Chapter 68 - Trouble
The days that followed passed peacefully. Well, as peacefully as Hogwarts could ever be.
My accelerated examination plan had become one of the biggest topics in the castle. Students still whispered when I passed. Some thought I was crazy or I was arrogant. There was even a bet with people betting that I would fail spectacularly. This bet was put up by none other than the Weasley twins, the Chaos incarnate. But they knew me so they put huge returns on me failing, which would in turn make them a good profit. Say anything about them, but they were good at sniffing opportunities and knew how to do business
But there was also another group of the studious students. The book lovers and the library residents. The people who treated examinations like competitive sports. Many of them seemed strangely appreciative and most of them even took it as a challenge.
The effects was noticeable. They spent a little more time studying. The library became slightly more crowded with students. And even homework was completed a little earlier.
Not by everyone, of course.
Students who were not much inclined to academics, like Fred and George Weasley, remained completely unaffected by educational trends.
But many of the students who usually followed the crowd started studying a bit harder.
Nobody expected to catch up to me. But nobody wanted to earn a Troll grade either. That much pride still existed.
So the atmosphere around the school became just a little more academic.
Not enough for Professor McGonagall to cry tears of joy. But enough for the Professors to take notice.
It was a Thursday afternoon. My classes had already ended. I was sitting in the library, reviewing notes and reading through a few advanced texts. Madam Pince was prowling between the shelves like a particularly aggressive cat guarding her territory. The library was quiet, as it should be.
Then the doors burst open.
Two first year Hufflepuff students hurried inside, both looking alarmed. They immediately started searching around for something. Then one of them spotted me.
"Arthur!"
The urgency in his voice made me sit up straight.
The first-year practically ran over.
"Arthur, Harry is in trouble!"
Instantly, alarm bells started ringing in my head. I closed my books. I quickly started gathering my things.
Harry.
Trouble.
Those two words together were never good, but always together.
"What happened?"
The boys exchanged glances.
"We'll explain while we walk."
I nodded.
"Let's go."
I packed my notes, said a quick goodbye to Madam Pince and hurried out of the library with them.
As we walked out, my mind was already racing.
Had Quirrell done something?
Had someone discovered something?
Had Harry somehow found the trapdoor already?
No.
That seemed too early for the timeline. Then again, life was no longer following canon exactly. After all, I existed now and many things had changed. Anything was possible.
The boys finally began explaining.
"It happened during Flying lessons. Neville got hurt," one of them explained.
"He fell?"
The boy nodded.
"His Remembrall dropped."
I relaxed slightly. Flying lessons. I immediately remembered the scene.
Ah.
That incident.
The children continued.
"Malfoy picked it up. Harry told him to give it back. But Malfoy refused. He flew away and threw it. And Harry chased after it."
Now I was completely certain. Canon had arrived right on schedule.
"He caught it," one of them said excitedly.
"It was brilliant! You should've seen it. He was flying so fast that he nearly crashed into a window!"
I nodded. That sounded exactly like Harry would do. My panic continued to fade.
At least Voldemort had not appeared in broad daylight.
Then they added,
"Professor McGonagall took him away. Well. Will he be expelled?"
The boys looked worried. But I nearly laughed.
"No."
"Really?"
"Absolutely."
I shook my head.
"Professor McGonagall isn't going to expel someone for catching a Remembrall."
The boys looked relieved.
"I heard Filch talking about punishments," one whispered.
"He said students used to be hung by their thumbs."
I snorted.
"Those punishments were banned years ago."
"Oh."
"And Professor McGonagall wouldn't do anything like that."
They looked reassured, so I continued.
"Besides, she's Head of Gryffindor."
That got their attention.
"You think she's helping him?"
"I think there's a good chance she has something else in mind."
If I remembered correctly, Harry Potter was currently becoming the youngest Seeker in a century. Not exactly a punishment. It could even be called a great promotion.
Then one of the boys suddenly spoke again.
"Dudley's in trouble too."
I stopped walking. That was news.
"What?"
The boys exchanged glances. Apparently they had forgotten the second half of the story.
"What happened now?"
After all, whenever Dudley and trouble appeared in the same sentence, things tended to become differently complicated.
"After Professor McGonagall left with Harry," one explained, "Malfoy started making comments."
I sighed. Of course he did comment.
"And Dudley heard."
I sighed even louder. Of course he did hear it.
The boy continued.
"Dudley got angry and he started arguing with Malfoy."
Predictable.
"Then they started pushing each other."
Too predictable.
"Then their friends joined."
I rubbed my forehead.
Extremely predictable.
The second boy jumped in.
"It became a huge shoving match. Gryffindor versus Slytherin. Madam Hooch stopped it."
I nodded. At least an adult had arrived before someone ended up in the hospital wing. But I wanted to confirm.
"Any serious injuries?"
Both boys shook their heads.
"No. Just bruises. No broken bones and no blood."
That was actually impressive. For a fight involving Dudley and Draco Malfoy, which turned to Gryffindor Vs. Slytherin, that counted as restraint.
"Then points?"
The boys winced.
"Gryffindor lost twenty. Slytherin lost fifteen."
I closed my eyes. Of course. The first-years were breaking house-point records already.
Wonderful.
By the time we reached the Great Hall, dinner was about to begin. The entire castle already knew. News travelled through Hogwarts faster than magic. Students were talking everywhere. Every table seemed to be discussing the Flying lesson incident.
I quickly found the source of the attention on Gryffindor's table.
Dudley.
He was sitting among a group of first-year Gryffindors. Several older Gryffindors were nearby as well. What surprised me was the mood.
Nobody looked upset or looked guilty. They did not even seemed worried about the lost points. In fact, they were laughing. The older students looked almost proud.
Apparently standing up to Malfoy and Slytherin had earned Dudley considerable popularity.
I should have expected that. This was Gryffindor House, after all. They probably viewed the whole thing as a heroic battle.
As I approached, Dudley spotted me immediately and his face lit up.
"Arthur!"
He waved enthusiastically. I smiled back.
Then I walked over and smacked the back of his head.
Not hard, just enough.
"Ow!"
Dudley grabbed his head.
The surrounding Gryffindors burst out laughing.
I stood there, with my hands folded.
"Feeling victorious, eh?"
Dudley rubbed his head.
"Maybe."
"You fought and you lost twenty points."
"They lost fifteen."
"That isn't helping your case."
A red-haired Gryffindor nearby laughed.
"To be fair, he nearly got Malfoy."
Dudley immediately pointed.
"See?"
I looked at him.
"No."
His shoulders slumped. The older students laughed even harder. Then I sat beside him.
"So?"
Dudley looked cautious.
"So?"
"What exactly happened?"
Dudley immediately became animated.
"Malfoy started it. He was insulting Harry. Nobody insults him except me. And Harry wasn't even there to defend himself."
I nodded slowly. That part sounded very Dudley-like.
"So you decided to do it?"
"Yes."
"And then?"
Dudley looked completely unrepentant.
"I may have pushed him."
"May have?"
"He pushed back."
"And then?"
Dudley grinned.
"Things escalated."
The surrounding Gryffindors cheered. I covered my face with one hand. This year was going to be very long.
Very long indeed.
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End of Chapter 68 - Trouble