Harry Potter and the Descent into Madness

Chapter 1: Doubt part 7

Oops! I forgot it was Saturday, until now. Two hours late, my time. Previously, Draco got into an argument with a Weasley girl, only to find someone else interrupt them, only for the stranger to collapse. Who is he and is he important to the plot? (Wait, that's a terrible question.) Who is he and who's side will he take in the war that is to come? (There. That's better.)

"Matthew!" The med mage exclaims, before taking the boy from me. She's elderly. Even after six years, I've never bothered to know her name. (Or at least, that's what my father would like me to say.)

"You know him?" Ginny asks.

"Of course," The med mage, Madame Pomphrey replies, curtly. "He's a regular patient."

"Is he that reckless?" Ginny asked.

"No," Madame Pomphrey sighs, "He's got a chronic condition."

Wizards could get chronic conditions, yes, but magic healed any regular old muggle condition. To my knowledge, there are no magical chronic conditions from which a human wizard could severely suffer. The boy, 'Matthew' coughs, "Are you Charlie's sister?"

Ginny blinks, a little reproachful, "Yes, I am. Call me-"

"Ginny, yes, I heard." He interrupts, wheezing slightly. "I just wanted to make sure. Your brother helped me a lot. I owe him. It's a pleasure to have a chance to get to know you as well."

"Don't try to talk, Matthew. You know it makes it worse." Madame Pomphrey interrupts. "Now, go back to your compartment, you two."

I quietly turn away, my eyes watching for a second longer as Ginny pats the boy on his knee, awkwardly, before turning towards me. I move away before Ginny notices.

I hadn't expected there to be so much fire in a Weasley.

Hogwarts

As I walk through the halls, I notice footsteps behind me. I turn, "Potter?"

He takes off his invisibility cloak, "You've joined them, haven't you, Malfoy?" His voice is low and calm. Something about his eyes or the way he said it made it seem threatening.

"I don't know what you mean, Potter,"

"I think you do." A voice behind me adds. I turn. A fourteen-year-old boy, with blonde hair, artfully placed around his round face, cold, violet-ish blue-ish eyes, and a small nose. "But that is not why we're here."

"Why then?" Another voice asks. Matthew walks past Potter to stand beside me. "I don't see how it's your business."

"Matthew, what are you doing here?" I ask quietly.

"I heard voices." He smiles, "You can call me Matt, by the way."

"We're going to take him down," Potter announces.

"Who?" I ask, louder than before.

"You-know-who, He-who-must-not-be-named, Lord Voldemort, Tom Riddle. Pick one." Potter says, without inflection.

"After that," The younger boy adds, "We'll be taking down the ministry of magic. They've killed, through neglect, too many."

Matt takes a sharp breath, "Wha-?"

"If you get in our way, Malfoy," Potter growls, "We'll get rid of you too."

"Petrificus totalus," I snap, firing my wand at Potter, before rushing at him, "You don't know anything, Potter. You don't have a prayer, not against the Dark Lord." Not even my father had a prayer against him.

"You'll see." The boy shrugs, walking towards Harry Potter and me, withdrawing his wand, "Benjamin Haiden, by the way."

"Matthew Gordon," Matt adds, politely as I flick the cloak over Harry. "You can call me Matt." Matt's fist moves in a blur, knocking out the boy. "Nice to meet you."

He grabs my arm and speedwalks away when Ginny and Luna appear. "Matthew, Malfoy, what was that about?" Ginny asks. "You just ..."

"There was something wrong with Benjamin's eyes," Matt replies solemnly.