Natsu Dragneel and the Order of the Phoenix

Professor Eisenwald

Loke dressed at top speed next morning and left the dormitory before Natsu had even put on his socks.

"Does he think he'll turn into a nutter if he stays in a room with me too long?" asked Natsu loudly, as the hem of Loke's robes whipped out of sight.

"Don't worry about it, Natsu," Wally muttered, hoisting his schoolbag on to his shoulder, "he's just..."

But apparently he was unable to say exactly what Loke was, and after a slightly awkward pause followed him out of the room.

Gajeel and Gray both gave Natsu an it's-his-problem-not-yours look, but Natsu was not much consoled. How much more of this would he have to take?

"What's the matter?" asked Lucy five minutes later, catching up with Natsu and Gray halfway across the common room as they all headed towards breakfast. "You look absolutely - Oh for heaven's sake."

She was staring at the common-room notice board, where a large new sign had been put up.

GALLONS OF GALLEONS.

Pocket money failing to keep pace with your outgoings? Like to earn a little extra gold? Contact Erza Scarlet, Gryffindor common room, for simple, part-time, virtually painless jobs. (We regret that all work is undertaken at applicant's own risk.)

"She is the limit," said Lucy grimly, taking down the sign, which Erza had pinned up over a poster giving the date of the first Hogsmeade weekend in October. "We'll have to talk to them, Gray."

Gray looked positively alarmed.

"Why?"

"Because we're prefects!" said Lucy, as they climbed out through the portrait hole. "It's up to us to stop this kind of thing!"

Gray said nothing; Natsu could tell from his glum expression that the prospect of stopping Erza doing exactly what they liked was not one he found inviting.

"Anyway, what's up, Natsu?" Lucy continued, as they walked down a flight of stairs lined with portraits of old witches and wizards, all of whom ignored them, being engrossed in their own conversation. "You look really angry about something."

"Loke reckons Natsu's lying about You-Know-Who," said Gray succinctly, when Natsu did not respond.

Lucy, who Natsu had expected to react angrily on his behalf, sighed.

"Yes, Millianna thinks so too," she said gloomily.

"Been having a nice little chat with her about whet her or not I'm a lying, attention-seeking prat, have you?" Natsu said loudly.

"No," said Lucy calmly. "I told her to keep her big fat mouth shut about you, actually. And it would be quite nice if you stopped jumping down our throats, Natsu, because in case you haven't noticed, Gray and I are on your side."

There was a short pause.

"Sorry," said Natsu in a low voice.

"That's quite all right," said Lucy with dignity... Then she shook her head. "Don't you remember what Master Makarov said at the last end-of-term feast?"

Natsu and Gray both looked at her blankly and Lucy sighed again.

"About You-Know-Who. He said his 'gift for spreading discord and enmity is very great. We can fight it only by showing an equally strong bond of friendship and trust —'"

"How do you remember stuff like that?" asked Gray, looking at her in admiration.

"I listen, Gray," said Lucy, with a touch of asperity.