Of Monsters, Of Men

Chapter 14

First Term

The wars only grew worse through September.

On September 27, the headline from the Daily Express read, "GERMANY, ITALY, JAPAN SIGN PACT; NEW ALLIANCE PLEDGES ITSELF TO FIGHT AS COMMON ENEMY ANY NEW NATION THAT GOES TO WAR FOR BRITAIN, CHINA."

The Luftwaffe had been consecutively and continually bombing London for the last three weeks, and it didn't seem that it would stop anytime soon.

Harry wordlessly handed the newspaper to Tom, who snatched it and skimmed it in its entirety.

"Here, read this," Tom said at last, looking troubled as they walked to their first class with Professor Yates.

The Daily Prophet continued to report many of the same things: high-profile political assassinations prevailed in spite of increased security measures. Grindelwald was unstoppable, having already overthrown most of Europe. Magical Britain was the last European country actively fighting against him.

Yet, Harry wondered why Grindelwald hadn't begun a full scale invasion of Britain. He had the ability to infiltrate the warded island and massacre everyone, but he chose to pick off the British wizarding government one by one. The names were too many to count; Head of the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes Noah Haynes, Head Obliviator Cooper Rice, leader of the Magical Law Enforcement Squad Bob Ogden, and multiple outspoken Anti-Grindelwald Wizengamot members, including Lord Adrian Macmillan, uncle of Hufflepuff fifth-year Aletes Macmillan, and Lady Genevieve Abbott.

It would have just been easier to bomb the Ministry to bits and kill the survivors. He'd be done with it then, Harry thought.

Of course, it was possible Grindelwald wanted to inspire fear, but he was already infamous when he began toppling mainland European governments like dominos, starting with Magical Poland. Nothing about his current course of action made sense.

What is he waiting for?

Harry blinked as he saw Professor Yates ushering the students inside. Oh, we're here already.

He resolved the matter in his head for another time. Inside, he slipped the newspapers into his bag after sitting in his assigned seat. From his vantage point, he noticed that Marya Giles was making "shy" peeks over her shoulder, sneaking glances at Tom. Her mousy brown hair whipped his way and that, and Harry internally scowled in disgust.

Girls and their crushes.

It was something Harry liked to pretend didn't exist, that Tom wasn't the most handsome in their grade, that he didn't attract longing looks this way and that in the hallways. No one had asked Tom out yet, but Harry knew it was a matter of time.

He blinked and realized that he was frowning when mini taps poked his knee. He hadn't felt this angry for so long.

Why was this the thing that drew him out of his detachment? (And what did it say about him?)

"Students, partner with your groups," Professor Yates said.

Earlier that year, Professor Yates had assigned them to a yearlong group of four students for classwork purposes. Harry turned to face the Ravenclaws and Avery, who sat diagonally to his front right. Thankfully, Avery had not tried any tricks so far because Harry had the tactical advantage of sitting behind him. And there were the two Ravenclaws sitting around them. (Ravenclaws were notorious for being snitches.)

The Ravenclaw to his right began, "So, I think that—"

Harry tuned him out as Marya Giles dropped her quill onto the floor. Ever the gentleman, Tom reached down at the same time she did to pick it up. Their hands brushed together, and Giles lowered her head, a pinkish blush blossoming across her pale cheeks.