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Chapter Thirteen

Harry finally calmed Hermione down, and they returned to their studies. They worked in silence until Hermione finally shut her books and announced, "Well, we better head back for the common room before curfew."

Harry agreed and nudged Neville, who was dozing with his cheek on his desk. "Neville. Wake up."

"Huh? ... Oh, damn, sorry. I finished my essay and just dozed off, I guess." Neville rubbed at the mark sleeping on a book had left on his face.

Hermione just took his hand and hauled him out the door. Harry followed after with a slight smile on his face. Hermione was a formidable girl, smart, stubborn and opinionated. But she was beginning to learn the basics of sociability, at last.

They split up in the common room, Hermione headed for her room, while Neville and Harry climbed the stairs to theirs.

Mrs. Norris scampered up with them, dodging Neville's stumbling feet.

Ron, hearing the clatter, stuck his head out of his bed curtains to say, "Hi! Tell Granger that I tried that spell. Works like a charm. Ol' Norris sniffed my bed, then turned right around and went back down the stairs. Brilliant. She still likes Seamus' bed though. Night." and with that he pulled his curtains shut.

Harry pushed Neville toward his bed. "Go to sleep, you can shower and all that in the morning. After our workout."

Neville groaned a bit at that, but obediently stripped down to his boxers and crawled into his bed. Harry followed, but sat up, reading, until after three. He had slept nearly five hours yesterday, and wasn't a bit sleepy now.

.

Breakfast the next morning was interesting, in a way. Harry found out that everyone freaked out at the mention of the name 'Voldemort'.

"Hermione, does Voldemort ..." Harry didn't get any farther. Ron gasped as if he'd slapped the Queen. A first year fainted and two third years burst into tears. "Holy fuck! Nani? Nan da kor'ya? Anata wa kureijīda?"

Hermione just sighed, "English, Yusuke."

Yusuke just snarled at her wordlessly.

Neville said, with remarkable calm, "We don't use his name. Most wizards say, He Who Must Not Be Named or You Know Who."

Yusuke snorted. "Chicken shits, the lot of you. If you're scared of his name, what are you going to do if you're actually faced with the baka."

Hermione muttered, "Wet themselves, most likely."

Ron turned so pale that his freckles stood out like shit on a fence. "Um... die?"

Yusuke turned such a fierce glower on him that he cringed.

"Baka!"

Hermione just patted him on the arm. "Never mind. They're all like that ... or worse. You'll just get upset, hot and sweaty before class. Here. Have some tea."

Yusuke forced himself to calm down. It wouldn't do to lose his temper here. His father wouldn't like it. And he knew better than to lose his temper to no good purpose.

"Ok, fine. Idiots. Really, are they all crazy?"

"No, just scared. It's really pathetic. Grown men and women screaming and cringing at a name. And a made up one at that. I mean Voldemort? Really!"

Harry translated from his nearly non-existent French into Japanese and got, "Fart? How is that scary? Other than if Kuma eats Natto and drinks beer."

Hermione nearly hurt herself, laughing. Neville just waited for it.