...

"You know, it's things like this that give me trust issues," Blaise grumbled from across the library table as he read through the Daily Prophet's evening paper.

"Really? I would have figured it was the multiple fathers," Daphne snarked from the seat next to him. "Not that I blame you, I can't believe they just... let him go like that..."

That... Was certainly one way to put it.

The two were, of course, referring to the section dedicated to their former Defence Against The Dark Art's professor. The section that more or less amounted, at the first glance at any rate, to the man in question getting out of what should've been the easiest conviction of a lifetime.

On a technically no less.

"He was possessed... Wasn't he? It's not fair to blame him for his actions then..." Tracey added on, her gaze turning up from her still incomplete homework before she turned towards the resident muggle-born actually doing her assigned work. "Don't you think?"

"Well... There definitely is a precedence for the insanity defense in the non-magical world-"

"Muggle world," Blaise promptly pointed out, idly putting the paper in his hands down.

"I don't like that word. It doesn't sound very nice,"

"It's still the name we have for it, Granger."

"That doesn't mean I have to use it, Zabini." The girl's reply only earned a set of rolled eyes from the other.

"Insanity defense?" Tracey clarified, steering the girl's focus back towards the subject itself.

"Right, in the non-magical world, the insanity defense refers to someone who commits a crime whilst under a terrible mental state..."

"Ohh, like they're possessed?"

"I suppose. It's usually because they're in the wrong mental state, though, my dad thinks they only use it to get out of their punishments..."

Instead of, immediately, been put in a jail cell for his actions, Quirinus Quirrell was currently undergoing treatment in an undisclosed hospital in another country.

"Well, I mean a ghost came out of his head in the middle of the trial, so I don't think he was lying..." Tracey remarked morosely.

Rodrick could certainly understand her mood.

He'd been en route to becoming her favorite professor.

Mostly because of how sane he'd seemed to the rest of their teachers.

You know. Before he'd tried to attack her best friend, and bash her new one's head in.

Though it had ended with her gaining a friend in Hermione Granger, albeit even if the girl only really met them in the library.

He idly wondered if the girl thought that was a good trade?

"Right, because you should believe everything you read in the paper," Blaise snarked. "By that logic, the minister's a goblin who was exiled for being too tall. Or did you miss last month's edition?"

"That was in the paper?" Hermione questioned incredulously while Tracey elected for sticking her tongue out at the other boy.

"Hey, he could be! How would you know, you ever met him?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I have, Greengrass. He was invited to my home over the last summer!"

"What, was your mom trying to marry him too?"

He sighed at the sudden back and forth between the two, Hermione either sharing his exasperation, or the girl was just irritated at the fact the others still refused to do their work. Given the others tended to start badgering them about it later.

"Of course not! As a matter of fact, it involved financial matters, which by the way I won't be disclosing. So don't even bother asking,"

"Oh? Financial matters you say? Tell me then, what do Goblins love more than anything else?" Daphne questioned, a glint forming in her eye- One that promptly disappeared the moment he opened his mouth.

"According to Binns, declaring war on us," Rodrick remarked passively.

"Profes-" Hermione, for a moment looked about to correct him on his address of said ghost before changing her mind, for whatever reason.

"...Second favorite thing then?" Daphne continued on, undeterred.

"Blaming us for the wars?" Tracey followed on with a smile, one he promptly copied.

"...Whose side are you two on?"

Both of them shrugged, before sharing a chuckle immediately after the fact. One that made Daphne roll her eyes in response.

"What do you think?" Hermione chose to break the sudden conversation as she turned towards him.

He shrugged again, "I dunno, I'd have to meet him personally to get a better idea if he is or isn't a goblin,"

The girl, of course, blinked in response. "I meant about our professor,"

"Oh... No, I don't think he's a goblin at all,"

Hermione twitched, albeit the barest hint of a smile tried to peek its way through the girl's expression.

"About him pleading insanity..."

"Possession," Blaise corrected, to no one given the amount of attention paid to it.

"Well, I'd say if anything, the muggle that originally came up with that defense was either possessed or probably knew about the magical world. Or at least knew enough to know someone would make sure his excuse stood its ground. If only to protect the Statute." He answered at the same time.

"Do you believe it then? The paper, I mean." Hermione clarified her question further.

"Considering what went down, I'd have to. The alternative is that he really didn't like students, and really that just opens up too many questions about the headmaster's ability to hire functional teachers."

Though his own head of house certainly put that idea to the test. Albeit, the way he seemed to treat certain Gryffindors, from what he'd seen.

Dumbledore certainly didn't seem to have any problems with that.

"The headmaster obviously didn't know about it!"

"It was a joke," Rodrick snorted, all the same. Yet, joke or not, it definitely hit a little too close to home. Or would school be the right word there? He wasn't entirely sure.

"Oh."

"Yeah, Granger. Where's your sense of humor. I am pretty sure even muggles can get one of those,"

Rodrick idly wondered what his next potion's lesson was going to be like.

"That is just rich coming from you." Daphne deadpanned staring at the boy in question.

He also wondered when Blaise would stop falling for every bait the green-eyed girl threw at him.

"What is rich-"

"Your next father,"

Still, he appreciated the distraction provided. Blaise had been getting on his nerves with the sheer number of questions regarding his home life.

Or rather where he'd learned all of his magic from.

Evidently 'reading' about it extensively just didn't cut it. Which, well, wasn't wrong given if that was all it took, the bookworm beside him ought to have been the castle's headmaster- Correction. Headmistress.

He'd rather not have said girl turn on him as well for using the wrong term. Though given the clearly different approach she took regarding him meant that probably wasn't going to happen... Not that Blaise's response had helped endear him to her either. Or the others around them for that matter.

Honestly.

He doubted there were many good opportunities to 'point out' why Purebloods didn't like muggle-borns, with this scenario been about the 'constant' changes they tried to force on magical culture and tradition. An ideology his grandfather, somewhat, agreed with. And really that was all he needed to know to know why it was probably be considered a bad idea to agree with-

Either way that definitely wasn't one of them. Particularly because a fellow green-eyed pureblood had not only denied his words outright but had started actively going after him for his 'patronizing' attitude.

Still. he quite frankly refused to budge on the magical matter itself. If anyone asked where and how he learned what he knew, he was going with the bookworm principle.

And if they refused to believe it?

Well, that wasn't exactly his problem.

Mostly because for one, Daphne already knew he previously had a teacher of sorts, and Tracey frankly could care less as long as he showed her how to have fun with magic.

Really, he'd just rather not turn the proverbial knife on himself.

Despite the fact the professor had been, and given dumbledore likely believed as much given his own appearance at said trial, possessed with witnesses show for it. The rest of the country- Albeit those in power that had Hogwarts children to care for, could care less about it given they'd wound up exiling him anyway. With a contractual obligation to the country they'd sent him to for another trial destined, the moment said rehabilitation was completed, to determine the rest of Quirrel'ss future.

Even outside of Britain, according to his grandfather, the man's rights and ability to do anything was heavily monitored. At all times.

He really didn't want to know what they'd do to the grandson of the wizard that started the first world-encompassed wizarding war. Quite literally throwing multiple magical countries into complete and utter disarray with a wake of destruction following his every step.

Just to prove a point.

And frankly, all things considered, it wasn't a very good point either, given the man had probably started The Second World War, the literal clutch of his original argument, as well.

He idly wondered if there was a limit to the knowledge and history his grandfather was willing to pass to him-

Rodrick snorted, drawing his friend's attention when he realized how moot the point really was. Given it involved the same man that had tried teaching him how to unforgivably curse at eight years old.

"What's so funny?" Daphne questioned curiously as she turned her attention towards him.

"Oh you know, just reminiscing."

"About what?"

"You really don't want to know,"

Apparently, that made the girl want to know more.

He made a mental note to never say that again.

...

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