Harry Potter was starting to think he'd lost his mind.
How else could he possibly feel even a shred of sympathy for Draco Malfoy? The bloke actually looked… well, a little pathetic.
At that moment, Harry was sitting in the Great Hall, picking at his breakfast. Just minutes before, he and Ron had bumped into Malfoy in the corridor outside. It had all the makings of the usual showdown—he and Ron braced for Malfoy's trademark sneer or some biting remark. But instead, Malfoy just shot them a cold, distant look, then stalked past without a word. He took his seat at the Slytherin table, moving with a kind of sluggish detachment, and started eating by himself.
That image stuck in Harry's mind: Malfoy, surrounded by the usual Slytherin ruckus, yet radiating loneliness. For a moment, Harry almost pitied him. After all, Malfoy was just a kid, not much older than himself. Maybe he was going through something rough.
No, no, no! I can't let myself be fooled by appearances! I have to see his true nature. He's done enough rotten things—he doesn't deserve an ounce of sympathy! Harry scolded himself firmly.
Yet, despite his resolve, his gaze kept drifting back to the Slytherin table.
"Harry, you noticed it too?" Ron leaned in, lowering his voice.
"Noticed what?" Harry blinked in confusion.
"Malfoy's been hit with the Imperius Curse!" Ron announced, putting on a grave face.
"What?" Harry whipped his head toward Malfoy.
…
Ron just stared at him, mouth twitching.
"What?" Harry asked again, turning back.
"Harry, mate, you're acting strange…" Ron said, stroking his chin in an exaggerated impression of one of the older students.
"What d'you mean?" Harry instinctively touched his scar—no pain, no heat. He only felt more bewildered.
"Isn't it obvious? I was joking, but you took me seriously…" Ron said, eyes wide.
"Oh." Harry felt his cheeks flush. Of course Ron was joking. As if Malfoy could just get Imperiused in the middle of breakfast.
Honestly, I'm such an idiot, Harry thought, berating himself.
"And since when do you care about Malfoy?" Ron added, a hint of jealousy in his tone.
"I don't! Not at all! Don't be ridiculous!" Harry protested, a little too quickly.
"Relax, I'm not one of those possessive types who won't let my mates talk to anyone else." Ron waved him off, then glanced at Malfoy, who was quietly munching a sandwich. "Look, I don't like the git, but I know he's not truly evil. Probably just spoiled. His personality's rubbish—though, to be fair, I can be a bit much myself…"
"Yeah, just like my cousin Dudley. I can't stand him. He's a spoiled little brat…" Harry said, nodding.
"Anyway, Malfoy's been acting weird lately. Especially today—he looks completely out of sorts. That's why I joked about the Imperius Curse." Ron shrugged.
Realizing he might sound too soft, Ron quickly added, "Not that I care! Or feel sorry for him! I'm just gossiping, that's all!"
"Er… Qin says it's not nice to talk about people behind their backs." Harry glanced at the empty seat beside him, feeling a bit sheepish.
That was where Qin Yu usually sat, but today he was running late.
"Fine, fine, we'll stop. Besides, he doesn't need our sympathy." Ron shrugged again.
"Yeah…" Harry agreed, then declared with mock seriousness, "We're just curious. That's all."
"Exactly!" Ron nodded vigorously.
Neither of them had any desire to pick a fight with Malfoy. If he wanted to mope around like some tragic prince, that was his business. They'd just get on with their own lives.
After a bit more idle chat, they pushed aside their confusion and tucked into breakfast.
…
Qin Yu and Hermione arrived a bit later.
"Hope there's still good food left! This is all your fault, Qin, for sleeping in!" Hermione complained, stretching her neck to peer at the table.
"I told you, you could've come down first," Qin Yu said, spreading his hands in surrender.
"No way, I wanted to wait for you!" Hermione replied firmly.
She greeted a few friends, then dragged the sleepyhead to a seat.
Qin Yu let himself be half-pulled along, quickly noting there was still plenty of food left. Hermione had worried for nothing. Still, she muttered about missing out on certain treats—such a shame.
He could only smile to himself. Human desire really was endless, especially when it came to this little foodie.
Truth be told, he hadn't overslept out of laziness. After last night's escapade, he'd found it hard to fall asleep—he did feel a twinge of guilt seeing Malfoy waiting night after night, though not much. So, using the faint light from a Lumos, he'd sorted through Hermione's notes, picking out the gaps in the first-year curriculum.
He'd wanted to borrow the letters he'd exchanged with his roommate Elvis over the summer—there were plenty of study tips in there. But seeing Elvis fast asleep, clutching his blanket, Qin Yu hadn't the heart to wake him. He'd dozed off himself just before dawn.
Hence the late start, and Hermione had waited in the common room for ages—nearly storming the boys' dorm with her wand drawn. (Hermione: Author, are you kidding? Am I some violent magical girl?)
Slurp, slurp, slurp!
Qin Yu downed three mouthfuls of savory broth, feeling his sleep-deprived body come back to life.
This hearty soup—made from simmered beef bones and spiced with pepper, chili, cardamom, plus beef cubes, wood ear mushrooms, peanuts, and day lilies—was his own suggestion to the house-elf chefs. He'd managed to add another delicacy to the Hogwarts menu.
He was young; a night of poor sleep wasn't much. After a good meal, he felt right as rain—not like his previous life, where even a single late shift would knock him out.
"Harry, Ron, you two are acting off today," Qin Yu remarked suddenly.
"No!" "Not at all!" they chorused.
But Qin Yu caught them both sneaking a glance at the Slytherin table, where Draco Malfoy was still playing the tragic loner.
Maybe Malfoy's "condition" had gotten so bad, even Harry and Ron couldn't ignore it.
"Oh." Qin Yu thought for a moment, then nodded, saying nothing more.
Harry and Ron were left hanging, waiting for a follow-up like, "Are you worried about Malfoy?" But Qin Yu didn't ask. He just gave them a knowing look and went back to his soup.
It was maddening.
They exchanged glances, both fidgeting, but neither wanted to bring it up themselves.
Meanwhile, Qin Yu calmly dropped a few crispy onion rings into his soup, dipping them and munching away in contentment.
"Is that actually good?" Hermione asked, unable to resist.
"Mmm, it's brilliant. The crunchy onion rings soak up the rich broth, so when you bite in, the salty, savory juice and the crispy coating are perfect together. Absolutely delicious!" Qin Yu said, making her mouth water.
"Gulp…" Hermione couldn't resist. She had Qin Yu ladle her some of the new soup and grabbed a plate of onion rings, dunking them in just like he did.
She soon joined him in eating with gusto, giving him a big thumbs-up for the new combo.
After a while, Harry and Ron shook off their funk and cheered up, too. They wanted to try the new soup-and-onion-ring trick, but they were already stuffed—there was always tomorrow.
Breakfast soon ended. The young witches and wizards drifted out in twos and threes, books in hand, heading for their first classes.
And just like that, another day of learning began at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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