Faith .|. H. J. POTTER ✔

Chapter eighty-eight

As the three walked all the way to compartment C, all eyes were on them. Students came hurrying out of their compartments to take a look at them, most of them at Harry, all wanting to take a look at a few of the students that fought in the Department of Mysteries. It annoyed Faith to the end of the world so only when Harry pinched her she realised her hair had slowly been turning red. 

Cho Chang was approximately the only one who marched back into her compartment when she saw Harry and Faith approach. When they looked through the window they saw her in deep conversation with Marietta Edgecombe but with a clear blush on her cheeks. 

When the three reached compartment C, they noticed they weren't the only ones invited but Slughorn had clearly been waiting for Harry and Faith to arrive. 

"Harry, m'boy!" He greeted Harry happily as he jumped up. "Good to see you, good to see you! Ah, and Faith, nice to see you again! And you must be Mr Longbottom!"

Neville nodded nervously. The three sat down on the only three remaining seats by the door and looked around the compartment to see who else was there. A Slytherin from their year sat in the far corner, a tall dark-skinned boy sat next to the Slytherin and looked curiously their way, two seventh-year boys they did not recognise and a rather confused and weirded-out Ginny. 

"Now, do you know everyone?" Slughorn asked the three Gryffindors. "Blaise Zabini is in your year, of course -"

The Slytherin in the corner did not even look at them but Faith noticed him roll his eyes. Why Gryffindors and Slytherins hated each other on default had always confused Faith. Yes, she only had bad experiences with Slytherins but there had to be one innocent student between all the mean and rude ones.

"This is Cormac McLaggen, perhaps you've come across each other -? No?"

The curly-haired seventh-year waved at them.

"- and this is Marcus Belby, I don't know whether -?"

Belby gave them an awkward smile. 

"- and this charming lady tells me she knows the three of you!" Slughorn said. 

Ginny gave them a wide-eyed look, clearly not a very big fan of the man already. Faith chuckled at her. 

"Well now, this is most pleasant," Slughorn smiled at all the students. "A chance to get to know you all a little better. Here, take a napkin. I've packed my own lunch, the trolley, as I remember it, is heavy on Liquorice Wands, and a poor old man's digestive system isn't quite up to such things ... pheasant, Belby?"

He took it with a smile. 

"I was just telling young Marcus here that I had the pleasure of teaching his Uncle Damocles," Slughorn told Harry, Neville and Faith as he passed around a basket of rolls. "Outstanding wizard, outstanding, and his Order of Merlin most well-deserved. Do you see much of your uncle, Marcus?"

Belby had just taken another bite from the pheasant and when he tried to talk he started to choke on the bite.

"Anapeo," Slughorn pointed his wand at him and Belby gasped for breath instantly. 

"Not ... not much of him, no," Belby panted. 

"Well, of course, I daresay he's busy," Slughorn said. "I doubt he invented the Wolfsbane Potion without considerable hard work!"

"I suppose ..." Belby said, not wanting to take another bite until he was sure Slughorn was finished with him. "Er ... he and my dad don't get on very well, you see, so I don't really know much about ..." His voice trailed off when he saw the cold smile Slughorn was giving him.