How the Other Half Lives

"You are, without a doubt, my best friend ever," Emily LeSuer slid into a seat at the Ravenclaw table next to Mariah Everett.

"Really?" the Ravenclaw seventh year grinned. "Always nice to be loved. What did I do this time?"

Emily smiled as Lindsay Calderdale and Connie Reilly leaned forward to listen. "You remember your little, ahem, altercation on the train?" The girls all nodded as Mariah pulled out her wand and smiled at it. "Yes, yes, good for you," Emily smirked at Mariah, "you've got your wand back. But what I find more interesting is that Quincy Franklin hasn't gotten his back yet."

"So?" Lindsay asked. "Has he had to duel and been unable or something?"

"He might've gotten himself obliterated!" Mariah grinned.

"Even better," Emily laughed. "He couldn't do anything in Transfiguration this morning. Naturally, Professor McGonnagall wasn't happy. He's got a detention, tomorrow night, with Mr. Filch!"

Mariah squealed with pleasure. "That is fabulous. And with Filch! Maybe he'll hang him by his ears in the dungeons!"

A fork clattered loudly to the floor behind them and the four girls turned to see Jacklynn Fitzpatrick starring at them wide eyed, her mouth fallen open in shock. Lavena Aldam and Lillah Rothschild were sitting with her, also looking worried.

"He doesn't really do that, does he?" Lillah asked.

Lindsay laughed, "Not in a long while, anyway. Professor Dumbledore won't let him. I'd hardly think you girls need to worry about that, though, you can't possibly have gotten in trouble this quickly."

Jacklynn looked down at her hands as Lillah said, "Well, Jacklynn has."

"How could she have gotten in trouble? She doesn't even talk! That's outrageous!" Mariah exclaimed. Spencer Cunningham slid into a seat next to her and looked pointedly at Emily.

"It is outrageous indeed. What are we talking about? And why is she here?" he pointed a carrot stick at Emily. "As much as I love you around, darling," he batted his eyelashes at her, "last I checked you were still a Hufflepuff. That table is a few rows over," he pointed in the general direction of her house table.

Emily rolled her eyes, "Yes, and I was just here to pass on some good news, but clearly you aren't interested, so I'll leave." With that, she got up and returned to her own house table.

Spencer smiled and took a bite from his carrot stick, "So, what are we chatting about? What's outrageous?"

"Jacklynn here has been given a detention," Lindsay said.

"Which one's Jacklynn?" he asked. Lindsay pointed at the young girl who raised her hand meekly. "Oh, right. Muggle born one, right?"

Jacklynn nodded. "I've never had a detention before in my life, and then my first day here..."

"Don't worry about it," Connie said. "I had a detention my first day here, as well. Late to Professor Snape's class. Honestly, how they expect us to show up on time first class of the first day of our first year..."

"Some of us wear watches, Connie," Spencer chided. She rolled her eyes.

"Professor Snape is the one who's given her the detention, as well," Lillah told them.

"Why?"

Jacklynn spoke softly, "I wouldn't chop up a worm... because I'm vegan, you know, and I think it's wrong..."

"He's given her a detention tomorrow night, with Mr. Filch, and barred her from coming back to class until she will do the potions whichever way her wants her to," Lillah elaborated.

"You poor thing," Connie sympathized. "Detention with Filch! And with Quincy Franklin there, as well."

Spencer looked confused, "Why will Quincy Franklin be there?"

"Emily was just explaining that to us, but you drove her away."

Lindsay turned away from Spencer and focused on the three first years, "And he's not allowing you back into class? Can he really do that?" Jacklynn shrugged her shoulders. Neither Lillah nor Lavena had an answer either.

"Rachel Dumbledore said she'll talk to the headmaster for her," Lavena added. "I'm surprised she didn't get a detention, she certainly was... what was it Professor Snape said, insouciant?"

"That little girl from the train?" Padma Patil asked as she and Lisa Turpin sat down on the other side of the first year girls. "Insouciant? I'd never have characterized her as insouciant. Shy or quiet, sweet, something like that."

"You didn't see her in potions," Lillah said.

"I'm sure something will work out," Mariah comforted Jacklynn. "Meanwhile, I think we'd better give you a crash course in curses before your detention tomorrow night. With Quincy Franklin around, you're sure to need them."

"Mariah!" Spencer protested. "You can't be doing that, do you want to get her in more trouble?" he took a bite of food, chewed quickly, and began to speak again just as he had finished swallowing. "She'd never stand a chance against Quincy Franklin, anyway."

Connie glared at him, "Way to build her confidence there, Mr. Head Prefect."

"It's true, though," he defended himself. "I may not like the slimy asshole, but even I have to admit he's good at his curses and dueling. He's not Slytherin for nothing, you know..."

"He won't really curse me, will he?" Jacklynn squeaked.

"No, Mr. Filch won't let him," Padma answered. "If only because he's so bloody jealous he can't do it himself. You do know he's a squib, right?"

"Who? Quincy Franklin?" Spencer looked bewildered.

"No, you idiot," Mariah slapped at Spencer, but he ducked out of the way. "Mr. Filch."

Spencer wrinkled his nose in confusion, "How did I not know that?"

"Obviously, you're inferior," a boy's voice from beside Padma said. "Everyone and their mother knows that."

Padma turned to glare at the boy. He had olive colored skin, shaggy black hair that hung to his chin, and bright blue eyes. He smiled sweetly at her, but she continued to glare, "Do try to keep your opinions to yourself, Daniel. In situations such as this, no one cares to hear what you have to say."

He rolled his eyes, "I was just coming over here to see if anyone was up for a good prank, honestly." None of the other Ravenclaws looked particularly interested in what he had to say.

"Can't you control your cousin, Padma?" Connie asked.

Padma raised her hands in surrender, "Don't blame me for him! I didn't ask to be related to the little twerp!"

"Oh, honestly," Daniel moaned. "I come over here to try to include my housemates in a bit of fun, and this is the reaction I get. Are Fred and George Weasley the only people in this school who appreciate a good prank?"

"Some of us try to be serious from time to time," Connie glared at the younger boy. "You're in your fourth year now. You're going to have to shape up sometime!"

Daniel laughed, "I'm perfectly serious, when I need to be! I do have the best grades in my year, remember."

"A miracle, that is," Padma scolded him.

"Fine," he raised his hands in surrender. "I know when I'm not wanted. I'll just go back there and sit with Alayna. She's pretty cute, you know." He grinned and grabbed a piece of bread off the table, and then got up and scampered down to the other end of the table where his fellow fourth years were sitting.

Connie rolled her eyes, "He's a bloody menace. I think he's single-handedly lost Ravenclaw more points in his years here than the rest of the house combined."

"Maybe if we all voted to kick him out... then we could win the House Cup!" Mariah suggested.

"No," Padma protested. "Okay, so I may think he's annoying as all hell, too, but he is my cousin. And he's right about his grades, you know. Somehow he still manages to get done all he needs to, and wreak havoc on this place."

"Yeah, Jacklynn," Lindsay said. "If you want to find someone Professor Snape hates more than you, Daniel's the one. Hated him since before he even pulled his first prank, from what I hear."

"But he doesn't have detention," Jacklynn said.

"Oh, please," Padma laughed. "Daniel practically wrote the book on detention. A week doesn't go by that he doesn't get one. I think he's going for the record."

Lillah laughed, "There's a record?"

"Hear ye, hear ye!" they were interrupted by Mack Tanner's voice behind them. The group of students turned to see him standing behind Mariah and Jacklynn with Cowyn and Tomas Sebastian practically hanging off of him. "Quidditch tryouts will be held next Friday and Saturday," he held out a stack of parchment fliers and indicated for each of them to take one. "We are looking for two new beaters and a new keeper. All are welcome to come!"

"Terry Boot will definitely want to be trying out," Lisa commented.

"Will he now?" Padma asked suggestively.

Lisa nodded, "Yes, he... oh, shut up, Padma, surely you've heard him talking about it, too."

"I have," Padma agreed. "You're just too much fun to get all upset like that. And I do think you like him."

Lisa didn't deny it, but blushed bright red as Padma continued to grin as the others laughed around them.

To be continued...