Nerida walked through the corridor throwing her book into the air and catching it every time, she was very good at catching things. Feeling like she could catch anything she threw up it higher... And this time it wasn't coming towards her it was going straight for an old portrait. Quickly she flicked out her wand from her pocket and said "Arresto Momentum." slowly the book slowed down and crashed into the wall lightly before landing onto the floor.

The Ravenclaw picked up the book and looked around, no one saw that right?

The stairs were relaxing, he easily ignored the snogging couples and the passerbys who bumped his shoulders, on purpose he assumed. No, these things didn't matter on the stairs. It was like those people who claimed that running cleared their minds. The stairs cleared his and made the taunts of those who did know he attended Hogwarts, seem like flutters from a butterfly wing. Ineffective. He walked with a bit of pep in his step now, as he replayed a scene from one of his favourite tv shows, smiling at the cleverness of the script and the convincingness of the actors delivery.

Forrest and Fern had managed to come back this far without much trouble. They hadn't talked a lot; because it was, well, quite embarrassing for both of them. But Forrest was deeply grateful because Fern was acting very protective, checked whether there was anyone around to hide from, and helped him morally by not laughing once. He didn't know how to thank her, but he knew he had to. Not only her protection, but she had also offered him her robes. She probably didn't want to be friends with a boy whose trousers were horribly torn, but he considered her as one of her dearest friends.

Her robes were rolled tightly around his waist to hide his torn trousers, so he looked a little ridiculous, but at least his leg wasn't visible. They had made it this far. Surely this was his lucky day?

Benzi was feeling GREAT.

Walking out of the Charms classroom, he grinned as he pocketed his wand and adjusted his backpack so it could hang comfortably off one shoulder - eight year olds walked with backpacks on both shoulders. Benzi was no eight year old, so it was one shoulder and one shoulder only. If he got uncomfortable, then he would switch.

"I can ask my mum if she'll send me some of her books, we could practice off tho-" Benzi froze in his tracks as he caught sight of the two Hufflepuffs walking in silence towards them, one being Fern the Lake Girl wannabe Jockey, and the other was Forrest. With a. . . skirt?

Oh Merlin.

"Forrest mate, I reckon the skirt on the uniform list was just for the girls, not us," he called to him, unable to help the slow smirk that danced on his lips. Turning to Cutty he gave the Slytherin a quick nod in the Hufflepuffs' direction and made his way over, stopping just in front of the two so that their passage was effectively blocked.

Not on purpose of course. He just really wanted to know why Forrest was wearing a skirt is all. No harm in that right?

Could Ravenclaws produce bullies? Cause Cutty was watching Benzi like an acolyte. From the way he blocked the passage of the students, to the way he shot a one-liner at the...Hufflepuff...boy? Wearing an ensemble that Cutty found too long, not to mention casual, to be a kilt. And was that In-FERN-O?!

Forrest. That was the other kids name. First or last? Cutty would've been shooting one of his meaner looks to the kid had it not been for Benzi lightening the mood with his well-crafted bullying. Well done, mate!

Everything had been going so well. They had gone down four levels without running into anyone. And then, when they finally did come across people, who did it have to be but the two she HATED more than anyone she had ever met in her ENTIRE LIFE?

Benzi and Cuthbert.

Well, okay, more Cuthbert than Benzi because at least Benzi was nice 1/4 of the time, but still. Neither one was good to run into in these kinds of situations.

She heard Benzi talking before she saw him and was about to push Forrest into the armour gallery, but it was too late. The Ravenclaw boy had noticed them, and there was no way Fern was going to give him or Cuthbert the satisfaction of turning tail and running away.

So instead she stepped in front of Forrest, and bunching her hands into fists at her side, yelled back at the same time Benzi moved to block their path, "OH YEAH!? Well I reckon long hair was just for girls, too! And yours' is shoulder-length!"

Oh wait. Forrest had kind-of long hair too. Bad comeback, Fern. Bad comeback.

Forrest gulped. And gulped. And gulped.

But it didn't reach his stomach. It was stuck there, y'know? Like his breath. He couldn't breathe, gulp or free his hands. Not that the robes would fall--he'd knotted it many times--but he was afraid it would. He didn't recognise the other boy, but he knew Benzi was bad enough. The boy himself wasn't particularly bad, but he asked horrible questions. He racked his brains to come up with a good answer, but he couldn't. If he said it wasn't a skirt, he would have to explain. He didn't want to explain that!

Fern acted before him though, and he was insanely grateful for that. He LOVED her. He didn't care whether she had a boyfriend named Cutty or not, he was going to take her out to dinner TONIGHT.

He let her talk, and he didn't even notice her come-back was bad. For now, she was his hero, and he was just going to do his best not to freak out.

Tora had heard Benzi's voice from all the way around the corner, so of course she came running. Benzi . She had been purposefully avoiding the kid since the start of term, since if she talked to him they would probably fight, but the comment she heard him make was mean. She couldn't tolerate a bully, and Benzi was going to get it.
"Hey! Benzi!" she shouted from behind. "Don't you have other first years to play with? If you're so bothered with people wearing skirts, then don't wear one yourself. See? Problem solved. If you don't like it, don't do it- otherwise shut up." she started off strong and was full on glaring at the younger Ravenclaw by the time she had reached the group. There was a Slytherin there that she didn't know. It seemed like he knew Benzi considering his smirk. On the other side of Benzi and Snake was Forrest and... another Hufflepuff. She looked familiar. Oh! That was Fern from Diagon Alley, right? Yeah. She vaguely remembered that Fern had annoyed her over something last time they had met, but right now she was obviously doing her best to defend her friend Forrest, so Tora figured she was alright.

She pushed through the two first year boys to stand next to Fern. "By the way, Benzi, are you blind? Those are obviously robes, not a skirt." she crossed her arms and glared. Remember what I said at the feast? Yeah? Well here's more proof that you shouldn't be Ravenclaw. Maybe if she death-glared the two of them hard enough they would burn up. Maybe.

Benzi stared.

Then he blinked.

"I was only taking the mickey, Merlin, keep your pants on!" he said, eyeing Fern as if she'd just dropped off the surface of the moon carrying big heart shaped bogeys inscribed with his Arithmancy homework. Or something.

But his question was not to Lake Girl. It was to Forrest. Forrest, who was his friend, but who also looked like he had just seen Peeves with a filled cauldron in his hands. "No but really, why've you got a skirt on? .. Is that even a skirt?" he took a step sideways, bypassing Fern to get a better look. "Are those rolled up robes?! What happened? D'you need the nurse?"

Stealing a look at Cutty, Benzi found he couldn't exactly read his expression. But then a thought occured to him, which reminded the eleven year old of his stolen parchment. "By the way, Fern," he said, drawing out her name so she'd know he'd purposefully not called her Lake Girl at her request, "you stole from me and I'd like it back."

. . .

Did that other Ravenclaw just-? "Did you just PUSH me?!" DID THIS GIRL JUST TOUCH BENZI WITHOUT HIS PERMISSION!? "ExCUSE me, but who do you think you are?! Forrest's my FRIEND."

Or maybe not. Cutty was just as surprised as he was impressed, which is to say not all that much. He decided to express that when the new girl pushed her way through he and Benzi by sticking out an elbow and a foot non-chalantly so that she would trip or hit in the space allotment between the two boys. She really didn't think he WASN'T going to try something, did she? Course not. Her robes connoted that she'd be the wiser. Or maybe she was the missort here?

"As a matter of fact, he does need specs, so thanks for bringing that up, you bully!" He lied with conviction as though he believed it himself.

And was she blind? Because was he not a first year that Benzi was playing with? Had she been listening to the fwooper song too? "And that's a good bit of advice there, aint it. If you see something you don't like SHUT IT!" But he was definitely talking about her intrusion.

6 sickles on this lil Ravie chick had a thing for that Forrest kid! And Fern had stolen something from Benzi. He wondered what that parchment had said. Perhaps a rough draft of the rumour Fern had put in the Aparecium about the two of them.

She was so romantic. The thought brought a pleased little sneer to Cutty's already arrogant little face.

It took a moment for Fern to figure out where she'd gone wrong. One moment, she had been so sure that Benzi was going to make Forrest miserable and be a total jerk. Not just because of past experience, but also because of his smug face and the way he held himself in the hall. But then all the sudden he was being nice and caring and making her feel guilty for yelling at him. It wasn't until he asked about seeing the nurse that she remembered. Benzi wanted to help people. And not the entertain-make-them-happy-by-being-awesome kind.

This was him doing his thing.

Fern could respect that.

But the look on Forrest's face made her interject, once again stepping between Benzi and her fellow Hufflepuff. "He's fine. He's fine. It's just a little..cut, tiny really. So small you can't see it. But you know Forrest has a...low immune system! That's why there's the robe! To protect from the germs! He doesn't need to go to the hospital wing, though. We're just gonna patched in the common room."

"And I didn't steal your parchment! I borrowed it! And I'll give it back to you later," When Cuthbert wasn't around. He'd think she had kept it for sentimental reasons. It might make him think he had a chance of getting back together with her. "Right now Forrest and I need to-,"

Fern didn't get to finish her sentence, because that was when THE HEXY BOYZ HATER appeared. Of all the rotten luck. She couldn't just be in the same hallway with the two people she hated the most, she had to be with the three. She didn't even say anything when Cuthbert made to trip Tora. If this lead to him choosing the older Ravenclaw as the next object of his warped affection, that was fine with her.

Letting Cuthbert hash it out with Tora, Fern turned back to Benzi and said, "Anyway, like I was saying. We need to get going. The sooner we get it bandaged the better."

"Let's go, Forrest."

Tora was not an idiot, so when she had pushed passed the boys she had been on the lookout for a low move like a stuck out foot. She was so angry that she didn't bother to step over the obstacle, but instead stepped right on top of it. It was his fault for putting it in her way and trying to trip her.

"Who do I think I am? I'm Tora Gallaway thank you very much." she said glaring until Benzi had said that he was Forrest's friend. She blinked once in surprise and instantly changed the way she was looking at the situation. "I don't think you're actually worried about Forrest. After all you did make fun of him, and if you were truly worried you wouldn't have gotten so distracted with Fern stealing your parchment." she said analytically before turning to Problem #2.

The Snake was looking at her weird. Like he was the one being analytical of her. She didn't really like that feeling, so she analyzed right back. "Then we're both bullies together." she said before turning sincerely to Benzi. "I'm sorry for being insensitive" Even though she might find Benzi awful, Tora had been brought up to show respect. Most of the time. If he truly needed glasses though, he probably should have gotten them over the summer... so maybe it was just a bluff. Still, bluff or not Tora had said sorry so she was all clear now.

Tora looked at Fern and Forrest oddly. Obviously it wasn't just a little cut, so this meant they were hiding something. She opened her mouth to ask when she remembered that Snake and Little Annoying Eaglet were still standing nearby. This was something she would definitely ask about later. Now was not the time though. Apparently Fern remembered their annoyance from Diagon Alley as well, but unlike Tora she apparently wasn't willing to unite against a common enemy considering the dirty look she gave Tora. Don't worry Fern, you'll get plenty of Tora death glares as soon as I'm done with these two.

Noting that she was not invited to come with Fern and Forrest to wherever they were really going (since she was doubtful it was actually the Hospital Wing), she waved her hands in their direction. "Yeah you should probably get that bandaged then" she said playing along. She would catch up with them later. When she was actually wanted around.

Benjamin was supposed to be a friend! They had sorted their differences out, hadn’t they? Forrest couldn’t understand his attitude now, and hoped that he had been misreading Benjamin’s words.

And he had been.

When Benjamin started to be worried about him, Forrest was visibly relieved. “It’s not skirt, it’s—” Fern was his saviour again! He eyed her in deep gratitude and admiration. She was so clever and helpful with that story! He then started to nod to confirm the story. “It’s tiny really—hey!” Tora appeared. Normally, Forrest would have got hopeful, but she did push Benjamin, and even Forrest knew he was not to be pushed. He watched in deep concern. What if this messed everything up? He didn’t want anyone to fight with anyone. He just wanted to be out of this corridor and in his warm bed. He didn’t lose all his hope though! He was oblivious to the fact that only he liked the girl, so he was still positive if she and Fern cooperated, there was nothing they couldn’t do.

See? SEE? Tora was amazing! Forrest was sure the boys would leave now. He waited for them to leave. But instead, things got worse. That Slytherin boy just tried to tackle her, and Tora hated to be tackled. He bit his lip. He wanted to say she didn’t really push them, but he was too busy worrying to do anything but staring and breathing. Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out—it wasn’t working. He didn’t know the other boy here, but he knew that he didn’t like him at all. He failed to see how Benjamin could be a friend of his. Everyone was trying to help except him—he was going to make things worse, obviously. He was worrying way too much than advised. These bullying issues were past him, but he had got himself in the worst situation ever. He couldn’t let that happen again! He held Fern’s hand unconsciously and squeezed it. He didn’t care if they learnt. He wanted to be out.

“Please,” he pleaded to all of them, his voice actually shaking. He was gasping and his eyebrows spoke his desperation. He decided to use his last bit of strength in talking. “Jus’ let us go. Let’s fight later. Please.”

He needed specs?

. . .

RIGHT right of course he did. Benzi nodded, pretending to squint slightly as if he couldn't really see the second year all that well - juuuuust enough to back up Cutty's claim but not overdoing it. Overkill was a bad thing that Benzi had already learned to stay away from. Past experience and the like. Shooting a slight smile at his Slytherin friend, Benzi couldn't help his chest swell with pride just a little bit. Cutty was BACKING HIM UP.

Take THAT, stupid second year girl. WHO'S THE DUMB ONE NOW?!

"A CUT?! .. But that makes no sense. Why would he put robes over a cut, he's already got a set of perfectly good trousers. Unless he really IS wearing a skirt," Benzi pointed out to Fern, his eyebrows raised in disbelief as he looked at Forrest. Something just didn't feel right. . . People didn't wear scrunched up robes over their trousers because they got cut.

About the parchment however, "you so did steal it. I'll only believe you're not a thief when you give it back." He folded his arms over his chest and looked at her coolly. THERE.

"I don't really care what your name is, thank you VERY much," PSHT. "And did Fern steal from you?! Do you KNOW what she stole from me? You DON'T. You have NO RIGHT to tell me what I can and cannot do. You're not my prefect and you're only a year older than me. You're a bully - I was just talking to my friend, I didn't go around talking about things I didn't understand," Benzi's voice got louder and louder as he talked since just the THOUGHT of this girl sent him into a FLYING MAD RAGE. RAAAGE.

Oh, and "apology NOT accepted."

Right. Now Forrest. "Mate breathe, I know you don't have a cut there 'cause I'm not stupid, but seriously perhaps I can help? Me and Cutty here are really resourceful, I'm sure we can come up with something," he grinned, trying to look trustworthy. Benzi didn't really look trustworth ever, but he hoped he'd managed to somehow show he didn't want to kill him. Seriously, Forrest looked ready to pee his pants.

O: NO. "Did you pee your pants?!" DO NOT LAUGH DO NOT LAUGH DO NOT LAUGH. To stop himself smirking, Benzi breathed deeply through his nose. He wasn't trying to pick up on a smell of course. Nope. Just regular ol' breathing.

Cutty's face contorted, but he held in what would decidedly be a disapproving sound as this Tora Gallaway girl ran over his foot and weighing in, Cutty thought, rather like an erumpent. Someone should've said no to the dessert course! He thought, but did not say as he was too occupied with trying not to hollar.

COW!


All thoughts save one aside...THIS was as ANGRY as Cutty had ever seen Benzi Rider EVER. You mean there were things that you could do to Benzi to get him to not forgive you?! Because that was news to Cutty. He stored this little note in the back of his mind. The smirk now gone from his face, but he was still judging the situation and trying to look as resourceful as Benzi made him out to be, but it sort of came out in a see-you-after-school-pipsqueak! type grin.


Meanwhile, Forrest was showing remarkable patience with the situation. If it had been Cutty bleeding to death in a skirt he would have found a way to off everyone in that corridor by now. He hated people. There were exceptions but mostly he hated people. And, these birds were doing his head in. "Right. Fight later. Good idea!" And he meant it. "Come on, Benz!" He said, turning to go.

Tora rolled her eyes. "Well from you yelling about it, I would dare to guess she "stole", or probably borrowed, a piece of parchment. Parchment! Is this really what this is all about?" she said to Benzi. "And you obviously care enough to argue with me, so thats a lot of billywig rot saying that you don't care!" She fumed crossing her arms and shutting her eyes. She couldn't even look at the first year anymore.

Her eyes popped open again when Benzi accused Forrest of peeing his pants. She looked at him incredulously. "Oh, so you're being creative now. That's a ridiculous idea. For one, Forrest wouldn't do that; and second, even if he did he's a wizard. He knows how to remove stains and smell. He wouldn't need the robes. Obviously it is a cut. Just leave him alone." This kid really couldn't think now could he? If he could he would've come to the same conclusion that Tora had; Forrest didn't pee his pants. Saying that he did was just childish. Then again, she shouldn't have expected more...

Even that Snake kid wanted this argument over and done with! "Listen to your friend. Stop bugging us!" she glared at the other Ravenclaw.

"It makes perfect sense!" Fern argued, upset that Benzi saw through a lie that she, for one, thought was pretty brilliant, "If you get a cut on your leg, whatever cut you has to go through your pants first to get to your skin! That's why Forrest needs the robes to bandage himself!"

"AND I DID NOT!" She stomped her foot for emphasis, adding, "I told you I was borrowing it when I borrowed it in the first place!" Then she shot Tora and angry glare for coming to her defense, because she had this under control, thank you very much. The rage of Super Shorty was no match for that of Fern Quimbley. She could scream twice as loud.

But back to Forrest. Fern resented the fact that Benzi thought she obviously wasn't resourceful enough to help Forrest all by herself. And she also didn't like how Tora used the pronoun "us." Because until Tora admitted that The Hexy Boyz were the most amazing musical artists of all time, Fern refused to work with her.

Even if she did have a really good explanation for why Forrest peeing his pants was a stupid suggestion. Well. Maybe not really good, maybe just...decent. Fern knew she could have come up with something ten times better if she hadn't been so distracted by Cuthbert acting so eager to leave. And the fact that Forrest was holding her hand.

Face flushing, the 11-year-old tried to yank her hand free, but it wasn't working because Forrest had it in a bit of a death grip. But then Forrest spoke, interrupting all the disturbing flashbacks running through her head, and brought Fern back to her senses. "It's okay. It's okay, Forrest," she told her housemate, taking on the same soft cooing tone she used on frightened horses, "We're going to go now." And she squeezed his hand back.

Everyone was talking LOUDLY and they just DRILLED into his head. He felt like no one tried to help him. If they wanted, they wouldn't be arguing. If they truly cared, they wouldn't be trying to understand it now. There would be plenty of time to to eat each other later. He closed his eyes, hoping they would stop already. Only the Slytherin boy agreed to let him go and Benjamin just made it worse by asking OUTRAGEOUS questions again.

Of course. Benjamin. Rider. The. Idiot. Questioner.

Forrest wondered how the boy was a Ravenclaw. Seriously. Who would put him there?! "I didn't," he said in this really smooth voice that is usually used in movies to threaten people silkily. "Let's go, Fern." He wasn't so smooth this time and his voice broke a little, but he managed to pull at her hand to walk them around the crowd towards the stairs down to Huffie room.

Benzi thought he was going to explode. Seriously. He was SO MAD AT THIS GIRL. SO SO MAD. She just WALTZED in here, PUSHING her way in, and then it was HIM who was BUGGING HER?!?!??!?! WHO DID SHE THINK SHE WAS, THIS BRAT?!

In through his nose, out through his mouth. IN through his nose, OUT through his mouth. IN THROUGH HIS N- okay, it didn't work. The adults lied. NOTHING WAS HELPING. BENZI RIDER WAS IN A RAGE.

Glaring at EVERYONE apart from Cutty, because he was MAD AT ALL OF THEM NOW, Benzi had a difficult time trying not to yell. In the end, it was Fern he faced, "I want my parchment once you put little baby wuss here to bed," he said, his voice dripping with venom and carefully contained anger, not even sparing Forrest a glance. Forrest the Hufflepuff was crossed OFF Benzi's friend list. He just LET that Galgway or whatever her name was YELL at him! For simply being worried! That's no way to treat a friend.

Giving them all one last final LOOK - especially to the Ravenclaw girl - Benzi nodded to Cutty and walked away from the scene, positive that in a moment's time literal STEAM would come out of his ears if he didn't leave. There was unfinished business here, as someone had said - "fight later". Oh, he will.

So that was Tora Gallaway, huh? Whether she intended to or not, she'd actually given Cuthbert quite a bit of information about things that he would certainly consider corruptible. This little bird needed entirely too much attention. And he intended to give it to her. Following soon behind Benzi, Cutty too left the corridor.

Tora glared at the Snake and Benzi as they left. She could tell this wasn't over, and surprisingly, she didn't want it to be. Those first years needed to learn that they shouldn't mess with her friends! Finally, a couple minutes after the infuriating two turned the corner, she let her hands relax from the fists that had curled into.

"Sorry for barging in like that," she said quietly to the Hufflepuffs standing behind her. She didn't turn around. For some reason she still felt like that she wasn't wanted there, and that she needed to come up with an excuse for defending them. She couldn't think of anything else to say that would be adequate so she kept quiet, still facing the direction the bullies had went, but now looking at the floor.

This had been the very worst Charms lesson ever.

Correction. It had been the very worst LESSON ever.

And it was all because of FORREST CHARLTON.

Fern stormed out of the classroom, shoving her way through the crowd of students, and then halted in the middle of the hall where she waited for HIM. Her chin was jutting out, her shoulders were hiked almost to her ears, and her face was flushed dark plum. It would not have taken even the smallest leap of imagination to picture steam coming out of her ears.

She felt like breaking something. So she snapped the quill still in her hand from packing up after class, while she stood there fuming.

SO WHAT if Forrest had ignored her?!

SO WHAT if he picked Tora to partner up with??!

SO WHAT if he wasn't talking to her since Bristol incident?!?!

Because he DID NOT care at all! He was NOT afraid--okay, who was he kidding? Seeing her there, he WAS terribly afraid, but he was valient enough and he wouldn't... run away...

Hi tall kid. I'm gonna hide behind you.

Trying to walk with some older students, he looked down and walked quickly.

She... didn't see him, right? Or maybe--maybe she wasn't waiting for him? Right?

Maybe taking her anger out on the quill hadn't been such a good idea, because Fern was pretty sure she now had several splinters. And it was all Forrest's fault. If he hadn't been so stupid? so mean!?, she wouldn't have been in a terrible mood, and she wouldn't have felt like smashing things, and she wouldn't have gotten pieces of FEATHER STUCK IN HER PALM!

Needless-to-say, Fern was feeling even more mad than when she had left the classroom, and when she spotted Forrest walking off and ignoring her AGAIN (because he had clearly seen her), she shouted, "HEY! HEY STOP RIGHT THERE, FORREST CHARLTON!!"

And not waiting to see whether he would actually obey her command or not, the 11-year-old dropped the broken quill and came stomping after him.