Andrea had been buried by books in the library trying to keep up with all of the homework the teachers were piling onto the fifth years’ plates. It didn’t help Andrea’s concentration any that she was thinking about Neal Thatcher, George Weasley and Harry Potter.

Harry’s detentions had already made his first week back at Hogwarts pretty miserable. Potions on Thursday didn’t help either. It seemed that Snape only had to glance for a moment at the essay he’d assigned Harry to decipher that it wasn’t very good.

After he’d collected all of the assignments, he stood at the front of the class, seemingly scrutinizing the Gryffindors and admiring the Slytherins in the same look. Settling immediately into silence, the class awaited today's instructions. “Today,” he said in a cool voice, “We’ll attempt something terribly easier than the Draught of Peace, since some of you were so dismally able to scrape that out during our previous lesson. The Draught of Mediation is a potion in the same family as the Draught of Peace, and hopefully some of you will take advantage of that and learn what you’ll need to know for the latter. Ingredients found in the usual place. Instructions,” he waved his wand slightly, “on the board. Also, you will find I’ve paired you up. There is enough time during this lesson for you to brew two batches of the potion. One person will watch while the other prepares the potion, then you will switch. This, with any luck, will prevent any mishaps,” he concluded, looking directly at Harry. Draco laughed quietly.

Snape sat behind his desk and the class began to go about their assignment. Harry looked up at the board and saw that he was paired with Andrea Benning, one of his fellow Gryffindors. He’d never really talked to her. He seemed to recall that they’d worked together on charms once in Flitwick’s class during their first year. Hermione mentioned her from time to time, and he saw her around here and there.

They worked for the first while in near silence. Andrea was preparing her potion while Harry watched. Harry noted that her skills were adequate. He actually had the distinct impression that the reason she wasn’t any better was because she simply didn’t care that much. She finally spoke to him when she was in the final portion of stirring and monitoring the potion as it brewed in her cauldron.

“Harry, I know it’s not really my business, but I think you really ought to learn to control your temper. You seem to lose Gryffindor a lot of points every year, and since you and Umbridge are already off to a rocky start-”

“Thanks for your concern,” Harry cut her off testily. He really didn’t want to hear it from this girl. She probably felt just like Seamus did about him, that he was making up the whole lot of it. Maybe she’d even had a secret crush on Cedric and held a grudge against him for what happened.

Soon she was finished and it was his turn to take a go at the Draught of Mediation. He began cutting the first ingredient and was about to dump it into his cauldron.

“Hold it,” she said. “That doesn’t go in until after the clover powder. You never put lavender in before clover powder.”

“Oh, er, thanks.”

He continued to to prepare the rest of his ingredients, putting them in the cauldron, meanwhile, Andrea monitored him closely, drumming her fingers on the table lazily. The drumming was starting to really get to Harry, but Andrea seemed not to notice in the slightest.

“You might want to chop that carrot root a little more finely,” she said. This was her fifth correction, and it finally sent him over the edge.

“You know what, if you’re so good why don’t you make it,” he seethed.

“I already did my own batch thanks. You really ought to concentrate a little more, you’re just making careless mistakes.”

“While we’re on the topic, is there anything else you’d like to give me advice on?” Harry said vehemently, his voice rising.

“You might lower your voice, Snape’s getting a little curious.”

“Whatever you say.”

“You know what Potter,” Andrea looked him directly in the eyes, “I’m just trying to help you out.”

“Thanks, but I don’t think I need any help from you,” he said, dumping the final ingredients into his cauldron.

“Oh, I forgot, you’re the high and mighty Harry Potter who thinks Dumbledore will bail him out of anything. Sometimes even you ought to respect those around you. You don’t listen to anyone.”

“That’s rich coming from you. We’ve talked, what, once? Who do you think you are?”

“I’m one of your classmates and what you do affects me too. Like when you get us extra homework in Potions because of your comments or mistakes.”

“If you weren’t a girl, I’d say let’s have a go, but I’d actually feel bad if I hit a girl, though if you don’t shove off it, I don't’ know if I’ll be able to control my temper,” he said mockingly.

Just then two things happened: Harry realized that he had been ignoring his potion because it started congealing and boiling up dangerously close to the rim; but as Harry tried to remedy the situation, he was knocked backwards as Andrea’s fist collided powerfully with his jaw. As he was knocked back with the momentum of her punch, Harry’s leg knocked over his cauldron. Everyone around them jumped back. Snape descended upon the whole situation in the next instant.

“Potter, Benning, this behavior is unacceptable at Hogwarts, and even more unacceptable in my classroom. Potter, you will clean this up, I can tell from the stench it is giving off that you didn’t tend closely enough to its brewing. Benning, go immediately to the headmaster’s office and explain yourself. The two of you will also report to me for detention on Saturday night.”

~*~*~

After marching angrily all the way to the Headmaster’s office, she found herself at a loss as for what to do and stood for a quarter of an hour waiting for some sort of indication. She thought the gargoyle actually let out a sigh after a while, but she couldn’t be sure. She’d only been here once before, and that was during the first week of her first year at Hogwarts. She suspected there was some sort of password, but she had no idea where to even begin guessing.

Giving up, deciding that she would just wait for either someone to come out or go in, she went to the other side of the hallway and sat on the wide window sill. A short while later, the gargoyle moved aside, making way for some people who were coming out. She stood and straightened her robes. The two people came out laughing, were none other than Fred and George Weasley.

They both stopped laughing when they saw Andrea Benning standing there in front of them, but they were still smiling brightly. “Good morning you two,” she was the first to speak.

“Good morning,” George said.

“Lovely day to visit the Headmaster, no?” Fred commented casually.

“Yes, what are you two doing here?”

“Just catching up with Dumbledore, giving him the heads up on a few of our plans, planting some of them in his very own office,” Fred answered. “But we really should be asking you the same question. We’re here all the time, but I would never pin you to be one to be sent here, because that is the only reason you would be here right now, it’s the middle of class time.”

“I really don’t to talk about it. It makes me pretty mad,” she gave a forced smile at this statement.

“Well, I suppose we’ll let it slide, because you’ll have to tell Dumbledore anyway. Come George, we ought to go to class. Good day to you Miss Benning,” Fred gave a slight bow.

She chuckled and then curtsied, “Mr. and Mr. Weasley.”

George gave a bow, “By the way, the password is ‘peacock peppermints.’”

“You know the password?”

“His office is our office,” they said in unison as they disappeared around the corner. She laughed, gave the password and then went up the continuously moving spiral staircase. The door at the top was ajar, and so she went in, walked across the room and slumped into one of the chairs by the desk. She crossed her legs and folded her arms. She loved Dumbledore, and on any other occasion would have found it a pleasure to be able to explore his office, but right now, she definitely was not happy about being here.

A moment later Dumbledore entered the room from a door behind his desk. “Miss Benning, it’s lovely to see you. However, you don't seemed so pleased to be here. Would you mind telling me who sent you?”

“Professor Snape.”

“And for what reason.”

“He wanted to.”

“Really?” Dumbledore chuckled. “And what triggered this irresistible desire to send you to my office during his class; Professor Snape usually tries not to waste any student’s time when they could be learning the art of potions.”

“I punched Harry Potter.”

“That’s very interesting.” He paused, looking across the room. “Now aren’t those a curious invention?” he pointed to something over her shoulder, on the far side of the room, and she turned to look. “I only wish I’d invented them myself. Extendable Ears really are quite an asset.” With a pop, they disappeared. “Now that we have momentarily satisfied the curiosity of the Weasley twins, will you please follow me?” He stood and motioned for her to come with him out onto the landing on the top of the stairs. He tapped his wand on one of the stones in the wall, and a door opened up before them.

They went down a long passageway that turned a couple of times, went down a flight of stairs, then another, and then another. They then came to the base of a staircase much like the one that moved in front of Dumbledore’s office, except that this one descended in a straight path. At the bottom Andrea found they were behind a tapestry. Dumbledore pushed it aside, and held it open while Andrea came out. He then walked toward a painting of a large cornucopia of fruit and tickled the pear there. When it opened and they stepped inside Andrea was surprised to see that they were actually in the kitchens, house elves bustling around them, finishing the preparations for the day’s lunch.

“Popnick,” Dumbledore called. A second later an extremely small and stocky house elf, with a lavender face punctuated by a pointy, violet nose, rushed up to the two of them.

“Yes Headmaster?”

“Where is that problem I was alerted about?”

“Right this way sir, right this way. Would you like anything, Headmaster sir? Or young mistress?”

“Perhaps after,” Dumbledore smiled. They followed Popnick down past a fair row of sinks, counters and tables all surrounded by busy elves. At one point they passed an elf that all the others seemed to be avoiding. She was surrounded by bottles of butterbeer, swigging down more as they passed, and hiccuping between gulps. They came to a broom closet that the elves were also avoiding, and for good reason, because there was something pounding against it repeatedly. “Am I right in remembering that you learned how to properly dispose of boggarts in your third year from Professor Lupin?” Dumbledore asked, motioning towards the door.

Andrea nodded.

Dumbledore stepped aside to give her some room. “Wand at the ready.” They each pulled out their wands, and then Dumbledore pointed his at the door. “Alohomora.”

The door slowly creaked open. For a moment, there was a dark, shadowy figure floating out of it, and the room turned suddenly very cold, but then it changed from a floating figure to a standing figure, still cloaked in black robes. The next moment it changed yet again to a green skull with a snake protruding from it’s mouth, and finally it made one last shift. It was no longer a Dementor, a Death Eater or the Dark Mark. Standing in front of Andrea was Harry Potter, or the boggart version of him.

She took a step backwards, biting her lip anxiously, but the boggart Harry didn’t move much, just scratched his head and then looked at his watch. He gave Andrea a curious look and then Dumbledore stepped forward, the boggart Harry disappeared, but Andrea didn’t see what Dumbledore’s boggart was, for it was too small for her to see as Dumbledore blocked her line of vision. She heard him say, “Riddikulus.” Then there was a loud pop, Dumbledore gave a bright chuckle, as did a few of the house elves who were watching and then the boggart was gone.

Dumbledore crossed the kitchen and sat at one of the tables. “Popnick, I think we’ll take a little refreshment now, if you’d be so kind.”

“Oh, yes, just one moment Headmaster sir, I’ll be back promptly.”

Andrea sat across from the headmaster and waited for him to speak but he waited until Popnick had come back a moment later with a few small coffee cakes and some milk. As they tucked in, Dumbledore finally spoke. “Andrea, I wish you to know that I think it quite interesting that you fear Harry more than you fear the evil things threatening the magical community, and the non-magical community as well. Are you really afraid of Harry?”

“It’s not Harry himself just so much as all the things that happen to him. It’s hard to stand by and not be able to do anything about it. For four years I’ve watched and not been able to help or even lend a listening ear. I suppose it would be different if we were actually friends, but we’re not. He’s never really needed me because he has Ron and Hermione, and he’s really close to the whole Weasley family.”

“One can never have too many friends or family,” Dumbledore said. “Just keep trying. The time will come, sooner probably than either of us would hope, when Harry will need everyone around him he can find.”

“It’s just hard. I know what he’s feeling, but I can’t really talk to him about it. For example, this whole week, I’ve been having this sickening feeling in my stomach when I know Potter’s in detention with that Umbridge woman. Something is really wrong. It’s just so awkward since he doesn’t know about any of the mess. I mean, what am I supposed to say? ‘Oy, Harry, I’m feeling sympathy pain and emotions for you?’”

“It won’t remain so forever. I just urge you to form some sort of relationship with him because it will make it easier when the time comes.”

“I guess today has helped loads,” Andrea groaned. Dumbledore laughed. They spoke over their snacks for a few minutes and when they were finished they stood and left the kitchens.

They faced each other to say goodbye, and then Andrea gave him a queer look, and then looked at his robes. They were changing color from a deep blue to a light pink. Dumbledore looked at his robes as well. Then he laughed, explaining, “It must be the Weasley boys. George took a hold of my forearm when he shook my hand this morning. Brilliant, those two.” They both laughed, then Dumbledore disappeared behind the tapestry again and Andrea made her way to the Great Hall to meet up with Sophie, Dean and Seamus for lunch. Lucky for her she had Umbridge and Defense Against Boredom after lunch to look forward to.

She saw that Sophie was sitting between Dean and Seamus at the far end of the Gryffindor table, near the staff table, and they were thoroughly engrossed in some sort of discussion. She walked down the length of the table, she noticed out of the corner of her eye that a few people were whispering and pointing in her direction as she passed, but she just tried to ignore it.

“Hey,” she said as she sat down across from Sophie.

“What did Dumbledore say?” Dean asked.

“Just what I needed to hear, of course,” she answered.

“Great man Dumbledore. He’s really wise.”

Sophie and Andrea both nodded in agreement; Seamus didn’t make any indication in favor for or against his friend’s comment. He was still thinking about where he stood.

Andrea pulled a ham sandwich off of a tray in front of her and began to dress it with the toppings and condiments she liked the best while the three across from her lapsed back into their previous conversation. Andrea took the time to rethink what Dumbledore had told her.

She was so oblivious to her surroundings that she gave a shout of surprise and nearly dropped her knife as two people jumped onto the bench on either side of her.

“So,” said Fred Weasley, on her left.

“Tell us,” George continued on her right, “Did you really -”

“Actually hit Harry Potter?” Fred finished.

“Yes,” she nodded, her jaw clenched.

“What made you do it?” George asked.

“He just, he’s so-” she started vehemently, then paused and took a deep breath and then continued. She didn’t have to look to know that the twins each had huge grins on their faces. “We were having a bit of an argument. He made me rather angry. So I just,” she didn’t finish, but merely shrugged. The two of them laughed.

“He’s our friend,” Fred said.

“But we totally admire you for punching him,” George finished. Then they stood and left, it was about time to get going to afternoon lessons. Across the table, Sophie raised her eyebrows, smiling in that way that friends do when you’ve just spoken to your crush. Andrea rolled her eyes and ate her sandwich, occasionally adding to the conversation.