In the Melancholy Moonlight

Chapter XI: You're a Good Detective

LUCY:

"What is it, Hermione?"

"I have a question for you, but I don't want anyone else to hear it."

"Oh. Alright." My mind raced as I wondered what could possibly be this important. We had nearly reached the courtyard when I heard a muffled "Depulso!" followed by a thud. I wrenched my arm free from Hermione's grip and drew my wand, rushing toward the source of the sound without a second thought.

"Lucy, wait!" she squawked indignantly from behind me, but I rounded the bend just in time to see Archie lifting himself onto an elbow. When he heard my footsteps, he turned around and shot me a wry grin.

"Hey, Diggory. You just missed the show."

"Are you alright?" I asked, kneeling next to him.

"Yeah, nothing new," he said, grimacing as he rubbed his shoulder. "Just landed awkwardly that time."

"Nothing new? That time? Hold still, I'll fix it while you explain."

"Draco knows I can beat him in a duel now, so he's been sending older kids after me every time I say something he doesn't like."

"So pretty often," I deduced. I pointed my wand at his shoulder. "Episkey!"

"Thanks, that helps. I'm sick of going to the Hospital Wing for everything. Fortunately, this time I didn't end up with a sea urchin growing on my hand."

"How did you end up in a house with all of those bullies?"

"They're not all bad," he said as he rose to his feet. "Just most of them."

"Sounds like you've made a friend."

He smiled, somewhat dreamily. "Something like that."

"Happy to hear it. What's she like?"

"How'd you know she's a she?"

'The look on your face."

"Her name's Cam, er, well, Cameron. Cameron Rivera. Nobody in our house really likes her either. Her mom works in the Muggle Liasion Office at the Ministry and her dad's an Auror who's busted some of the kids' parents and sent them to Azkaban."

"You sound like quite the team," I remarked wryly.

He nodded. "We got... well, adopted, for lack of a better word, by a group of Hufflepuffs. They let us hang out in their common room when things are too hostile in the dungeons. Your brother's really hard to beat at chess, by the way. He's sharp as a Knarl quill."

"Yeah, he is. I'm glad you've found a sanctuary of sorts. You know you can always come find me too, right?"

"I could, but something tells me your brethren in red wouldn't exactly want two green-clad folks in their common room."

"Well, at least with me, you're always welcome."

"Thanks, Diggory, and thanks for the help. I should probably go find Cam before I get attacked again."

"Not a problem. See you in Potions in... well, a few minutes."

He laughed as he walked away. I walked back to Hermione, who had taken in the whole interaction from a distance with her eyes wide.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Nothing," she said after a moment, shaking her head.

"Surprised to meet a nice Slytherin?"

"I guess. Has he really been being attacked by his own house?"

I nodded. "One of the very first times we talked, he told me he wanted to dismantle the system of blood purity relating to superiority. It doesn't make him very popular, and it sounds like Cam isn't terribly popular either."