When All is Lost One is Found

Chapter 39: A Know It All's Mind

When All is Lost, One is Found

Author: Rinoaebastel

Chapter 39: A Know It All's Mind

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and gain no profit from this fanfiction other than writing practice. JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.

AN: This story may contain scenes taken from the Harry Potter movies and books, but it's not exact dialogue, just rewording of dialogue or omission. It is not marked.

September 19th 1996

The great hall was crowded as breakfast appeared on the plates. He'd tried to come half an hour before to avoid the contact, but it was in vain. There was always a gluttonous student around. But if he had to label the worst of the worst, the brainless Weasley would win. He didn't have nearly the manners of his siblings, and from what he knew of Missus Weasley, she'd be appalled at the table manners. The boy munched with his mouth open, and talked before he swallowed. At least he didn't have to keep an eye on that table.

But he did anyway because there was only one person that interested him. The Gryffindor girl. She was still sitting alone and focusing on a book. She needed to make up with Potter and he wondered if she'd tried again or if it were Potter and Weasley that were stubborn and unforgiving no matter what she did or said.

Worrying now wasn't a priority. They still had time. The Dark Lord wouldn't move for now, not while Malfoy hadn't completed what he asked for. His eyes looked at the old man sitting in the center of the teacher's table. He still looked healthy outside but he knew the curse was spreading. He threw the napkin on the table. The feeling of letting him die doing nothing, angered him. And now he was going to be his executioner.

A mass of birds flying towards people interrupted the rage that threatened to consume him again. Some dropped things on the students' heads, others delivered them in a professional manner. The fun was in the ones being pecked at and the students who received howlers from parents.

His eyes went back to the Gryffindor table, searching the possibility that Potter suffered under the owls too. Instead, he found Granger holding a small package. She looked surprised at first, but then a small smile crossed her lips. Granger stood and started to walk away, probably to his classroom. She was hugging her package like it was the most precious thing in the world. But something was different today. Her face turned slightly and looked at Potter and Weasley as if she expected something to happen.

She waited at a small statue near them. The Weasley girl noticed and smiled at her, but the rest didn't acknowledge her.

He noticed how she lowered her head, having no other option than to resume her walking as she saw the rejection from her supposed friends.

And yet they call him a heartless bastard.

-/-/-

When he reached his potions classroom, his three students were already there.

He walked to the front of the room and faced the class. He crossed his arms and glared at them. The students were unfazed. Granger didn't look as unhealthy and tired as she had in previous classes. It seemed she was growing less affected by her friends' stupidity and whatever experience she had last year at the ministry.

"I have studied your potions and your essays. All of you have interesting theories but the results of what you did need testing. Unfortunately I can't start injuring students on purpose to test the potions, so from now on we'll start studying different types of poisons and venoms and learn how to treat them."