Harry stepped out onto the Quidditch pitch. He was exhausted. Team Avapotter had been kept quite busy since the meeting with McGonagall. Before Harry knew it, Quidditch try-outs were upon him. Harry welcomed the task. It was a nice distraction from all the craziness of the current semester. Harry sighed at the thought. He had arrived at the pitch about two hours early. Mostly to fly around, get his broom legs back.
Plus, he had to get away from Ron. Ron had been acting particularly bitchy over the last couple days. The reason? Hermione had been decidedly absent since their meeting with McGonagall. Harry barely ever saw Hermione anymore, she and Katara spent most of their spare time in the library. It would seem that Hermione had taken the task that McGonagall set upon her very seriously. He suspected that she didn't want to let the head mistress down. When Dumbledore was headmaster, the task of figuring things out was usually left to Harry, with Ron and Hermione helping him along the way. But now, for the first time, the task was to be explicitly figured out by Hermione. McGonagall had singled her out, she wasn't the helper, she was the lead. Harry got it. This was her moment. Harry smiled, she was more than up to the challenge.
Ron, however, was not as happy for Hermione as Harry was. He barely ever got to see her. They never had a moment alone. The whole reason he had postponed becoming an Auror was to spend more time with her, and yet, she was never there. Ron grew resentful of this and, as usual, started taking it out on people. Yesterday, he snapped at Harry for eating the last bit of kippers. The day before that he snapped at Sokka for talking too loudly during dinner. The day before that, he snapped at Toph for being too sarcastic, resulting in Toph knocking him out of his chair. Today, he snapped at Malfoy for…existing.
Harry was getting tired of it. Everyone was getting tired of it. Ron's crass, generalized aggression was becoming a nuisance. He was making Team Avatar increasingly nervous around him. Harry knew that it was only a matter of time before one of them snapped on him. Harry couldn't allow that to happen. Harry may have understood Ron's anger…what Ron was really angry at…but Team Avatar probably didn't. Harry couldn't allow this emotional menusha to poison the balance that they had achieved over the last several weeks. It was unfair…on all sides.
Fairness. Balance. Harry could never take the concepts seriously…they were so one sided…so finicky…so opposite of what their meaning implied.
How unfair it was that he was in this kind of situation…yet again. How unfair it was that he had to keep the peace, in so many ways. How unfair it was that he had to sacrifice his childhood….his normality. How unfair it was that he was so cognizant, this young, yet so ignorant when it really mattered. How unfair it was that HE was the one who had to realize the reality.
And Balance? His life had no semblance of balance. The definition of balance was bastardized to him. To him, balance was the extreme. The extreme was all he could understand, all he had ever been. Before the war, he was a slave. During the war, he was a savior. After the war, he was immortal. He was ever the extreme. Though he tried to fight it…though he tried to imitate normal at times…he never held the same definition of normal as the others…as Ron and Hermione. He could never understand normal. It wasn't his fault…he wasn't even aware, he never had a chance.
Because in the end…balance…normality…are subjective. So many of the most important concepts always are.
Harry started to grow angry at his responsibility…at his expected, perpetual role as the hero. Never allowed to complain…never allowed to be fallible. Like Ron…Ron, who stomped around like a giant, never accountable…never scrutinized. Like Ron…
Suddenly, Harry could hear footsteps behind him. An all too familiar voice yelling at him, "So! What's this whole Quidditch thing about?" Aang asked excitedly, his curiosity blinding him to the seriousness of Harry's face.
Harry smiled, pulled out of his bitterness. He supposed explaining the game to Aang would take his mind off of his ruminations. Harry pulled out the Quidditch trunk. He explained what he did, what the beaters do, the chasers…the keeper. He explained the point of the game. Aang seemed to be enthralled.
"Reminds me of a game I used to play at the air temple…" Aang said quietly, thoughtfully. "I'll be back!" With that Aang took off towards the castle. Man, that kid was fast.
Eventually, Gryffindors started pouring into the pitch. Harry rolled his eyes, it had been like sixth year tryouts all over again. He estimated that at least 80% of people trying out were only doing it to get a closer look at him. Always the circus show, he was. Ron stood towards the back of the group, keeping his eyes trained on the stands. Hermione wasn't there. Only Sokka and Toph sat in the stands among the sea of random spectators.
Harry straightened himself out, shook himself from his thoughts, and called the try-outs to order. Just as he was about to talk, he heard yelling in the distance.
"Wait! WAIT!" The familiar voice called out. Harry squinted at the approaching person before gasping. He can't be serious.
"Kuzon here!..Er…sir!" Aang said excitedly, clutching on to a broom he had obviously lifted from a broom closet somewhere in Hogwarts. The bloody thing wasn't even a regulation Quidditch broom. The students snorted as they watched Aang's lanky figure stride into the circle, carrying that…THING.
Harry wanted to jump out of his skin and beat Aang to death with that bloody broom. What the hell was he playing at? Harry, keeping his composure, just soldiered on. "Right…well, chasers to the left, beaters next to them, keepers to the right." He finished shortly, agitatedly.
Harry kept his eyes trained on Aang, he was to the left. He wanted to be a…chaser? He stood next to a clearly alarmed Ginny, smiling serenely. Harry sighed. Quickly, he hopped onto his broom and hovered a few feet off the ground. "Right…well, let's start with tossing drills, then flying drills. Then we'll test the groups individually, yea?"
Harry took off into the air, followed by Ron, Ginny, Aang, and several competent flyers. The 'fan club' players, as he came to think about them, immediately failed in being able to control their brooms and Harry promptly dismissed them. He was in no mood for bullshit.
"Alright!" Harry exclaimed, still staring at Aang nervously, "We'll start with warm-ups, then passing drills, flying drills, then specific drills."
The groups all seemed to nod in agreement and took partners. Aang flew over to Ginny, she watched him with cautious eyes, looking over to Harry for some kind of confirmation that this was legit. Harry just shrugged at her in confusion.
And so the trials began. Harry flew up above the candidates, giving him a better view. They all seemed to do fairly well in the passing drills, with only a few candidates having trouble holding on to their quaffle. Aang seemed to be enjoying himself, laughing every time the quaffle was tossed to him. Apparently, he had taken quite an interest to the shape of the ball. Harry rolled his eyes, smiling uncomfortably at Aang's enthusiasm. He looked down at Aang's feet. Harry knew he must be using airbending to levitate like that, although he wasn't too sure how that worked. Airbending seemed more adept for gliding…for moving forward. Harry supposed Aang must have plenty of tricks up his sleeve. He was the Avatar afterall. Harry reckoned he was finally starting to get the implications of what being the Avatar meant.
After a few cuts, they came to the flying drills. Aang smiled maniacally. Flying up through the air, bending as covertly as possible, he was surprised at how easily flying on a broom came to him. He felt like he hardly had to bend at all. Interesting. Aang sat on his broom waiting for Harry to give them the signal. They were to fly around the pitch and avoid the…'bludger' things. Aang couldn't wait. He smiled widely at Ginny, his fellow chaser candidate, who returned his smile confusedly.
"Er…you ready Aa… Kuzon?" Ginny yelled.
Aang laughed, "Are YOU ready, Ginny?" Aang shot back, the confidence in his voice amused Ginny.
"Well kid, let's see what you got!" Ginny exclaimed, smiling cockily at her competition.
Harry flew down to the Quidditch trunk, preparing to release the bludgers. Slowly, he looked up towards sky. Aang and Ginny were staring at each other, grinning, locked in a silent battle of determination. Harry smirked. At least this debacle would be interesting. He unsnapped the case, the bludgers seemed to shake in anticipation. Finally, he looked back towards the candidates "Alright, here we go!"
The bludgers flew up into the air with unprecedented vigor. Several competitors balked at the sudden unleashing. Harry knew they would probably be cut. Quidditch necessitated excellent reflexes, there was no time for hesitation. One of the bludgers took a hard left, knocking a surprised fifth year off his broom. Harry threw a quick levitation spell at him before returning his gaze to the sky. Demelza Robins seemed to have retained her adept ability to dodge bludgers. Harry smiled, some things never change. Sporadically, a bludger would take off after Ginny. Harry watched as she sliced through the air, spinning in tight circles, cutting under other candidates, dodging the bludgers every time. The girl was good. Professional.
Then Harry gasped in horrors. Both the bludgers went after Aang, speeding towards him with untaimed ferocity. The bludgers were…targeting him. Harry knew it when he saw it. Who tampered with the bludgers? Why would they want to hurt Aang? And yet, Aang was just sitting there, smiling at them. Harry panicked, trying to recall every bone-mending spell in the book. Was there a spell to put one's head back on? Was there a spell to restore cognitive functioning? Harry whipped out his wand, ready to chance a 'finite incantartem'.
Suddenly, Aang's body swung up in the air into a handstand, the bludgers passing by Aang narrowly on either side. As the broom started to drop towards the Earth, Aang twisted his body with one hand and strattled the broom…backwards. Then Aang took off, sticking his legs up parallel to the broom. Harry couldn't believe it. He was flying backwards, he was just…flying backwards! He couldn't even see where he was going, and what's more, he didn't seem to care! Aang continued to laugh. The bludgers were determined though. They chased after Aang like they had tunnel vision.
"Kuzon!" Harry yelled, although he was certain Aang couldn't hear him. Aang was flying right towards two awe-struck players, sitting motionless on their broom, too in shock to move. Aang couldn't see them! Harry sucked in a breathe. Aang was moving FAR too fast for Harry to stop him. Just then, Aang launched himself off his broom into the air, his body outstretched, somersaulting over the two players in a half-twist backwards layout, as the broom shot forward underneath them. Effortlessly, Aang landed on the broom, facing forward with his body pressed down on the broom now, Mr. Aerodynamic.
"WHOOOOOO! YEA, KUZON! PUTTIN THE SCARE IN THE AIR!" Sokka yelled from his seat in the pitch. Shooting up from his chair with mania in his eyes. "FLAMEO HOTMAN!"
Justin Finch-Fletchly smirked. "er…YEA, GO KUZON! SCARE OF THE AIR! SCARE OF THE AIR! SCARE-OF-THE-AIR!" Justin chanted, Ernie McMillan and several other students seemed to notice and soon the entire pitch was chanting Aang's new slogan in unison. Toph rolled her eyes, laughing before joining in.
The bludgers seemed to ignore the shocked players and the chorus of the stands. Shooting passed the players (barely missing them), they pressed on. Aang took a sharp right, flying straight towards the wall of the pitch. Just as he was about to hit it, Aang rotated the broom, now flying upside down, then nosed dived towards the ground. Harry couldn't believe it…it almost looked like a Wronsky Feint…a perfect Wronsky feint. The bludgers took the bait. One slammed into the wall as Aang took his nosedive. Right before Aang was going to hit the ground, he pulled his broom up and shot forward, his entire body in a straight line as if he was laying on the broom. He flew parallel to the ground that was mere ½ inch from him. The bludger that chased after Aang slammed into the ground as Aang pulled out of his nosedive, limp once more.
Harry watched as Aang flew up into the middle of the pitch. Harry's jaw dropped in surprise at Aang's non-chalant attitude towards what should have been a terrifying experience. Aang was laughing.
He had been laughing the whole time.
Harry flew up to the crowd of Quidditch players that had gathered around Aang.
"Kuzon! That was…unbelievable! Where…where did you learn to fly like that!" A Sixth year candidate asked.
"Kuzon…did you just use a Wronsky feint to fake out a bludger? A BLUDGER?" Another Candidate inquired.
"RIDING BACKWARDS? UNBELIEVEBLE!" A fourth year yelled excitedly.
Harry was flabbergasted. How is it that no one seemed to notice that two bludgers just tried to kill Aang? "Ok, ok! Kuzon, Ginny…Ron… can I speak with you for a tick?" Harry interrupted.
Aang, Ginny, and Ron flew down with Harry. Quickly, they walked away from the awe struck players.
"What the hell was that!" Harry gasped out, trying to control the volume of his voice.
" Well…I think it's called flying drills. Although I guess you could also call it, 'Dodging the crap out of some bludgers!" Aang announced triumphantly.
"No!" Harry whispered feverishly, turning to Ginny and Ron, "What the hell was happening with the bludgers?"
"Yea…that was odd. They were chasing him. Who messed with the bludgers?" Ginny added.
"I think the better question is why were they going after Aang?" Harry offered. "Ron? What do you think?"
"Huh?" Ron said. He was staring off at the stands.
Harry rolled his eyes. "The bludgers mate! What do you think about the bludgers?"
"Merlin, I dunno Harry! Does it matter what I think?" Ron said dismissively, bitterly.
Ginny interrupted, "Maybe the spell…malfunctioned? On the Bludger?" That was all Ginny could offer. It didn't make much logical sense for someone to want to hurt Aang. No one even knew who he was…who he really was.
Harry sighed. "…I guess that's an option…" Where was Hermione when you needed her? "Fine, let's finish out try-outs, look for anything weird, and reconvene later when Hermione's around."
"WHAT?" Ron almost shouted at hearing Hermione's name. "Is she here?"
Harry rolled his eyes.
"Wait!" Aang interjected, "So the bludgers weren't supposed to be chasing me?" Harry nodded. "Well, I still think there is one very important fact that we overlooked!" Aang continued.
"What?" Harry whispered desperately.
"Given the nefarious nature of the bludgers…DID I DODGE THE CRAP OUT OF SOME BLUDGERS OR WHAT?" Aang finished excitedly.
Harry glared at him, hopped onto his broom and took off into the sky.
The practice was fairly calm after that, after going through specific drills, Harry had pretty much picked his team. All that was left were keeper try-out.
Ron sat at the rings, looking as nervous as always. Even after he had helped save the world, Quidditch try-outs still scared the Merlin out of him. On top of that Hermione wasn't there. How could she miss his try-outs? She had NEVER missed his try-outs! Ron couldn't figure out when he had become such an after-thought to his supposed girlfriend. His chest burned at the thought.
"Oi! Ron!" Ron heard someone yell, knocking him out of his ruminations. Ron looked up to see Aang and Ginny flying towards him. Aang was laughing. He and Ginny were expertly passing the ball to one another, at one point cutting under each other, effectively switching sides in their formation. It would seem they would make a formidable team for some poor sod of a keeper. Ron sat on his broom, his hand up shakily, ready to catch the quaffle.
Aang grabbed hold of the quaffle, faking to the left ring, before quickly spinning his broom in a circle and effectively knocking the ball into the right ring with the bristles of his broom.
Ron groaned as the ball went into the ring. The rest of the try-outs went slightly better, Ron was able to deflect some balls, but he badly missed others. At one point he lashed out at Aang, grumbling about 'what the hell he was doing there anyway'. Luckily for Ron, the opposing keeper was a tiny second year. The second year did fairly well at flying and passing, but he was far too easily startled to be a keeper. Ron basically won by default.
"Ok!" Harry yelled, "the Gryffindor team this year: Beaters- James Delvino, Matthew Moniclease. Keeper- Ron Weasley. Chasers- Ginny Weasley, Demelza Robins and...Kuzon." Harry sighed, what was that kid's last name? How did this happen again? Harry couldn't deny that Aang was the best Chaser he had ever seen and not picking him would be the most suspicious thing in the world…but still, HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?
As the rejected players slumped off the field, and the winners trotted to the locker rooms, Harry watched as Ron solemnly walked off the field in solitude. Harry looked up into the stands. Sokka was leading a raucous chorus of 'Scare of the Air Kuzon' with half the pitch, fake conducting and all. Harry smirked, then frowned as he noticed a glaringly absent Hermione. Dammit.
"He really loves her, doesn't he?" A voice said behind Harry. Harry swung around to see none other than Aang standing behind him. His face looked a bit morose, even after his amazing victory; there was a softness in his eyes.
"Yea…I suppose he does." Harry replied quietly.
…
"So Harry, how was…er… Quidmatch try-outs?" Zuko asked, over the chatter of the Great Hall, in an effort to be more cordial.
Harry looked at him confusedly before smiling. "…Quidditch. They were fine, I think we've finally got a well rounded team this year." He replied, thinking about the 'fan-players' and, specifically, Aang's extreme talent.
Zuko smirked, and was about to say something when he was cut-off.
"Oi! And what is THAT supposed to mean?" Ron snapped, looking up from scowling at the empty seat beside him. Hermione was, once again, absent from dinner.
"Sorry?" Harry said absently, digging his fork into a mound of mashed potatoes, playing with them.
"Soooorry?" Ron sneered mockingly, "I get that your Harry Bloody Potter and all, but you should at least look at people when they are talking to you!"
Harry looked up from his plate at Ron's boorish demand and stared him straight in the eye, a resolved look on his face. That was it. He was tired of it. First, the whole sharing a room with Hermione thing, now this 'pissy little boy who can't have his toy' act he was putting on at Hermione's absence… this ends here. "You know, Ron, I have tried to be patient with you. I have walked on eggshells not to upset you, but honestly mate, I'm tired of having to treat you like my bloody fucking girlfriend! So for once, why don't you be a MAN, and tell us all what your REALLY mad about instead of throwing a TANTRUM at anyone who crosses your path!"
"Excuse me?" Ron said, poison dripping from his words.
"You heard me, Weasley." Harry replied, unwavering.
Ron turned bright red at this, his explosion imminent. Harry had never called Ron "Weasley" before, especially with that tone. Something about the coming altercation felt oddly familiar. Ron felt a familiar weight on his chest…small, throbbing, like this feeling was alive. Ron's eyes turned to slits. Who did he think he was? So… Harry Potter was trying to assert some kind of dominance over him? Like Harry had the authority to dictate how Ron should feel? Like Harry had the right to tell Ron that he didn't know his OWN feelings! The implications of Harry's words would not go over well for him, of that Ron was certain. Ron was not one to be walked all over, to be implicitly cast as inferior, as an afterthought…not anymore. Ron Weasley was a proud man. An explosive man. If he wanted it, Harry Potter was in for the fight of his life.
Draco watched with raised eyebrows as Harry and Ron prepared for battle. He watched like a child in anticipation of a movie he had been waiting for his entire life. Draco had been relatively indifferent towards Potter and his band of numbskulls for most of their time together. Save for the sarcastic or snide remark every once in a while- Draco had needs afterall- he had drastically reduced the amount of prodding he normally reserved for the wonder trio. He supposed it was because he didn't want to upset the agreement they had. Now that McGonagall knew that Team Avatar were in town, Draco had no leverage to ensure The Golden Trio would stick to their word. Plus, Draco had received considerably less animosity since associating himself with the trio. He wasn't sure if it was due to the fear of incurring the wrath of Harry Potter- Draco rolled his eyes at that- or because people wanted so desperately to associate with Potter that they made nice with everyone who he associated with…
Or maybe, just maybe, they had actually started to forgive him. Draco smiled subtly at the thought. Forgiveness. Draco's life seemed to be looking up and watching Potter and Weasley claw at each other was just an added bonus.
Ron slammed his hands down on the table. "PISS OFF POTTER! YOU DON'T KNOW SHIT ABOUT HOW I FEEL! YOU DON'T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT HOW I FEEL! IT'S ALWAYS ABOUT YOU! I'M SO SICK OF THIS 'HOLIER THAN THOU ATTITUDE' YOU'RE ALWAYS THROWING AROUND. AS IF YOU'RE SO ABOVE EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING! LIKE YOU CAN TALK TO ANYONE ANY BLOODY WAY YOU PLEASE AND WE'RE ALL JUST SUPPOSED TO SIT THERE AND TAKE IT! WELL, I'M NOT TAKING IT ANYMORE POTTER!"
Harry shot up from his seat, "ANYMORE? ANYMORE! DAMMIT RON, WHEN HAVE I EVER ANTAGONIZED YOU? WHEN HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES OF YOUR ACTIONS? YOU'RE THE ONE RUNNING AROUND SNAPPING AT EVERYONE YOU SEE! WE GET IT, YOU MISS HERMIONE!"
DON'T YOU DARE BRING HER INTO THIS POTTER! THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH HER! Ron interrupted.
Harry rolled his eyes, "Oh, OF COURSE NOT Ron! OF COURSE this doesn't have anything to do with her! NO! Your blow-ups just seem to CONVENIENTLY coincide with her actions! She isn't around all week, so you start yelling at everyone, me and her have to share a suite, so you start acting like a surly baby!"
"I SWEAR TO MERLIN HARRY, IF YOU DON'T SHUT YOUR BLOODY MOUTH, I'LL…I'LL…"
"YOU'LL WALK OUT ON ME? WELL, GO ON AND DO IT, WEEEAAAAAASSSLLEY! THAT'S WHAT YOU DO, ISN'T IT!" Harry screamed, sweat pouring down his face. He had lost all control. All composure. He was GOING to end this. He was GOING to come out on top. He was GOING to make Ron accountable…
Ron's eyes widened. His lips trembled. He looked around the hall to see what seemed like a thousand faces staring at him. A fire started to grow inside him. A combination of rage, embarrassment, and frustration stoked its base. Slowly, he looked down at the mashed potatoes he had been poking at before this debacle. He looked slowly back up at Harry, murder in his eyes.
It hit Harry quickly, surprisingly. He slowly dragged his hand down his face, removing the clump of luke-warm mash potatoes from his glasses. He looked up to see a satisfied, fully enraged Ron smirking. One hand holding on to his wand, the other covered in the remnants of the mash potatoes he had flung at Harry. Harry said nothing, instead just picking up his plate; he threw his dinner at Ron with such ferocity that the plate itself had a real chance of actually doing some damage.
Ron was quick, "Protego!" He shouted, while picking up his own plate and throwing it at Harry, quickly sending a stinging jinx right after. He had escalated the battle now. He WANTED to escalate the battle. Harry had blocked the plate but the jinx hit him square in the arm. Harry yelped out in pain.
A scream could be heard around the hall. Toph stood, covered in food from Ron's blocked plate. She stomped her foot on the ground, causing the bench under Ron to fly up, knocking Ron back to the ground. Her covert bending also caused Zuko's food to fall into his lap, his scolding hot tea burning him instantly.
"DAMMIT!" Zuko yelled, flying up from his seat. Slowly, he looked over to Toph, who didn't look particularly regretful about the incident. He too, picked up his plate and flung it at her. It was a low blow, he knew she couldn't see it coming. He felt bad for an instant until Sokka shielded Toph, yelled "COWARD!" and flung his plate back at Zuko.
Suddenly, a student screamed, and then the room exploded. Students throwing food everywhere, throwing spells and curses at people they didn't like. It would seem that the impromptu battle between Ron and Harry had erupted little fires in a lot of the students. Apparently, there was a lot of bitterness to go around after the war:
Draco and Zacharias Smith were openly dueling.
A bold third year had thrown an entire chicken at Neville, "I DIDN'T DESERVE THAT GRADE LONGBOTTOM! YOU THINK BECAUSE YOU KILLED THAT BLOODY SNAKE YOUR BETTER THAN ME? MY BROTHER DIED!" The child screamed in anguish.
Ginny Weasley and Romilda Vain were both screaming at each other, "YOU STOLE HIM GINNY! WHY IS EVERYONE ALWAYS TAKING EVERYTHING FROM ME!" Romilda screamed through tears.
Sokka and Zuko were rolling around on the ground, trying to mash food into each other's faces. "LYING SNAKE! HOW DARE YOU ATTACK HER!" Sokka screamed.
"SCREW YOU SOKKA! YOU'RE THE LIAR!" Zuko replied.
Ernie McMillian was fighting with another member of Aang's followers, "You don't understand him like I do! Everyone is always taking credit for MY IDEAS! NO ONE TAKES ME SERIOUSLY!"
Justin Finch-Fletchly just walked up to a Hufflepuff and punched him right in the face, for reasons that were unclear.
"WHERE IS MY MUM!" Hannah Abbott screamed. "I WANT MY MUM!" Her body slid down a wall as she collapsed into tears.
Dennis Creevy's eyes were hollow. He stood, stock still, even as food hit him. "Colin?" He kept muttering over and over again.
The room had erupted into sudden, unexpected chaos. Students accusing each other of one thing or another. Students bursting into tears. Students all out brawling, muggle style. Students throwing curses. The air was thick with pain. The screams echoed across the hall. The calm friendly Hogwarts that had existed mere moments ago gave way to a flood of pandemonium.
Flitwick flew up from his seat. "Sweet, mother of Merlin…" he muttered upon seeing the chaos in front of him. Quickly, the other professors arrived and set about the task of calming down the students. Flitwick was almost stunned as he tried to subdue an enraged Pavarti Patil, "YOU LET HER DIE! YOU KILLED HER LAVENDER!" She screamed at a crumpling, sobbing Lavender Brown. "I …I tried... I tried Padma…" She said, to a student who was no longer alive.
Slughorn tried to grab an irate second year, who was chasing a Slytherin fifth year with an enlarged fork. "COME BACK HERE SLYTHERIN SCUM! AFRAID OF A LITTLE MUDBLOOD LIKE ME?" The child yelled, struggling against Slughorn to get the Slytherin that, for the moment, was his enemy.
Hagrid held several students, two of which were sobbing, the other two were screeching at the top of their lungs, "YOU THINK YOUR BETTER THAN ME PUREBLOOD!" "YOU KILLED MY UNCLE, COWARDS!" It was clear. The castle may have been rebuilt, but the wounds were still raw.
…
McGonagall strolled down the corridors towards the Great Hall, looking forward to a pleasant dinner and some interesting discussion with Professor Sinestra. She was running a bit late, she had been doing some research and lost track of time. McGonagall had been doing a lot of research lately. She ambled through the hallways, taking note of the peaceful beauty of the glowing candles along the castle walls, when she heard yelling. As she neared the Great Hall, the yelling became louder. McGonagall's old heart pounded and her steps quickened as she rounded the corner. She heard screaming. She was running now, her mind racing with the horrors of what could be awaiting her inside of the Great Hall. She walked into chaos. Students throwing food, newly arrived professors trying to quell fights. Curses flying about the hall. McGonagall was horrified. She raised her wand to her throat.
"STOP IT! YOU STOP IT THIS INSTANT!" McGonagall screamed. The room fell deafly silent upon her words. The students would know her voice anywhere. Slowly, the students looked over to her. Sokka stared at her, shoving some cake in Zuko's face before lifting himself off of him. The room waited in anticipation.
"Never in all my years at Hogwarts have I seen students act like SUCH BARBARIANS! You have SHAMED these sacred halls! Attacking each other, attacking TEACHERS! TEACHERS!" She said, shaking with disgust. "I am EMBARRASED for you! How you have DISRESPECTED everyone who has EVER had the HONOR to walk these halls! WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS?"
The students looked around the hall apprehensively. No one wanted to turn in Harry Potter or Ron Weasley.
"I did it." A voice rang out in the hall. Everyone turned to see who the dead man was. Draco Malfoy stood, proudly. His hand raised. "I started it." He continued calmly.
"Me too!" The voice of Zuko yelled, stepping forward.
Harry couldn't believe it. DRACO was taking the fall? DRACO MALFOY. Of the MALFOY family. KING of the SLYTHERINS? Harry couldn't let him do it. He started to talk when someone cut him off.
"Professor, it was me! Just me!" Ron yelled out, somewhat desperately.
"Oh shut it Weasley! I know that you and Potter have this, INCESSANT need to be all noble, ALL THE TIME, but frankly I think we're all getting tired of it." Draco continued, "I threw the food at Weasley so he would shut his blathering mouth. Frankly, whenever he speaks I can feel my ears starting to bleed." Draco finished, a smirk creeping along his face.
"Yes!" Zuko cut in, "We both did it. Weasley… talks too much?"
"Professor! They're both ly…" Harry was cut off this time.
"MERLIN! Shut UP, Potter! Can't you go FIVE SECONDS without having to hear yourself speak?" Draco yelled. "You see, Professor? I am so sick of Potter's self-satisfied bullocks!"
"Yes! It was all his fault, Professor!" Zacharias Smith interjected, "Him and his little friend!" Suddenly, the hall exploded in agreement. Some students even pointed and smirked. Smith looked over at Harry smiling, apparently thinking he had done a good thing. Harry glared at him with disgust.
"Very well." McGonagall said, an indifferent look on her face. You will both meet me in my office in the morning and we will discuss your punishment. I will be taking dinner in my office. I am FAR too disgusted to sit down with ANY of you. Do NOT think you have heard the last of this!" She glared at Smith before walking out of the hall. She swiftly walked through the corridors, exasperation written all over her face.
"Something wrong Minerva?" The calm voice of Albus Dumbledore said. He was sitting in the portrait of Pontificus, a great magical philosopher of the 15th century. Apparently, they were having some light dinner discussion.
"Outrageous! Absolutely outrageous!" McGonagall answered.
"Yes, I heard about the commotion in the Great Hall." Dumbledore answered, a serious air in his tone. He bid goodbye to Pontificus and followed McGonagall through the halls via paintings.
"Well, I'm certainly glad you are so calm in the face of this...of this...abomination Albus!" McGonagall huffed as she walked to her office. Dumbledore did not answer her, instead waiting until they reached her office. McGonagall paced the room, too agitated to eat.
"We both knew this was coming Minerva. We both knew they were starting to fight amongst themselves." Dumbledore replied.
"But in the Great Hall! In front of everyone! They practically had the entire student body out for blood!" McGonagall yelled. Her usual composed demeanor faltering.
"Yes…that was unfortunate, but one has to understand that tragedy is like an earthquake. Upon the initial quake, there are bound to be aftershocks." Dumbledore replied. "Harry and his friends cannot be the only ones who are still hurting Minerva, they cannot be the only ones who haven't quite dealt with the pains of war. They are just children after all."
McGonagall stopped in her tracks. "Something must be done about this Albus. I had no idea the extent to which the horrors of last year were still affecting the students." She was right. It would be logical to think that the explosive nature of the mass altercation in the Great Hall was the culmination of some kind of undercurrent of distress and trauma brought about by the last year of war. McGonagall had forgotten what it was like to be a child. What it was like to endure things you couldn't fully understand. They would need some kind of counseling. Piling on extra Defense Against the Dark Arts was not a proper replacement for tending to the pains the adolescent heart.
"Clarence Clavicula." Dumbledore said.
"Yes, I will have to owl him immediately." She replied. "What about Harry and his friends?"
"Yes…like I said Minerva, they will have to learn from this. The Avatar and his friends will not be able to get home unless the bonds of friendship are tested. It is old magic Minerva. There are many moving parts to their predicament. Clavicula may be able to help, but ultimately, it will have to be them. They will have to sort this out. Let us worry about the rest of the student body. It will take massive action to tend to them…"
…
Draco and Zuko sat in Draco's room in the early morning hours, preparing for their meeting with McGonagall. Draco looked indifferent towards the whole business but Zuko was not as calm. He fiddled with the sheet on his bed, his eyes darting from Draco to the dorm room door he was so apprehensive to walk through. The door that would begin their journey to possible oblivion.
"So…what do you think she's going to do to us." Zuko muttered quietly. Zuko had heard that McGonagall was a formidable woman. He had seen the look of sheer terror on the students' faces whenever McGonagall called them to her office. It wasn't necessarily that Zuko was afraid of McGonagall-Azula WAS his sister after all- it was more like Zuko was afraid of being tossed out of Hogwarts. He could get along on his own just fine, but it was the being on his own part that he really feared. Aang and his friends…well, they were basically the only family he had left, save for Uncle and Mae, of course. Zuko had gotten used to…depending on people. What a fool he was for doing so. He couldn't ask Aang and his friends to go with him, should he be booted. No, he couldn't saddle them with anymore burdens. Zuko stared into the fire as he had so many times since his arrival in this new world. He didn't know why. The flames always mocked him, yet he was always drawn to them. The curse of the firebender.
"Who knows." Draco answered from the bathroom. He was studying his reflection in the mirror. He looked tired. He cursed himself silently, not for saving Potter or the rest, he cursed himself for letting the possibility of forgiveness by the wizarding world even enter his thoughts. He cursed himself for getting his hopes up. Hope, what an evil concept. He saw the anguished faces of the students as they battled. Saw the look of terror…of misery. Oh, how it had burned him savagely when Smith let him take the fall. How it had hurt viciously when all the other students had agreed with Smith. He saw the smirks on their faces as they pointed. As they condemned him. How easy it was for them. He had made no head way at all in their minds. How stupid he was for coming back, how stupid he was for taking muggle studies, how stupid he was for caring, for thinking anything could change, that anyone would forget…forgive. Maybe the Dark lord had it right all along. Trust, friendship, love…that was for fools.
"So…why'd you do it?" Zuko said as he studied Draco studying himself in the mirror.
"Why'd YOU do it?" Draco shot back agitatedly.
"Well, I thought you shouldn't…take the fall alone?" Zuko said uncertainly. Why HAD he done it? Why did he keep doing these things for Draco? He was shocked when Draco had raised his hand to take the blame. Draco didn't seem like the particularly noble type. He and Potter weren't friends, and he and Weasley DEFINITELY weren't friends…
"Well, did it not occur to you that I was trying to SAVE you?" Draco said suddenly, turning to Zuko. "What do you think would have happened if POTTER had gotten in trouble for practically STARTING a war in the great hall? A war that you and your boneheaded friends all participated in!"
"So did you!" Zuko shot back.
"Who CARES what happens to me! Isn't that OBVIOUS!" Draco said, turning back to the mirror, his face fell as he stared at his own reflection. The faces of a thousand people stared back at him with hatred. Mocking him for his mistakes.
Something snapped in Zuko. " To save us? I don't understand…you act as if you dislike Potter and Weasley so much. You act as if you don't care what happens to me or my…friends. You act like your only doing this because you have something to gain." Zuko got up, walking slowly towards the bathroom door. Draco's eyes shot up towards the approaching form of Zuko. Draco slowly stepped back, Zuko seemed much taller than Draco had originally thought.
"Why would you do this to yourself? Why would you…save them?" Zuko asked again, Draco was hiding something. The boy was forever hiding something. Just like Zuko's father, hiding the whereabouts of his mother, never telling him. Ozai let him suffer in silent agony as he cackled at him from his jail cell. Zuko's blood boiled at the thought, he was tired of secrets.
"I just told you!" Draco yelled, quickly, he thought up another reason. "Maybe McGonagall will kick me out! Maybe I can finally get out of this place! Maybe I WANT a reason to get out of here!" Draco yelled, still slowly backing away from Zuko. He felt cornered, could feel the sweat forming in his palms.
"You lie." Zuko whispered, still inching towards Draco, trying to break him. For once, SOMEONE would be straight with him. He would succeed this time, he wouldn't let his mother down. "You WANTED to save them. Why did you do it Draco?"
Draco snapped his head down from Zuko's questioning eyes. Quickly, he pushed himself pass Zuko, bolting towards the door.
Zuko wouldn't have it, he shot a blast of fire at the door, stopping Draco in his path. Draco snapped around, looking at Zuko with wide eyes. Terrified eyes. "You WILL answer me, Malfoy." Zuko whispered.
Draco arched an eyebrow, his courage returning to him, like that of a cornered animal. "And if I don't?" Draco said, his grip tightening on his wand.
"You can't hide from me Malfoy. You can't bullshit me. I won't let you, not this time. You can't hide her from me..." Zuko said quietly, almost looking through Draco, visions of his mother swimming before him.
"This time…" Draco replied. The wheels in his mind turning. "Hide her?…son of Ursa?"
Zuko stopped dead in his tracks, his fingers becoming limp at the mention of his mother's name. He quickly realized what he had said, the mistake he made.
Draco and Zuko had spoken rarely of their families, but Draco knew that Zuko's mother was missing, he knew that his father wouldn't tell him where she was. This time…hide her, Draco thought. "I'm not your father Zuko." Draco said coldly, calculatingly. Zuko's eyes flashed towards Draco and Draco thought, for a second, that he could see flames.
"No?" Zuko hissed. "You're a liar. A coward. You can't even admit to YOURSELF whatever the hell it is your doing. You sound JUST like him. Why do you keep lying to me?"
"Why do you care? What do you think this is Zuko?" Draco said coldly, now he was walking slowly towards Zuko, clutching his wand. It was Zuko's turn to back away. It was as if they were locked in a most horrible dance. "Do you think we're friends? Is that why you keep standing up for me?"
Zuko looked toward the stone floor, his chest burning. He said nothing.
Draco laughed harshly, " I know how badly you need your friends. We both know how quickly you have betrayed the ones you love. How desperately you want to prove yourself to be someone WORTHY of friendship. The questions plague you. You care desperately about what they think, don't you? You fear the thought of them leaving you…like mummy." Draco spat the words like acid. "I don't want your friendship. I may be a liar, I may be a coward…but I am NOT your friend, Zuko. I'm not your father. I don't owe you anything."
"Well, isn't that convenient!" Zuko hissed back, locking eyes with him. They were standing toe to toe now. "Poor misunderstood Draco, friend to none, enemy of all. Chasing another one away, Draco? How easy you think it will be if you have no one to count on you… to believe in you. But in the end, solitude isn't what you REALLY want is it? I KNOW why you did this! I know the guilt haunts you! Does it eat at you, Draco? Does it control you? That is the REAL reason you saved them in the Great Hall, isn't it liar? You saved them because the guilt consumes you. Like fire. You saved them because you don't want to be alone." Sparks flew from Zuko's fingers as he spoke. "You can lie to yourself Draco, but I know why you're here, I know why you're in Muggle Studies, I know why you have nightmares every night."
Draco's eyes widened in horror at Zuko's last statement, he knew about…about his nightmares?
"Choose your words carefully Zuko." Draco uttered, sparks flying from his wand as his hands trembled with quiet rage.
"I've chosen my words Draco." Zuko spat back.
And then a tapping came from the window, a great owl stood upon the ledge. Draco flicked his wand, his eyes never leaving Zuko's. The owl dropped the letter at Draco's feet, never giving him a second glance, and flew back out.
Zuko smirked evily, "Even the animals can't stand you."
Draco picked up the letter and skimmed it. McGonagall, apparently, felt the need to remind them of their meeting. Her neat handwriting scrawled across the page.
"McGonagall." Draco finished shortly, walking past Zuko towards the door. He turned, giving Zuko a once over. " Now I know why you never look in mirrors. It's not because of your scar. It's because you hate yourself. How sad."
"Really? Maybe you look in it SO much to make sure it's still YOU." Zuko retorted.
With that Draco walked out of the room. Leaving a livid Zuko to follow him.
Authors Note. Hi Kids, soooo, this took me a very, VERY long time to post. I shall tell you why I suck. So two months ago, I got a job. Which necessitated me to find an apartment, move, and get my job responsibilities in order. Thus, the story went by the wayside. I am very sorry about the wait but alas RW takes precedent. But I haven't given up on this story! And there will definitely be a part 2 (in the avatar world). But it may take me longer to update this than in the summer. So fair warning. I want to thank my glorious Betas: traviswj, , and my RW friend AnimaRequiem for all their help. Check their stories out. I'm actually kind of a beta for Animarequiem's story "Tales of the Aurors"- It's a phenomenal piece with amazing fight scenes, READ IT! It rocks the socks. Anywhooooo, so what'd ya think. Lots of craziness right? The psychologist in me is itching to explore the psychopathology of post-war teens...in fiction form. Don't worry, the comedy will continue, but the story may start to get a little deep from here. Thanks so much for your patience, and feel free to leave a review, but if you don't like it, BE SPECIFIC. It's CONSTRUCTIVE criticism, not SAYING STUFF. Ok, so next chap...I've decided to stop giving what will happen next cuz I never stick to it anyway. But at some point, we'll have Slughorn's party, Clarence Clavicula, Hermione's library discoveries, and Christmas at the Weasleys AND Malfoys...also everyone is pissed off and there will be another giant fight between two more of our favorite characters. WHEEEEEEEEEE! Im goin to bed.