Chimaera of Judgement



CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX: Three On Five

After a night's debate, Albus decided to tell Rose about what happened behind the tapestry - everything except that Jezabel had wept. He didn't want to leave anything out, but it seemed to him that was Jezabel's private moment, and as such he didn't have the right to blab it all over the castle. Rose was, of course, taken aback by some of the things he'd learned.

"They flushed her toad?!" The fresh pear she'd been holding squirted from her hand as she squeezed it in appalled shock; there was a loud "plop!" when it landed in Daphne Lane's Weetabix. "But that's- that's inhumane, it's-"

"It's Slytherin," said Albus dully. "I don't care how often Dad says the Slytherins can be decent folk - none of them have ever turned out well."

"Well, I wouldn't go that far," said Rose fairly, tapping her chin with a pear juice-covered finger. "What about old Headmaster Snape? And Jezabel herself, for that matter."

"Hmm, fair points, both." Watching Scorpius Malfoy across the Great Hall, staring up and down his House table like a pallid king on his throne, he said, "But the rest of them... urgh, I wish there was something I could do, something that would really put it to rest."

She snorted. "Yeah. When you work out that miracle, let me know; I'd appreciate a front-row seat."

The following weekend brought yet another trip into Hogsmeade, which Albus was considering skipping entirely in the hopes of avoiding the misfortune that usually seemed to accompany these dates. He voiced this opinion to Rose the day before.

"Oh, for pity's sake! You sound like you've been offered the Defence position!"

"Name once we've gone into Hogsmeade this year that's turned out less than catastrophic!"

"That's beside the point," she pressed on as they added mashed beetle eyes to their cauldrons, glancing over at where Professor Dryden was shouting down Atticus Malkin for using belladonna instead of valerian, his cauldron causing such a painful screeching that between it and Dryden's admonitions they needn't even trouble keeping their voices down. "You can't believe it'll turn out the same, don't be such a superstitious lunkhead!"

"Superstitious, am I? The curse on the Defence position is real, isn't it?"

"Was real," she corrected him. "Do put things in the correct tense."

"You're right, I'm sorry - Professor Wojcik stayed on for two years, that's much longer than one!"

"But Professor Gwynne had been there before him for seven," she replied swiftly.

He scowled, knowing she had him and loathing it. "Splitting hairs." Her triumphant smile didn't endear her to him any more, either, but an epiphany stopped him from shoving her face-first into her cauldron. "Hey, there's a thought... yeah, why not, what could it hurt?"

"Couldn't hurt much if I don't hear it," she said with a smirk.

"Listen - I know it's kind of random, and last-minute, but... I feel like it's right, like we ought to."

Her silver knife swung dangerously in his direction as she began chopping up hellebore. "Are you ever going to tell me what it is, or just expect me to go along with you when it's already happening?"

"What if we asked Jezabel to tag along? I mean - for real this time, unlike when Scorpius caused the 'Fiasco' last term."

"Ask her to... wait a minute." Her knife hung in midair. "Why are we doing this?"

"We ought to," he reiterated. "She doesn't have a single friend in the whole castle; might be nice if we treated her like one."

"Okay, look." With maddening care, she set her knife aside gently and turned to look at him, hands folded in her lap. "Yes, the wispy little thing is friendless, and yes, it's terrible that they keep picking on her, but... why are we supposed to take her under our wing? If she wanted friends, she might try talking to us once in a while."

"But she's learned not to do that," he whispered, for their teacher had finally ceased the noisy potion with a wave of his wand. "I'll bet she used to try chatting up her Housemates all the time before they told her she was a waste of space."

"And we're suddenly opening a Slytherin Rehabilitation Clinic? Al, she doesn't want us to bother her, why are you forcing the issue?"

"Ahem."

Sensing the word "detention" in their near future, Albus peered up into Dryden's face, bracing for impact.

"What an amusing idea... a 'Slytherin Rehabilitation Clinic', did you call it?" Their hearts sank yet further as he sneered. "I may have to recommend it to the Headmistress. You'll be ironing out the details during your detention a week from tomorrow, I trust?"

Never before had Albus wished his instincts were wrong quite so fervently.

o o o

"You're barking!"

"Get out of it, will you? I'm going."

"No, think about this for a - AL!"

Jezabel was more or less shocked when Albus approached her from across the common room, rather a lot of colour in his cheeks - perhaps because she'd thought herself to be mostly hidden by the stack of books in front of her on the table. As he stared down at her, she began to grow steadily pinker in reaction to his pinkness, but as conditions could only deteriorate more rapidly the longer they stared at each other, he hastily cleared his throat.

"Jezabel, I wanted to ask- w-well, that is, I... I was wondering if you'd like to come and hang out with Rose and me in Hogsmeade tomorrow." If he knew without question that he were standing, why did he feel as if he were on bended knee?

"Oh?" She swallowed noisily, trying to put the enormous tome she'd been reading down on the table without paying attention. She missed by a few inches, and it fell to the floor with a loud THUMP! "Oh, I- you're- and we would- what, why?"

"Why?" Just when he needed it, his brain had deserted him. "What d'you... I dunno, for er, ahh... well, because there's nothing else to do, is there? Come on, it'll be fun!" he finished blandly.

He had been hoping she wouldn't glance past him, but she did; following her gaze between his own body and the teetering mountain of homework, he caught Rose giving the both of them a lukewarm smile. When she returned her attentions to Albus, she asked, "Was this... her idea, or yours?"

"Idea? What do you mean? I just thought-"

"Albus," she sighed, now gazing glumly at the floor. "You don't have to. I'm okay, okay?"

"No, that's not- really, I want you to come! Don't you?"

"To be honest... no." Another fleeting look up at him through her ever-present hair. "I believe I've had quite enough of Hogsmeade for this decade."

This had him dumbfounded - perhaps he hadn't envisioned her leaping at the chance, but she seemed to think him outright foolish for asking. "B-but-"

"Thank you, though," she said quietly, bending down to pick up her book. "It... I'm glad you said something, and- but-"

She never bothered to finish her sentence; giving him a brief wave, she drifted away up into the girls' dormitories.

"I told you not to," Rose hissed as she rejoined him.

"Shut up."

"It's obvious to me she's not ready to mingle with the masses, but do you listen? No, of course not, you have to start chucking olive branches at every-"

His throat suddenly decided to increase its volume tenfold. "FINE! You were right, okay?! I shouldn't have bothered! The great and powerful Rosie spake, and thus the mortals were wowed by her uncanny perception of Albus's great honking stupidity! I'm sorry I ever thought I could reach out to a fellow Gryffindor! Happy now?!"

The way she gaped at him, shocked that he'd blown up at her like that, only made him want to do it again. Fuming, he turned on heel and stormed off to his own room, swearing he'd either find some way to convince Jezabel that his intentions were pure or else hit Rose with a well-placed hex in the morning.

o o o

"Al, come on, wait, will you?"

Albus only quickened his pace, flying down the front steps and onto the soaked, chilly lawns. "Wait for who? Her royal Roseness? Sorry, but until you've handed down an official decree-"

"Damn it, will you just let me apologise and stop acting like a prat?!"

In Albus's opinion, Rose's idea of an apology did often turn out to be rather absurd, now being no exception. "Excuse me?"

"I... I shouldn't have been giving you so much grief over this, mate," she said miserably. "You are trying too hard, you know, but your reasons are - oh, why in Merlin's name was I trying to stop you being someone's friend? That's a worthy cause if ever there was one, and I've been acting like a baby about the whole thing, and I'm sorry."

"I don't believe it."

She stamped her booted foot. "Al, please - you know I can't stand it when you're cross with m-"

"What? No, I mean - Jezabel."

The tangled mane and secondhand cloak were visible even at their distance. The way Jezabel's head continuously moved from side to side told Albus that she wasn't there by coincidence, and the nearby Mr Urran kept giving her suspicious looks, as if she were planning some great coup that only he could thwart. This began to feel all too familiar to Albus, and he struggled with a nervous lump in his throat - surely she didn't think this to be a date? Impossible, he had said Rose would be there - but then again, maybe she thought they had a chaperon, as in days long past. That was a thought he immediately wished did not exist anymore.

When she noticed, also, Rose's disbelieving comment brought him back to the present. "Blimey, she- she showed."

"Imagine that," said Albus with a nasty glare in his cousin's direction; she sighed wearily.

"I said I was sorry, okay?"

"Yeah, well, we'll see how nice you are to her today."

"How what?" Then her eyes widened, and she took a step back. "Oh, no. No no no, I'm not-"

"Rose!"

"I don't get on with her like you do!" she said, eyes moving again to where the newest Gryffindor was waiting for them. "Maybe you're picturing some beautiful day where the three of us tiptoe through tulips or whatever, but... I just don't know how to talk to her, what on earth are we going to talk about?"

"Try and pretend she's another human being; it'll come to you." He opted not to wait for Rose's reply and marched right over to Jezabel without another moment's hesitation; she had spotted them, anyway.

"Um." At least she'd spoken.

"Morning, Jezabel. Fancy seeing you out here!" He wished this hadn't distinctly sounded like he were fishing for answers, but he got them, either way. The girl was shaking from head to toe, clearly at her wit's end and fighting the urge to flee for the relative safety of the castle.

"I... I've changed my mind, Albus, I'd like to- to- unless you've changed yours?"

"Of course not," he laughed. "We'd better get into the queue."

"Rose Weasley-" It became painfully apparent that Jezabel was not remotely as comfortable speaking with Rose; he should have noticed this before, but only when she regarded his cousin as if she were the manifestation of her personal boggart did it sink in. "A-a-and you don't mind?"

His green eyes attempted to bore into her blue ones, but to his relief and satisfaction, it wasn't necessary. When Rose saw how afraid Jezabel was of her at that moment, she melted, smiling widely and saying, "Why should I? You are a fellow Gryffindor, after all."

"Oh, good," she sighed, staring at her feet for a moment as she released all the extra courage she'd mustered to propel them outside. "So, er... the queue, yes."

Much to Albus's annoyance, however, they came to stand directly behind Ryan Macmillan and Puerilis Logan, both of whom talked and acted as if they had Galleons to burn down in the village. They were lucky enough to remain unnoticed for quite some time, but just as they drew close enough to watch the caretaker's quill scratching away at his checklist, Logan happened to turn to look back at the castle and saw them.

"Well, look what the kneazle's coughed up," he said with a smirk. Ryan grinned widely.

"Oh, hello there, Albus! Up and at 'em this morning, is it? Far cry from last Thursday; nearly missed Defence altogether, didn't we?"

Albus returned the smirk with interest. "How perceptive of you, Logan. Do you usually notice things right next to you ten minutes after they've happened?"

"You didn't notice us, either," said Logan, defiant as he was mistaken.

"Yeah, we did," Rose spoke up. "Just didn't think it worth mentioning."

They heard laughing from behind them; all five turned to find Wayne Elphinstone and Traquilius Thomas had both been listening. "Hey, guys," Albus said, trying not to betray how stunned he was at finding out he was clueless as Logan to his surroundings. "When did you get here?"

"A moment ago," said Tranky breezily. "Looks like we're to be the last ones out."

"Not many people going into the village today," Wayne agreed.

"Well, it'll be O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s, won't it?" said Ryan confidently, crossing his arms over his chest. "Not that I'm worried, but a lot of the students are probably staying behind to get in a bit more homework and studying. Only a few months left, now."

"Thanks so much for reminding us," came Rose's biting tones. "Like we don't get it from all sides in classes."

"You know I'm right."

She shrugged. "Doesn't make you any more personable. Your turn."

Ryan blinked, whirling to find the students in front of him had disappeared and Mr Urran was tapping his foot. He apologised sheepishly.

"What a maroon," hissed Rose as they dawdled to avoid following Ryan and Logan too closely. "A good kick in the bum might be just the thing... yeah."

"Forget them," Albus sighed. "Maybe he's right, though - should we be inside studying for O.W.L.s? I mean, it sounds like the furthest thing from a good time, but-"

"Nah, don't think we really need to instigate the panic attacks until after Easter."

"Guess you're right; why break our backs this early?" He kicked a rock along the path, and it skipped into a puddle. "Wish I knew what to expect, though; how are the examinations handled? What subjects are they going to cover? Dryden might string me up by my earlobes if I fail his!"

"Well, they'll test you on Strengthening Solutions," said Jezabel thoughtfully. "Likely the Draughts of Peace, Invigoration and-or Befuddlement. The theory will probably be much as you expect, inches of quill-scratching, but for the practical it could be one of any-"

"Oh!" said Albus suddenly, making her yelp and lapse into silence. "That's right, I'd forgotten - you're a sixth-year, you've already taken O.W.L.s!"

"Er... y-yes. I'm sorry."

Rose had scarcely caught on to his enthusiasm when she halted in the middle of the lane. "Oh, right, it- wait, why are you sorry?"

She stared at her as if unexpectedly asked to milk a giraffe. "Weren't you going to say it's unfair that I must only take normal end-of-term exams this June?"

"No," Albus replied slowly. "I was going to say you'd know what we're up against. I mean, if you're not allowed to talk about it or someth-"

"No, no, don't be silly!" Her relief was so complete she laughed as she spoke, and Albus grinned; it was heartening to see her do that now and again. "Well, let's see - you'll want to bone up on your Wit-Sharpening Potion. Professor Dryden reviewed that with us near the start of Winter term and I hadn't cut my ginger roots fine enough, so he docked Gryffindor ten points and gave me a zero."

Both of their jaws dropped. "He did what?!" said Rose incredulously. "But that's mental, such a little thing!"

"You think he overreacted?"

"It'll be because she switched Houses, I bet," said Albus, clenching his fists. "He's trying to sabotage her performance now she's not one of his precious Slytherins!"

The broad topics of how unfairly rigorous O.W.L.s are and their Potions Master's vindictive actions lasted the three of them over an hour as they passed between Honeydukes and Gladrags, eventually ending in Dervish and Banges, where Rose bought herself a few rolls of parchment and Albus examined a large barrel of irregular Gobstones (on sale that week). Throughout their shopping in the village, he became acutely aware that Jezabel didn't seem as interested in buying things as they were, and tended to put things back exactly how and where they'd come from, as if afraid she might break the item and have to pay for it. Deep in the recesses of his mind, Albus had been holding on to a feeble, optimistic notion that Jezabel dressed the way she did as a kind of fashion statement, but there was no longer any denying that she simply had no pocket money.

"Is it difficult, doing it by yourself?" Albus was asking as they set off for the Three Broomsticks. "I've only ever done Side-Along."

"Very," came Jezabel's honest response. "But once you've managed it, the slope is steep; I've Apparated nearly every time since the third or fourth day."

Rose looked as if she was only asking because she couldn't stand not knowing. "Ever get... well, y'know... splinched?"

"Once - left my arm behind. It... er, I won't say it was fun, but once Professor Flitwick fixed it back on-"

"Oh, look sharp, everyone, we're in for a treat! It's Pouter, Measley, and the turncoat herself, all in one spot! Anyone know a good spell to make the earth open up and swallow them whole?"

It appeared the Hogsmeade Curse, the very one Rose had said was of dubious validity, would not be so easily conquered. Timothy Goyle, Genevieve Nott, Atticus Malkin and Chester Pucey all chortled at Scorpius Malfoy's words as if this was their only allotted time to laugh for the entire month, and Genevieve even went so far as to stick her tongue out at them.

Albus felt the bottom fall out of his stomach. Facing off against any of the Slytherins would have sent his blood boiling instantly (with less and less provocation every time), but now there was another factor, and he did not want that factor caught in the crossfire of their ongoing insult war. Worse yet, if wands were drawn the battle would be three on five, and he wasn't sure they could survive that. Unfortunately, he saw no ready way to get Jezabel out of there. He longingly wished they were all of age and capable of Apparating as he tried to think of any scathing remark that might catch them off guard.

"Malfoy," Rose was saying as distastefully as she could manage.

"At least you haven't been Confunded," he barked. "Wouldn't be any fun rubbishing you if you couldn't even understand what I'm saying - oh, sorry, you have got old Scurvy-Grass with you."

"What are you on about, Scorpy?" said Albus. "Her marks must be running rings around yours - or aren't you the one with nine Trolls and a Dreadful?"

"Don't," came Jezabel's tiny whisper in his ear. "Please, I- doesn't matter, you needn't-"

"What's she saying, there?" asked Genevieve, arms folded. "Thanking you for making room for her in your, ahh, 'Clinic' when she turned on us like the treacherous wench she is?"

"You mean when she escaped from the mouldy basement to a real House?" said Rose mildly. "Because it seems to me she's not ugly or thick enough for Slytherin."

Though Goyle flexed his fists threateningly and Malkin's hands came out of their pockets, Scorpius merely laughed. "What do you mean, she's not ugly? We're standing right here, and it's not as if that slimy thing is invisible!"

"You are standing right here, aren't you?" snapped Albus, glowering at him as Jezabel seemed to shrink in size. "'Here' happens to be in our way, so get out of it - and get bent, while you're at it."

None of them were laughing anymore. Genevieve Nott looked as if she'd been socked in the stomach. "What gives you the right to talk to us like that?"

Rose grinned darkly. "It's a brand new invention; some call it 'rectitude', but it's more commonly known as 'not being gits'."

And they were armed - everyone but Jezabel, who hung back, biting the tips of her fingers and apparently unsure if this were really happening. Albus found himself wishing she'd lend a hand, as they were about to be hexed in a most thorough manner, but how could she? The pitiable girl had never before thought to fight back when they picked on her, and this sort of situation must seem very familiar after five and a half years. Hoping his actions wouldn't be noticed, he tried to inch in front of her.

"Say that again," said Pucey in a low voice.

"Sure thing," Rose snarled; Albus would have tried to put her off it except he knew by now she was far too angry to be deterred. "Slytherin House and all its inhabitants are nothing but a load of pathetic, short-wanded, greasy, fetid, opportunistic, worthless, gormless, bottom-feeding, knuckle-dragging GITS!"

There was no way of knowing how many incantations were spoken, for they were all shouted at once and collided to form such din that individual spells were indistinguishable. Bodies went flying, some wands as well, lights flashed - and in the midst of it all, a sprinkling of muddy water rained down on the lot of them.

Albus straightened at last, a funny feeling in his left leg. Where had everyone gone? Genevieve Nott was lying atop Scorpius, perhaps trying to shield him; Chester Pucey was nowhere to be seen; Atticus Malkin had come to be underneath the considerable mass of Timothy Goyle, and Albus couldn't help but feel sorry for him, there. With all enemies accounted for, that just left his friends.

Rose sat up, eyes crossed. A duck was sitting on her head, pecking at her viciously, and after a moment she reached overhead to bat it away. "Gerroff me, birdbrain!"

"Rose, are you all right?"

"I guess," she gasped, taking his outstretched hand and rising unsteadily, the duck still attacking her ankles. "Feel sort of dazed, but I suppose that'll pass. What about you, what happened?"

"Dunno, but my leg feels weird... where's Jez-"

But as they had done months ago outside the Trophy Room, both cousins spotted her in the same moment; her mess of tangled hair and the heels of her well-worn shoes were the only things visible, as she was lying face-down in a deep, murky puddle. She did not stir.

END Chapter Twenty-Six