2. Charles is an Idiot
Sven Burke
The first day of term started off as a bit of a bummer.
Dumbledore had told me the night before to stay behind after each of my classes to discuss the unique course I'll be given. So of course, that meant extra work. Work I couldn't receive help with from anyone who had passed their fifth year. It was one of Dumbledore's terms that made sure I actually learned what I needed to.
Cooper refused to help me with whatever assignments I'll receive on top of those of a regular fifth-year. So much for friends, I guess, but I'm sure he had a very good reason to. His apology was very sincere after all. His apology had a flat tone to it, but his tone was always flat. Only his best pals were able determine the emotion behind his words.
"Don't sweat it, mate," I assured him.
"I won't sweat it. Your future, your responsibility," he said with a flat tone of encouragement.
And I did need some encouragement with how things are right now. His friendly nudge reminded me of how lucky I was to have mates like him.
My next heartbreak of the day was when I realized that, since I'm all on my own, I couldn't afford to spend time on anything else but my studies. I couldn't join any clubs, I surely wouldn't have time for quidditch, which I was really looking forward to by the way.
The Grenhart Case was another issue I couldn't just cast aside, but fortunately- or not, depends on how you look at it I guess -there wasn't much I could do until Dewey has finished his potion theory.
The first class of the day was Potions, where Cooper let me down for the second time today.
We were buds, so obviously, I assumed we would be partners. I sat beside him but only to be told that the seat was taken. Here I was thinking that Cooper learned to make jokes while I was away. Apparently not, however. Apparently, he and Dewey were a potioneering powerhouse in their batch and he refused to replace him with anyone as a partner.
I looked behind me where Maya and Penny sat. Well, there's no breaking those two up.
Scanning the room full of Gryffindors and Ravenclaws, I saw that everyone had already paired up with each other.
Relief washed over me when Jasmine Torres entered the room, her eyes half-shut and her short hair sprawled lazily atop her shoulders. I'm sure she wasn't that bad of a witch and could have easily fixed her hair up with a spell. But obviously, she didn't care enough for Potions. I didn't mind either. Her messy hair did nothing to demean the shape of her body which her robes slightly clung to. She definitely wasn't this much of a looker when I last saw her. And it seemed like she hasn't bought any new robes despite her body outgrowing the ones she wore currently, which again, is nothing to complain about.
"Torres," I shouted ecstatically. "Let's be partners, yeah?"
She eyed me curiously as she slowly walked over to where I stood with a smile and my hand raised high. I was probably a bit too forward asking her to be my partner.
I hope I didn't come off as rude. I'd be a bit gutted if she was coming this way just to tell me off.
"No hollering. In my class," said Snape, scolding me without even batting an eye from the book he was reading. "Twenty points from Gryffindor. And twenty from Ravenclaw for Miss Torres's fashionable arrival."
"Sorry, Sna- I mean, professor," I said.
Torres continued her stride with her eyes fixed on me, showing no signs of even hearing Snape. When she got closer, her gaze shifted to Maya and Penny. She opened her mouth to say something, but Maya beat her to it.
"You know what, Jazz why... why don't you and I be partners," she suggested, briefly shooting a smile at Penny before turning to face Jazz again. "Penny here wanted to pair with Jack, but I was afraid you wouldn't show up, so I decided to keep her hostage, hehe."
There was a slight moment of silence, which I broke because I hated silence.
"Well, how selfish of you, Maya," I teased. "Come on over, Penny!"
It was a little odd how Penny all of a sudden wanted to pair with me. I'm sure that wasn't the case. Maybe they were trying to save me from a bullet that might be Torres. Or maybe Maya found Torres as fit as I did and that was just her making a move. The latter seemed very probable after seeing the smile she gave Penny just then that seened to have a touch of nervousness to it.
Hmm... I wonder what Edward would think about this.
While I arranged my things to make space for Penny's, I overheard Torres and Maya's exchange, which wasn't hard since Torres didn't care to lower her voice, it seemed. That's American manners for you, I guess.
"Isn't that Sven... Din't he get lost in the muggle world or some?"
"I wasn't lost," I answered, shaking my head in eager denial. "... Well, maybe just a little. But a journey's not a journey if you knew where you were going, yeah?"
"I guess," she said, her lips curling into a slight smirk. "Call me Jazz. I don't like when people call me by my last name."
I was about to offer her a handshake when Snape interrupted us, his impatience clearly heard.
"Torres and Burke... what are the key ingredients to a Forgetfulness Potion?" He was on his feet now, his glare shifting from me to Torres and then back and forth.
"Why, that's easy, professor," I said, dragging out my words to buy time. I glanced at Cooper who was already flipping through the pages of the Potions textbook. "I'm offended... deeply so, professor, at the fact... that-..."
"Burke!"
How he hissed at me made majority of the class snicker, which was a bit disrespectful if you ask me. But by then, Cooper had found the page and was pointing out a passage for me to read.
"Valerian sprigs, Le... Lee-thee river water, and mistletoe berries," I answered with confidence. "Warning, these three... Yes." I finished my answer with a nod of my head, hoping he wouldn't make a deal of the last part.
Snape's gaze on me was piercing but nothing I wasn't used to. Plus, I'm sure he was just maintaining his appearance of being strict and didn't mean anything by it. I respectfully bowed my head before sitting down.
"Ten points from Gryffindor."
--
Maya and Penny were the best sisters one's bestfriend could ever ask for!
Penny, my new Potions partner, gave way for me to take lead the whole class. She barely even stirred the pot!
And Maya? Well, ahe was just an angel. I didn't need to dwell any longer on the...
"Sven?"
I looked up towards Maya who had lifted her brow in concern.
I'm a twat!
Here she was, offering help, while I was lost in thought, leaving her in conversation to talk to herself. Do better, Sven!
"Sven," she repeated, much louder this time.
I slapped myself awake. "... Sorry about that, hehe. Lots on my mind this term you know."
A slight smile crept on her lips, which I took as pardon.
"I was saying," she began, looking down and proceeding to carefully watch her steps. I've noticed a while back that she did this a lot. "I may not be Cooper-smart," she continued, "but I could help with your extra curriculum, if you want."
"Of course I want!" I told her, unable to keep my smile from growing wider. "You're absolutely great, Maya. Much better than your brother!"
She chuckled at my comment, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear as she looked up and ahead. "Well. What did Dumbledore give you as extra work?"
"I'm not sure yet. I was told to stay behind after each class to find out from the teachers themselves."
She nodded. "And what did Snape tell you?"
Snape.
"Snape... I'll be right back."
Even as I ran back cursing myself, I still felt the uncontrollable tug of a smile on my lips. I am so lucky to have friends whose sisters are just great.
--
Classes had ended for the day and I was supposed to keep a low profile as I scanned the many faces passing through the halls. I didn't want it to look obvious that I was looking for someone. Mainly because, like Dewey said, it could draw suspicion. But also because I didn't want Grenhart to think that I was actively looking for her after hearing the rumors. I know how fragile some's emotions can be and I didn't want her to feel judged. Even if she was a bit of a prick back then.
But as I turned a corner, I saw a stranger wearing a familar face. She was walking haughtily through the crowd. Her hair was as short as mine and was now brown like Lenny's instead of its natural black. Her shoulders were squared like a Beater's and her chest poked out with confidence. She had a smug curl on her lips as she softly bumped shoulders with everyone in her path.
"That's Grenhart!?" I shouted without thinking.
Everyone looked to see who the bloke was yelling in the halls. Everybody except her, gladly. She barely looked over her shoulder, continuing her stride almost as if she hadn't just heard her name shouted.
"Yes," said Cooper.
"Well I'll be damned... Dewey wasn't joking.
Last night, I was able to get a private conversation about Grenhart with my four best buddies. What they told me added up well with Dewey's perspective of things. According to Charles, Lenny himself said that he took Grenhart under his wing. He was "making her a better man", Charles quoted.
While Cooper and I made our way to the west-facing balcony on the third floor, we were stopped multiple times by different students who asked me tons of question. I gave them each a different answer, wanting to see what kind of story they'll make of it all in the end. All except Tempest. I liked her. She was my favorite Ravenclaw aside from Cooper and she also had a sixth sense to detect lies. So I had no choice really.
I asked her why she didn't send any worried letters about my well-being like the others did and she had a perfectly good excuse. After hearing how I went off to live among muggles, she refrained from sending me owl to keep me out of Wihzenop. And although none of the owls I was sent came directly to me in the muggle world, it made me wonder how smart my other friends really were.
When we got to the balcony, we saw Harold, Charles and, in Charles's hands, a black balloon.
All I heard was a loud buzzing as they spoke until they had re-cast the Muffliato spell to include Cooper and I.
"What's the balloon for," I asked.
Harold pointed at Charles accusingly. "This idiot brought a dragon egg to school."
My mouth fell ajar as I stepped forward. "A dragon egg? Charles, mate, this is amazing!"
"You brought it to school knowingly," Cooper asked, the flatness of his tone betraying his utter amazement.
Harold: "Yes, he brought it knowingly!"
Charles snatched the egg away from me. "Sven, you're manhandling it!"
Cooper: "And willingly?"
"Just let me see," I pleaded.
Cooper: "Dragons are illegal in the possession of someone unlicensed to handle them."
"Well, good thing it's not a dragon yet," Charles replied.
This was great. Charles always smuggled the randomest of creatures into the school. But a dragon's egg? This topped everything.
"This is even better than that muggle gazebo you brought in!"
"You mean the gazelle. Yes, this is much better than the gazelle."
Charles held the smoothly textured, black egg high in the air with a wide smile, a deep love in his eyes for the egg as if it was his own.
Meanwhile, Cooper had pulled out a textbook on wizarding laws before clearing his throat to get our attention. "Unlicensed harboring of a dragon, hatched or not, is rated as a major offense and is punishable of up to 20 years in Azkaban."
Harold: "He knows."
"Twenty years? That's a bit unfair."
Charles: "No one's gonna find out."
"Say, where's Edward?"
Charles: "I told him to meet us at the quidditch field. He cannot know about this..."
I nodded in agreement. Edward shouldn't be trusted with information like this. Mainly because he's a ninny.
Harold rested his forehead on his palm, sighing before looking up at Charles again. "What's your plan with this Charles?"
Charles: "Well, that's part of why I gathered you all here for. I need to use one of your fireplaces."
Harold: "You're an idiot."
"Why can't we keep it in our fireplace," I pleaded.
Cooper: "Unlicensed harboring of a dragon, hatched or not-..."
Charles: "Come on! It'll only be two nights."
Harold: "And twenty years in Azkaban! You know what mate, you oughta get rid of that or I'm telling Edward."
Charles and I: "You wouldn't!"
--
After a long discussion about how long twenty years was, Charles decided to look another direction. I had a study session with Maya, however. So, despite how much I wanted to, I didn't stay long enough to hear whatever plan they came up with to sneak into Hufflepuff.
While walking to the library, I saw Maya and Edward coming up the steps.
"There you are! Where've you been, mate," I asked, my hand raised up high as I leaned against the railing.
"Where were you guys? I was at the quidditch pitch!"
Shit, that's right...
"Quidditch pitch," I repeated, enunciating each syllable. "Why?"
Edwards face suddenly filled with confusion. "Charles told me to meet you all there after my detention."
"Detention?" I got him. "Mate, how'd you get detention on the first day?"
"Oh, don't go changing the topic," he said, his face flushed all of a sudden. Obviously offended by my blatant attempt at misdirection.
I didn't budge though. "Well, it just seemed like a good question."
Edward subtly nudged Maya, who was looking at him with an amused expression. It seemed my failed attempt gave her a laugh.
The way he defended me after I made him upset made me feel guilty about keeping things from him. But it was a necessary evil. 7305 days would be a long time with no Charles.
"Besides, he didn't say 'quidditch pitch', you duffer."
"Are you sure," he asked, raising his brows.
"Of course, I'm sure," I replied indignantly.
"Well then where were you all?"
"We were in the Slytherin's den..."
"How'd you all get into Slytherin!?"
It wasn't perfect but it was the best I could think of.
"Well, I can't tell you right here, obviously."
Edward rubbed a thumb against his chin as he looked down at the floor in thought. "Is that what he meant when he said a grassy area?"
He eventually bought it and after I told him he needed Harold to get into Slytherin, he decided to return to the pitch instead and tell the lower year students that they were free to play.
Edward ran off, leaving me with Maya, who had her arms crossed, her foot forward and one of her brows lifted to question me.
I tried keeping a straight face, but a smirk broke through. "It was a prank," I declared. "Shall we?"
Maya gave a slight chuckle before uncrossing her arms. She took her place beside me and we nade our way to the library. I can't remember the last time I had even visited the library.
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