50 Ch50. Dinner annoyances

It was finally evening and Hadrian dragged bemused Dora to the Great Hall, straight towards Susan.

He sat down opposite the girl who gave him a bashful smile and curiously peeked at Dora as she played with her fork.

"Hi, Susan. This is Dora Tonks. Dora this is Susan Bones." He introduced them as the two girls nodded at each other.

"Getting new friends Harry, I see." Dora teased, nudging his shoulder as he rolled his eyes at her and ignored her in favor of the pancakes on the table.

Inside, Dora was quite uncomfortable. She didn't know... no, actually, she didn't want to acknowledge the reason. She was somewhat aware she held some affection towards Hadrian but... it was quite hard to admit it to herself. He was much too young!

Dora was sad and angry at herself for feeling like that. Worst of all, she would have to ask for advice from her freaking mother! The woman that named her Nymphadora for laughs and giggles! Ah, she could already feel the teasing, probably should start picking an appropriate shovel for digging herself a hole too!

Susan was wondering about the older girl next to Hadrian and pondered if she will also become her friend with an inquisitive expression.

"Oh, Susan, was it? Fancy joining us in the library during the evenings? It's kind of Harry's and my ritual to study there near to each other. I find his presence quite calming." Dora wiggled her eyebrows at the younger girl, and as the Puff she was, she tried to shrug her uglier thoughts off by being friendly.

Susan looked at Dora, smiling gratefully but then she threw Hadrian a questioning look. Unfortunately, to his annoyance, Dora quickly spotted it.

"Oooh! Would you look at that! The girl is asking him for approval with her eyes!" She mischievously grinned at Hadrian. "Harry, I didn't know you are so close to each other!"

Hadrian groaned as his immediate Puff-overfilled surroundings burst into snickers at his predicament around while Susan wanted to hide in a hole.

He shot Dora a reproachful look, noting her sheepish expression as she also saw Susan's reaction. But before he could chastise her, he heard an even more annoying voice calling him.

"Harry, mate, what are you doing among the duffers! Come and sit with me!"

He turned around and deadpanned at the youngest Weasley male, throwing a look at the twins who just gaped with wide-eyes at their brother's stupidity. He just insulted every Puff right at their table. The entirety of the Hufflepuff table was now glaring at the clueless brother of theirs. Unfortunately for him, they had no intention of getting him out of that predicament.

Hadrian was about to lash out at Ron when yet another annoying voice yet again interrupted him as a blond ponce approached, his two goons right behind him, trying to appear menacing.

"Weasley, let the Potter be. A barmy Potter among the house of useless? It is almost poetic. You on the other hand," Draco sneered in disgust as he saw the blotches on Ron's robe and his scruffy appearance, "are typical Weasley, dirty and stupid."

Hadrian gave one last longing look to his pancakes as he clutched Dora's hand tightly, preventing her from cursing Draco while Susan was holding her tears at the insults hurled at her house.

'Sigh, I will have to readjust her attitude.' He thought as his eyes brushed through her expression.

He turned to face Draco as Ron shouted his reply.

"And what would you know Malfoy! You are just a filthy snake!" He smugly looked at Draco, expecting applause or something for his witty remark.

Hadrian sighed in exasperation and opened his mouth but then a dry drawl joined the 'debate', sending his declining mood to negatives.

"Weasley, breaking the rules are we? That will be ten points from Gryffindor for calling names." Snape, as if right on time, appeared at that moment.

Hadrian understood then. It was not that Draco is stupid. He did not come charging forward, loudly jeering at everybody. Of course, the boy who was unofficial leader of Slytherins of his year had to have at least a smudge of cunning. He charged forward because he knew Snape had his back.

"As for Potter," Snape turned to him impassively. "you just could not suffer not being in the middle of attention, could you? Twenty points from Hufflepuff for instigating a fight." He said, almost happily. It was then that Hadrian saw him throw a quick pondering look at Nymphadora, his expression in extreme conflict but a glint of acceptance and... lust flashing through his eyes.

Hadrian had to hold himself from throwing the creepy bat through the Great Hall back into his seat but Snape made it easy for him when he again turned to him with a sneer.

"Nothing to say for yourself? Hmm, Potter?"

Hadrian felt the mind probe as he answered in deadpan.

"I wonder if I could finally eat in peace, Professor."

But his mind leaked his 'thoughts' to Snape quite loudly.

'Wow, this perverted idiot really hates me, doesn't he? I never thought I would see such a manchild teaching. Well, with magic, everything is possible, I guess. I just hope his knowledge is sufficient to teach at least the first years... He sure as hell doesn't look it, though.'

"Potter you cheeky little...!" Snape's face contorted in rage.

But he was unable to continue as he heard quite a loud 'Hem, Hem' behind him. Snape schooled his expression and impassively turned around but minutely flinched as he saw the fierce look on Professor Sprout's scowling face.

"Professor Snape, I would advise you to leave, your point deductions are hereby voided. I hope this will not repeat. I won't stand for you bullying my badgers. If you have any problem we can always inform the Board of Governors and discuss it among ourselves." She told him with extreme calm, contrasting her angry protective stare.

Snape blanched, throwing a glance at Dumbledore but found no support there.

'I am sorry Severus, my boy. You brought this on yourself.' Dumbledore thought sadly.

He was aware he couldn't get into another public scandal after Mrs. Weasley and supporting a teacher bullying students, well... Let's just say it was way too different from unknowingly 'allowing' it to occur under his nose.

With gritted teeth, Snape left as Professor Sprout turned to Draco and Weasley, her eyes unusually cold.

"As for you, both of your houses will lose twenty points for inappropriate behavior. Insulting your classmates is in no way proper. Now, go back to your tables." She ordered, sending Hadrian into bewilderment as he did not expect any teacher to actually know that allowing bullying is NOT an acceptable teaching method.

'Looks like not all teachers are completely mentally inept due to the natural influence of magic.' He mused.

Albeit reluctantly both boys obeyed as Draco scurried away with a scowl muttering about daddies and whatnot while Ron was dragged by his twin brothers with an incomprehensible face as if he did not understand the situation.

Hadrian was quite curious at that and used his perception, noting the boy's magic was muddled.

'Hm? Some kind of influencing magic, perhaps?' He wondered.

It almost mave sense. The Weasley boy stared at him quite a lot but never approached. He also doubted the kid was an idiot. Stupid, yes. Mannerless, yes. But full-blown idiotic to insult the entire house to their faces? No. Hadrian suspected the potion, spell, or whatever influenced the kid had to have some intelligence-lowering effects while it was coursing through his body.

Quite frankly, Ronald Weasley was like a rocket. Unless you set him in a certain direction while making him all fired up for his goal, he was harmless. Yes, he was an ordinary bigoted git without manners but would never approach a Puff, of all people, by himself. He was too biased for that.

"Thank you, Professor Sprout!" The entirety of the Puff table exclaimed at once.

And while Hadrian found it cringey and embarrassing he couldn't smile at the camaraderie of Puffs.

Nevertheless, he didn't forget the look Snape threw at Dora, nor did he miss Malfoy calling him Barmy in front of the middle of the student-filled Great Hall. At least the defeated expression Dumbledore showed as he watched Ron leaving Hufflepuff's table was reinvigorating.

'Oh, no worries, I will have my revenge.' Hadrian thought.