Tickling the Giant Squid and other Grand Adventures

21. Avila

I looked around, hoping to see one of my new friends coming into the great hall. I'd woken up extra early today and had been in here since breakfast had started, and still, neither of them had appeared.

I glanced around again and saw Farid entering the room. I waved at her to catch her attention and she smiled at me. As I was putting another bite of waffle in my mouth, I saw someone get up from the Ravenclaw table and push her over. Immediately, I jumped up, my reflexes taking over. I jumped over my table, scaring a couple of my housemates, and ran to Farid, who was being roughly pushed around by her robes.

I came in hot and shoved the older boy off of my friend.

"What the hell is your problem?" I asked him roughly. "What gives you the right to do anything to her?"

"I'm her brother. And you are?" He looked down at me with a snooty expression on his smug face.

"Her friend. And from what I've heard, you're a sucky brother, so lay off." Farid's brother looked me over, taking in my unkempt uniform. His eyes landed on the crest on my robes, showing off my house.

"Oh, is that where she was headed? To the Gryffindor table? Please, she can't sit there. She's not brave. She deserves to be at the Slytherin table with the sly, sneaky and cunning."

"You have no right!" I replied in a-not-quite-shout, but my voice was rising. "You have no right to judge anyone! And especially not your sister!"

"We had a deal, and she broke it! She was gonna be a Ravenclaw, and-"

"So she never had a choice? Is that what you're saying? That's probably exactly why she didn't get in Ravenclaw! That kind of pressure sucks, and I'm speaking from experience!" I took a breath. Our voices had drawn the attention of other students. "What's done is done. She's a Slytherin. So drop it. Get over it. There's nothing you can do now. And I swear to God and all his angels, if you do anything, you'll need some magical healing!"

Farid's brother scoffed.

"What's going on?" A new voice said. I looked to my side and found Karou looking at us with her eyebrows raised.

"This is Farid's brother," I said stiffly.

"These are family affairs," Farid's brother declared. "Stay out of it." He grabbed for Farid, and instantly, Karou was in his way.

"Piss off, asshole. We're Farid's new family, so you can go screw yourself." Karou's adopted accent came out loud and strong, making her voice sound much harsher than her normal soft British tones.

Farid's brother stared at her. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me." She stared at him, challenge in her bright blue eyes.

I stepped up beside Karou. "Yeah. If you want her, you go through us. And trust me, that won't be easy."

"You see," Karou started, "he's my friend. And I'm a Hufflepuff. You know what that means? That means if you hurt him again, I'm gonna pound your little punk ass into the ground." This, with her harsh American accent, would have sounded imposing if she wasn't a foot and a half shorter than Farid's brother.

Farid's brother laughed in Karou's face, and in an instant, Karou's eyes went from bright to fiery. I knew shit was about to hit the fan and I stood there, tense and waiting. Farid's head recoiled backward as her brother's hand whipped out and backhanded her across the face, his eyes never leaving Karou's.

With an ungodly shriek, drawing the attention of everyone in the hall, Karou hurled herself at the brother. I saw her unconsciously shifting her weight in just the right places, and hurling her fist into his face, hand loose until the point of impact. I had a split second thought that she would be an excellent martial artist before what happened registered.