Seventeen-year-old Andon Krum looked despairingly at his Transformation homework, then glanced hopefully at his dormmate Emil.
“Tough luck, mate,” Emil said unsympathetically. “I’ve got better things to do than explain what a Switching Spell is. Maybe someone else will help you.”
Twenty minutes later Andon was still staring morosely at his blank piece of parchment. He’d moved to the library to increase his chances of being pitied and helped, but so far everyone was too busy doing their own homework or taking advantage of the librarian’s absence and talking and giggling.
“Can I help you?”
Andon looked up, enraptured at his rescue, but his face quickly fell as he recognized Mariya Mitkova, the class outcast. But . . . as far as he could tell she got good marks, and he was desperate.
“Er . . . Transformation homework,” he replied gruffly, looking at his textbook“it might have been in French for all he understood of it.
“So . . . you would like me to help you?”
He glanced back up at her face, trying to tell if she was deliberately being difficult, but she just looked shy“and eager.
“If you please,” he said stiffly.
“Excellent, I know all about Transformation,” Mariya said brightly, sitting down beside him and drawing the book toward her. “A lot of the homework this time is just review, so if you’re really struggling this is a good place to start.”
Andon looked around, hoping no one had noticed that he was actually allowing Mariya the Mudblood to talk to him, but just like before everyone was busy with their own activities. Reluctantly, he bent his head toward hers so he could hear what she was saying.
Gavril, Andon’s little brother, bounded down the stairs and came over to where Andon was reading. “Hey, Andon, Papa wants to talk to you now.”
“Imagine that,” Andon replied, rolling his eyes. “Do you realize, Gavril, that we’re the only students whose parent demands a fortnightly chat?” He rubbed his hooked nose in mock frustration. “Everything go okay for you?”
“Yeah,” Gavril said, shifting his eyes a little.
Andon climbed up the stairs to the room the Headmaster had set up for the Krums’ chats with their father“the only things the room contained was a giant fireplace and a rug. Right now the fireplace was occupied by Father’s head.
“Andon,” he said, inclining his head gravely.
“Hello, Father,” Andon replied, sitting on the rug that served as a semi-comfortable seat“unless the chats went too long.
“Gavril tells me disturbing news.”
Andon raised his eyebrows. “What would that be, Father?”
“Is he mistaken in telling me that you have recently been associating with a Mudblood?”
The sneak! How could he have known? Andon allowed no emotion to escape as he replied, “He may have been mistaken in telling you, but it is true that I have been seeking the advice of Mariya Mitkova“I assume that who you’re talking about“in Transformation. Did you notice the sudden improvement in my grades?”
“I’d rather you fail than associate with someone like her!” Father spat, turning red. “By even touching her you run the risk of contamination!”
“Of what!” Andon shouted suddenly. He’d listened to rubbish like this for most of his life, and he was sick of it. “Of being less pure? Less of a magician? Father, she’s better at magic than I am!”
“You lie! My own studies have shown that these Muggleborns have much less magic than we do. They are inferior!”
Who did you test it on, Mrs. Bacheva the half-blood Squib? Andon thought, rubbing his nose in real frustration. “I’ve believed that for too long, Father. And whether it’s true or not, Mariya is still a human being, and a smart one at that. Please, can’t I just keep studying with her? My grades really have shown improvement.”
Father simply glared.
Andon sighed. “Look, Papa, I have Quidditch practice soon. She’s just a study partner. We’re not even friends. I need to go get ready for Quidditch.”
“I suppose. Got to catch the Snitch in record time, eh?”
Andon smiled, glad to have appeased his father a bit. “I’m not a Seeker this year, Father, but you can be sure I won’t be letting in any goals. Next year I’ll go back to Seeker, I think“they will have scouts, and I’d like to play semi-professionally.”
“Oh, that’s right,” Father said, nodding wisely. Then he sighed. “It goes against everything I believe in to let you associate with that girl, you know. But, since you really seem to need the homework help, you can keep studying with her. But only studying! No son of mine will be the friend of a Mudblood!”
Andon tilted his head. His father seemed to take that as an obedient nod and bade him farewell. His son sat there for a moment or two, brow furrowed. Then with amazing speed he leapt down the stairs and corned Gavril, who appeared to have been waiting for something like this to happen.
“Don’t . . . go . . . spying . . . on . . . me . . . ever . . . again!” Andon warned his brother sternly. “Who I study with is none of your business, and it’s definitely not your business to tell Father!”
“O-okay!” Gavril squeaked, apparently contrite.
“Okay. Speaking of which, I need to go to my study group. Have fun,” Andon said lightly, giving Gavril a friendly knock on the head before heading to his room to pick up his books.
“So do you understand the concept now?”
Andon tilted his head. Unlike his father, Mariya wasn’t fooled.
“Andon, what is wrong? You’re awfully quiet today. Well, I suppose it’s not that different from other days“you’ve always seemed scared to talk to me“but today you’re just exuding . . . not-talkingness.” She impulsively put her hand on his. “Tell me.”
He jumped at the sudden contact and tried not to jerk away, but Mariya recognized her error almost immediately and removed her hand. She shot him a swift look of apology that he just looked up in time to catch.
“I see,” she said softly. “It’s because I’m not pure like the rest of you, isn’t it? It always comes down to that. I’d hoped that, since you actually let me talk to you, it would be different with you, but--” she sighed“ “I guess not.”
“Oh!” Andon was startled into speaking by her wistful tone. “Well, Mariya, it’s true that it is a little difficult trying to associate with you. It’s just . . . well, today my father found out about our little study sessions.”
Mariya closed her eyes. “I’d forgotten about your father.”
Andon snorted. “Would that I could. But he gave me permission to keep studying with you. As long as . . .” he stopped, not wanting to be rude.
“As long as what?” Mariya’s dark eyes flashed, wistfulness forgotten for the moment in indignation. “As long as you don’t become my friend?”
He nodded before he could stop himself. “I mean . . . well . . . actually I tried to defend you, and not just because of how my grades are improving. You’re a good person, Mariya. I wouldn’t . . . I wouldn’t mind being your friend, as long as no one found out. I don’t have so many, myself“my father chases them all away. But it would have to be a secret.” It was out. The feeling he’d had ever since speaking out in favor of Mariya had finally put itself into words. He looked down, blushing.
“Hey.”
Mariya was blushing just as much as Andon, if not more.
“Thank you. I’m okay with a secret friendship. I’m just so excited to have a friend, finally, after six and a half long years at Durmstrang.”
She put her hand on top of his again, and this time he didn’t jerk away. He just looked into her dark, smiling, grateful eyes. Everything would be fine“as long as no one found out.