I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up to No Good

[alt_terry]

I don't know what to do.

Dean Thomas had Transfiguration with the second year Slytherins yesterday. It's been just awful to watch, all of Dean's spells turning to mud, again and again. He tries to not to let it show that it's bothering him, but it must. The Slytherins jeered at him through the entire lesson, not even bothering to keep their voices down by the end--well, most of them were. A few weren't. Pansy Parkinson didn't. And Sally-Anne Perks turned around and glared like anything at that Vincent Crabbe when he was guffawing about it.

The thing is, I watched Master real carefully through the whole class, and I'm almost sure it's him that's making all of Dean's spells go so wrong. He never called on Dean unless he was behind his desk, with his hands kept out of sight. Except once, when he was way over to one side of the class room, and then he held his wand behind his back. I was way over to the side, too, because I'd been handing out props, and I watched Master instead of Dean when Dean tried the spell. Master flicked his wand, just a little, right when Dean said the incantation.

I can't tell Dean. I still haven't even answered his note. Still don't know whether it's even safe to write back to him. I'm afraid to tell the Headmistress, or Madam Pomfrey. What would Master do to me if they tell him I've made an accusation like that?

Dean will have Transfiguration next on Thursday with the second year Gryffindors, and I guess nothing much can be done about that. But when he has it on Monday again with the Slytherins. . . I dunno, Hermione, do you think you could maybe drop a hint to Harry Marvolo? You trust him enough that he wouldn't let on that it came from me, would he? Because if he watches Master on Monday and catches him at it, Master can hardly get him into as much trouble for reporting the truth, right?

Comments

[alt_hermione]

I hate to say it but I don't think there's anything you can do, Terry. I'll try to drop a hint to Harry only I don't know if he'll do anything. I mean he might want to, but I don't think that he will. You didn't live with him all summer. Harry's really scared of his Father, Terry. I mean he loves him, but not like I love loved my Daddy. I mean Daddy wouldn't have ever hurt me. But I think sometimes Harry thinks his Father is going to hurt him. I don't think he would, though. I don't know why.

Anyway, so I think that Harry might not do anything. But I'll tell him.

[alt_terry]

Well, I sure understand what it's like to be afraid of someone all the time.

Thing is, I was hoping he could do something because Master'd think twice about calling the Lord Protector's son a liar, if Harry did say anything. Without exactly bringing the Lord Protector into it Himself, you understand.

I don't know. Well, if Harry'll do something to help, that would be great. If he won't I'll try to think of something else.

The thing is, I think Master wants Dean gone. Not just kicked out of the school, but actually sent back to the camps. I heard him muttering the other night about how he should be scrubbing shit out of bedpans like the rest of filth like him. (Sorry about the language, Hermione, but that's what he said.) He hates Dean like poison, just because he was, well, one of us, you know. But Dean escaped. Master doesn't want any mudblood to escape, ever, or to even dream that it's possible. But Dean did, and now that he's supposed to get the sort of respect a real Hogwarts student gets, it just sticks in Master's throat.

I guess Master's just bound and determined to prove, 'once a mudblood, always a mudblood.'

(Sorry, Fred and George. I know you don't like me using that word. But that's the way that Master thinks.

[alt_gredforge]

He's such a git.

We can't think of anything else to help Dean, but if we do figure something out, then we'll let you know. We'll put the entire Weasley brain trust to work thinking of solutions.

There's not much else we can do right now, but we will find something to do to help him. Never you fear.