Chapter 28:

The Madness of Mad-Eye Moody

Jessa sighed. Classes were getting harder – and this year she had new classes as well; Care of Magical Creatures with Hagrid and Ancient Runes with Professor Babbling. They were hard, but worth it – and Harry wasn't taking the latter subject. Still – she thought she'd had a lot of homework without those other two classes, but with them? It was almost overwhelming.

Suddenly, she heard a very familiar voice – except the tone wasn't what she was used to hearing – it was sneering and taunting. And that could not be a good thing. She quickened her pace towards the main hallways.

From what she could gather, Draco was taunting Ron about a new article in the Daily Prophet. It looked like it was taking both Hermione and Harry to keep him from launching himself at Draco in response.

If she were being honest, from what little she had just heard, it was no surprise that Ron distrusted her so much for befriending Draco. She knew he wasn't pleasant to them, but this was far different from what she had thought.

Being jostled as she was, Jessa almost missed it. Almost. Harry shot back some retort about Mrs. Malfoy, before turning to get Ron out of there. Her brown eyes widened as Draco raised his wand, about to hex Harry behind his back.

A loud BANG caused her – and most others around – to jump in surprise.

"OH NO YOU DON'T, LADDIE!" a voice roared. She craned her neck to see students parting as Professor Moody limped down the marble staircase.

His wand was out and it was pointing right at a pure white ferret, which was shivering on the stone-flagged floor, exactly where Malfoy had been standing. Jessa just gaped as the people around her started laughing.

"I don't think so!" roared Moody, pointing his wand at the ferret again - it flew ten feet into the air, fell with a smack to the floor, and then bounced upward once more.

"Stop it!" she cried out, forcing her body to the front of the crowd. "Stop it! Please. You're hurting him. This isn't right."

"I don't like people who attack when their opponent's back's turned," growled Moody as the ferret bounced higher and higher, squealing in pain.

"Please stop, Sir. He doesn't deserve this!"

"And what exactly are you going to do about it, missy?" Moody retorted, eying her closely. Harry – and others – stared on in disbelief at her own actions.

She doubted she could do much, but she had to try. Jessa steeled herself to take action when she heard a familiar voice call over the throng of people. A familiar Professor's voice.

"Professor Moody!" said a shocked voice.

Professor McGonagall was coming down the marble staircase with her arms full of books. Jessa sighed in semi-relief; she would put a stop to this.

"What - what are you doing?" said Professor McGonagall, her eyes following the bouncing ferret's progress through the air.

"Teaching," said Moody.

"Teach - Moody, is that a student?" shrieked Professor McGonagall, the books spilling out of her arms.

"Yep," said Moody.

"No!" cried Professor McGonagall, running down the stairs and pulling out her wand; a moment later, with a loud snapping noise, Draco Malfoy had reappeared, lying in a heap on the floor with his sleek blond hair all over his now brilliantly pink face. He got to his feet, wincing, struggling with standing tall. Immediately, Jessa rushed over to him, but he shrugged her off while glaring daggers at Moody, who promptly seized her friend's arm and dragged him towards the dungeons.

"Why'd you try to stop him? The git deserved it!"

She whirled around, facing Ron and Harry.

"No. Bout of detentions, suspension from Quidditch, certainly. And I am sorry – what he was saying was utterly foul. But he didn't deserve that."

Both boys were eyeing her carefully, sceptically. Hermione wasn't faring much better – something that shocked her, considering the other girl's penchant for the rules.

Hoisting her bag higher on her shoulder, Jessa just turned, confusion and anger pulsing, to go back to her own space, hoping to catch her friend on his own return journey.

For once, luck was with her. "Draco! Draco, are you okay? I'm sorry," she said softly, coming up beside him.

"I'm fine. Don't worry about it."

"Are you sure? I mean – "

" – drop it already!" he screamed, turning on her, his face flush, his hair more askew than it had been.

However, the look that briefly crossed her eyes was not one he ever wanted to see again – certainly not because of himself.

She covered her brief fear well though. "I spoke out for you. I tried to help, then to check in and this is your response. Thanks a lot."

He could hear the brief pain in her voice – and knew why she was hurting. He hadn't meant that. Certainly not to the one person who had tried to help. He leaned against the wall, raking a hand through his already-messy hair.

"Jessa, I – I'm sorry. I've never been that humiliated in my life. You…you yelled at a teacher. For me. No one's ever done anything like that for me before."

"It seems like both of us are learning what it's like to have a friend then," she replied softly.

"I suppose so."

"Are you okay to go in?" she asked, nodding up the hallway to where the common room entrance was. She watched as his mask slipped back on, as he steeled himself.

Everyone turned to stare – of course they did – when they entered. Word travelled fast.

"Malfoy. Alright mate?" Blaise asked, coming over to greet him.

Draco went to reply when a flash of black and silver and green flung past her.

"Drakey, I was so worried!" an unpleasantly familiar voice screeched. Jessa cringed and could have sworn she saw her friend do the same.

"What do you want, Pansy?" he asked tiredly.

"Are you okay? He was just horrible to do that to you!" she continued in her whiny voice.

"Funny; I didn't see you try to defend him," Jessa sneered coldly, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I have more tact than that. I know not to challenge a professor," Pansy replied haughtily; Jessa snorted.

"You keep saying how you don't understand how I got into Slytherin, but I could say the same about you. I'm pretty sure, if nothing else, we back enough other up since no one else will."

"Alright. Neither of you are wrong," Malfoy interrupted unhappily. "How about a game of Exploding Snap, instead?"

They both nodded sullenly and the four went to a corner, trying to minimize the attention they were receiving – not that it helped much. That afternoon had been cause for a lot of conversation.

Happy World NF Awareness Day!