's case, inject breakfast.
Joshua saw Hermione and Neville at the Gryffindor table alone. So Joshua excused himself and walked over to them.
"Hello Hermione. Hello Neville." He said when he arrived.
"Oh, hello Joshua. What brings you over here?" Hermione asked.
"Does anyone need a reason to be with their friends beyond wanting to?" Joshua replied.
"Heh, I guess not." Neville answered.
Joshua sat down and began 'eating'. Hermione and Neville looked a little concerned, but didn't say anything. After hearing that the injection gun was his only way to eat last night, they figured that Joshua would rather not be bothered.
Joshua noticed their expressions and said "If you have questions, you are free to ask. All I ask is that you be polite about it."
Neville went first. "Well… does it hurt to inject those… whatever they are?"
"You would think it would, but it is rather painless. Most people fear things like needles, but if you remain calm and relaxed, it will be over quickly. Also, the vials I inject contain concentrated nutrients, like a muggle version of nutrient potions." Joshua answered kindly.
Hermione went next. "But why inject the nutrients instead of consuming them?"
"As I told Professor Snape last night, my throat was damaged to the extent that I cannot consume food normally. And though the nutrients can go down my throat, there is an increased risk of choking. With an injection, the nutrients bypass my throat." Joshua replied.
Hermione and Neville expressed their thanks for his patience and honesty and they all returned to eating.
Joshua went to transfiguration with the rest of the Hufflepuff and the Gryffindor first years. Joshua arrived early, just behind Hermione and Neville, the former having guided the latter so they didn't get lost. When Joshua entered, he sat near the two but was unable to find the teacher, finding only a tabby cat on what was most likely the teacher's desk. Noticing the class syllabus on the chalkboard, Joshua decided to read from the course book's first chapter. The rest of the students trickled in over time and the bell rang out, meaning class began.
BANG*
A red haired and freckled student burst through the doors. Slightly out of breath he said "Thank Merlin! She's not here."
The red haired kid walked up to Joshua and said "Hey! I saw you on the train! Why are you dressed like a mummy?"
"These are medical bandages. My body is covered in severe burns and these bandages prevent infection." Was Joshua's reply.
"Well they look weird. You should get a healer to fix you." The red haired kid said stupidly.
Everyone looked at the kid, some with disbelief at his idiocy, some with anger at his audacity, and Joshua looked at the kid with narrowed eyes and that held no real malice.
"You are a person with little intelligence and less tact. These problems can be remedied by learning and experience. But you must be willing to accept you can be wrong before you can possibly begin to be right. And as to your question, I will not be getting a healer to 'fix' me, for there is nothing that needs to be fixed. I have love from friends and family because of who I am, that is proof that I need no fixing."
A silence filled the room, a silence thicker than this red haired kid's skull.
"Ten points for Hufflepuff, Mr. Graham."
Everyone looked to the front where Professor McGonnagal stood, stern as ever.
"For fighting with your words rather than your wand." She continued.
"Thank you professor." Joshua turned to face the kid. "God be with you."
"And as for you, Ronald Weasley. Never have I been so ashamed of one of my students. Ten points from Gryffindor for your insensitive remarks about your fellow student and five more for your tardiness."
"But-" Ron started.
"Would you care to lose more?" McGonnagal challenged.
Ron's ears and cheeks turned red and he sat down.
After introductions and a warning from McGonnagal against tomfoolery and horseplay, she had all of the students attempt to turn a match into a needle. Hermione managed to turn her match metallic and pointy, it wasn't quite a needle. Neville was having little to no success, as was the rest of the class. But Joshua was staring at the match with a certain intensity.
"Mr. Graham. May I ask why you are not participating?" McGonnagal asked.
"I am focusing on the reshaping of the matchstick in my mind." Was the reply.
"Well then, could I ask you to attempt to change it now?" She queried.
"Of course." Joshua waved his wand over the match, saying nothing, and the match turned into a perfect needle. Complete with a little eye on one end.
"My word! Very well done, Mr. Graham! Five points to Hufflepuff. May I ask how you managed it?" McGonnagal asked.
She was very curious, as was the rest of the class that happened to be looking at Joshua.
"Of course. However a visual display would help. May I use a chalkboard?" He questioned.
The professor nodded her head and offered the back of the big board at the front. Joshua then put on a writing glove to protect his bandages and eventually was teaching the class about the basics of atoms, molecules, and what they were. When he was done, McGonnagal was in his seat and everyone was hanging on every word, the professor especially.
Neville had a question though. "How do you know about all these things?"
Hermione had Joshua's back though. "Actually, muggles have known about atoms, molecules, and a lot of other things for a long time." She answered with the muggleborns nodding their heads to agree.
Everyone else was stunned. They thought muggles to be archaic, but it looked like they knew more about the world than magicals thought they did. But just then the bell rang. Everyone scrambled to put away their things and leave while McGonnagal quickly yelled out their homework.
Joshua, Hermione, and Neville walked to charms class, though a fair amount of their fellow students walked with them, curious about what other interesting things Joshua knew about. Joshua had a question for Neville though. "Neville, is there something wrong with your wand?"
"Actually, it's not my wand, it's my father's." Neville answered.
"Why do you use your father's wand?" Hermione asked curiously.
"My grandmother said that I should honor my father by using it." Neville answered, rather glum.
"Can you tell me about your relationship with your grandmother?" Joshua asked softly.
Neville talked about how his grandmother really loved his mom and dad. How she wanted him to honor them with talent and bravery. How she was really happy when Neville showed magic when his uncle dropped him from a window and he bounced all the way down the lawn. But Joshua could hear the truth behind Neville's descriptions.
"Forgive me Neville but I must say this: it sounds like your grandmother is trying to have you fill your father's place. It sounds like she cannot accept that your father is no longer around, that she needs to learn that you are your own person, and that until she does she doesn't have your best interests entirely in mind." Joshua said as gently as possible.
Neville looked hurt but his eyes had a look of serious thought. Hermione looked at them both in wide eyed silence. They made it to charms almost not even realizing it. Before they went in though, Joshua told Neville one more thing. "I don't tell you this to hurt you or insult your grandmother. I tell you this because if I don't, then it will cause even more problems later. I'm sorry, but it had to be said."
Joshua went in, soon followed by Hermione and Neville.
Charms happened without issues. Professor Flitwick did roll call and when he reached Joshua's name, he looked up, saw Joshua, and went back to roll call without staring at all. As if a horribly burned and bandaged eleven year old was a common sight.
There was a great deal of success around the classroom with the light summoning spell, Lumos. Though not all of them were the same level of brightness, rather they all varied person to person. Joshua knew that magic was about three things: intent, power, and will, and while Joshua had a surplus of all three, he decided not to put too much attention on himself and made a glow only slightly above the class average.
Everybody went to lunch, then went to their next classes. Defense against the Dark Arts was unfortunately a pathetic waste of time. Joshua had nothing against those with challenges, Professor Quirrell included, but that wasn't the problem. The problem was that Quirrell wasn't teaching the class properly. This was where they were supposed to learn to defend themselves from those who would do them harm. But they were not learning anything useful on potential threats, only that they exist.
However there was something else that was wrong. Quirrell was faking his stutter. Joshua had learned a fair amount about those with disabilities, especially those caused by trauma, which Quirrell surely had if the rumor about the zombie in Albania was true. And while nervousness and paranoia is common, a stutter isn't, especially one this extreme. As a matter of fact, this amount of stuttering is not common in ANYONE. So he is likely faking it, but is overplaying it. But if that's the case, then why? Joshua resolved to talk with him about it. But not now.
Eventually, it came time for potions class with the Slytherins. Joshua was waiting in the hall with the other students when a familiar blonde boy walked up to him. "So it looks like you're still here, are you? Well you should know who I am then." He said self importantly.
"No, I do not." Joshua said neutrally.
"I am Draco Malfoy, son of Lucius Malfoy, and heir to the house of Malfoy. What about you, hmm? Who're you?"
"Joshua Graham and I don't quite care for your delusions of grandeur." He said, still neutral.
"How dare you! You aren't even fit to clean my shoes, you filthy mudblood!" Draco said angrily.
Everyone gasped. Everyone except Joshua.
"There are many reasons you shouldn't treat people like that. I will tell you the main three." He continued neutrally.
"One, you will make no friends with that much hate in your heart and a life without friends is a very lonely life. Two, if you should continue to refer to anyone in such a horrible and aggressive manner, you will not be returning home. Three, such unreasonable anger is unhealthy, bad for the soul, and if you allow your anger to fester and grow, it will consume you." Joshua said, his voice still neutral and unwavering.
No one really knew what to make of that. Joshua just threatened Draco Malfoy with harm, but he did it while he gave Malfoy advice. What's more, the threat was in between the two bits of advice. Did that mean that the threat was equally as important as the advice?
But before anyone could continue thinking about what just happened, the door burst open with Snape telling everyone to get in.
Yeah, I know, EVIL CLIFFHANGER!!! But I didn't want the chapter to get too long.
And yes: I did obviously take inspiration from Joshua's threat in New Vegas for what happened before the cliffhanger.
Anyway, if any of you have an idea or a question, please feel free to leave a comment!
Please keep all criticism constructive and have a wonderful day.