Albus Potter and the Tri-Wizard Tournament (Next-Gen HP Fan-Fic)

Defense Against the Dark Arts

Chapter 3

 The classroom had an undrawn line down the center of the classroom: Slytherin to the left and Gryffindor to the right. Albus sat in the back, as far from the chalkboard at the front as he could get, with Isabella to his left and Scorpius to her's. He really tried not to think about it much, but every now and then, his eyes would drift to the blonde boy two seats away. Scorpius would usually sit by himself, more towards the front corner if anything, in hopes of avoiding Goyle and his gang. But after last night's stunt, Albus didn't expect the Malfoy to be going anywhere anytime soon.

Hurrwood's classroom was arranged: all her posters and belonging were stashed in a box in the corner and all the desks were moved back into traditional rows. Albus was never one to be gifted with test taking skills, but the Defense Against the Dark Arts class always pulled his grade up -- not matter how many final exams they had to take. He fiddled with his quill, trying to keep his attention in the present and avoid drifting into the world of chatter before their new professor arrived.

Isabella was folding a piece of parchment into a rose, or, at least, he thought it was rose. He couldn't actually tell after she had unfolded and refolded it over a dozen times to get it right. Other students were muttering about themselves, their conversation flowing around the room and mixing with others -- except everyone stayed to their house and their friends. A few times, Rose Weasley would smile at him from the front of the class on the Gryffindor side of the room. But he wouldn't smile back. Not because he didn't want to, but because he knew he didn't have too.

"Albus," Isabella crumpled up the paper and slid it towards him, "I don't like how quiet you are being. Is everything alright? Piers didn't keep you up, did he? Not that he should have any reason to, it was the first night."

"Whats with that kid?" Scorpius asked, leaning back in his chair.

"Piers comes from a very strict family, passing class is his number one priority," she responded with a hushed voice, "But he can go literally unnoticed for weeks on end. Scared Albus the first few weeks, he went around trying to find the kid as if he were in mortal danger."

"You try having a ghost for a roommate," Albus shook his head, "No, that isn't it. I'm just-" going to make up a lie right here on the spot. He hesitated, then, "- thinking about class."

"Don't you dare lie to me, Albus Severus Potter!" She snapped, "All you've had today was charms and it's not like you're failing the first day! Why don't you-"

"Class," hissed the newest professor as if he were scolding a child, cutting off every conversation that lingered in the room. He clapped his hands in front of him, his classy jazz shoes tap tap tap against the old oak floor boards. Closer up, Professor Levesque liked like a wrinkly, pale string bean. His oily hair was plastered to his head, his posture was stiff as if something kept his spine naturally straight (or, perhaps, something was shoved up his rear end), and his scowl permanently wrinkled his cheeks. His small march to the front was and quite, no one knew how this Levesque was.

But Albus's thoughts were elsewhere. It bothered him that his friend was so perceptive. Isabella saw right through his small lie and was begging for an explanation. He had to play it off, pretend she didn't bother him as much as she did. How could she have made that deal? The questioned burned in his mind, begging to be answered. Sure, he knew it was to help Scorpius out, but Piers had crossed the line. Did anyone realize exactly what it meant to him?

Isabella nudged his arm when it was too obvious he wasn't paying attention.

"I don't know how the ignorant Ms. Hurrwood taught your class, but, I assure you, my way will drill actual technique into your tiny little minds," he sounded just as posh as he looked with the voice of a snake that was gargling gravel. He kept his nose in the air, scowling down at the entire class, "We will be reviewing advance defense before going straight into using the dark arts."

"Sir!" Rose's hand shot straight up into the air, "We're not suppose to be studying usage of-"

"Did I ask you to speak?" He snapped at her, "40 points from Gryffindor."

"Sir-"

"Shall I make it 50?" He glared at one of the kids closer to Albus in the back, "You are all lucky you even have points to lose." The Slytherin house snickered, the Gryffindors frowned. "And you-" he circled his finger around the Albus's side of the room, "You all haven't even earned a single point since this morning. Can you really call yourselves snakes?" The room went quiet. No one spoke, no one snickered, no one fought the new professor. "Now that I have made myself clear," he said, "Let us start on page 31 of your textbooks."

***

The great hall was decorated by the afternoon's sunlight that beamed through the golden windows. Most everyone was still filing in from their classes, so the long hall was close to empty. Scorpius understood, when lunch rolled around, why Albus was so bitter. He sat across from the Potter boy, a smirk on his face and eyebrows raised and his mouth full. It was highly entertaining how his new ally scowled at his untouched plate and would glance down the table at a certain couple with jealousy. Isabella, as apart of the deal to get him out of his previous deal, is eating, sitting, giggling with Piers.

"You don't need to make it so obvious," Scorpius said after he swallowed.

"What are you talking about?" Albus quickly denied, running a hand back against his head. He refused to meet Scorpius's dark gaze, looking anywhere but anyone.

"I'm talking about Isa," he said, causing Albus's frown to deepen, "My friend, Albus Potter, likes her."

"I'm not your friend."

Scorpius scoffed, "You can't even deny it! That's adorable!" He too ran a hand through his silver hair and stuffed the rest of his sandwich in his mouth. Once he swallowed, he let out a chuckle, "You could have said no. You guys didn't have to be generous heros and save my sorry arse." He almost sounded guilty, like he was giving Albus the option to change my mind.

He was surprised when Albus let out a slow sigh and replied, "Like I got a choice. I don't know why she does it, but she made her point," he made eye contact with Scorpius and he glared, "she likes you. Which means I'm stuck with you. Don't make her regret it, or you'll answer to me."

He wasn't going to lie, Scorpius was a little intimidate -- he knew bullying when he saw it -- but he just laughed in Albus's face, "And what are you going to do? Glare me to death like your lunch? Please, that's not going to get your girl back."

"She's not my-"

Scorpius put his hands in the ear, surrendering to ignorance, "It's none of my business."

"Whatever."

"Albus!" said an unusually tall boy as he slid into the bench beside Scorpius. His skin was beach tan, freckles dotted his nose, and his sandy blonde hair was shaggy over his eyes. "I haven't seen you since June," he said, snatching the abaddon lunch in front of Albus, "You're not going to eat this, right?"

"Help yourself," he grumbled pushing the rest of the plate towards Lysander.

"Thanks, a growing boy's gotta eat," he said. Scorpius scoffed, turning away from Lysander Scamander to admire in a suddenly interesting trail of crumbs.

"You two going to Durmstrang for the Triwizard tournament? It's all anyone's talking about. Rumor has it that who ever gets pick will get one of the professors as a mentor -- which would be awesome had we not of gotten creepy Levesque for defense the dark arts," Lysander rambled, "I know I'm going -- if my family allows it, of course. They just got this new beach house down south, and they wouldn't want me to miss the waves during winter. It's suppose to be fantastic!"

Scorpius looked to Albus. Albus looked to Scorpius.

The TriWizard tournament. A moment of glory.

A moment away from Hogwarts to become something he really wanted to be.