Chapter 11: Fool's Mate
Atlas didn't have to search long, as all the students were still in the corridor outside of Quirrell's classroom. Atlas spotted Neville standing off to the side, looking down at his feet. As Atlas approached Neville, he noticed the guilt written all over his face. He tried to remain calm and asked for his wand back. Neville flinched a bit, but handed it over and apologized. Atlas suggested they go for a walk, and Neville agreed.
As they walked, Atlas asked Neville why he had taken his wand. Neville hesitated at first but then explained that he was just following the instructions Quirrell had given them. Neville went on to explain that he wanted to prove himself and make his grandmother proud, who always spoke highly of his father as a great auror, and Quirrell's words about overcoming everything had inspired him to try and prove himself.
Atlas didn't blame Neville for following orders, but he somehow thought that Neville would be like in the movies and be someone who values comradeship and loyalty within Gryffindor. However, as Neville spoke more, Atlas began to see things from his perspective. He realized that Neville was just trying to prove himself to his family. In the movies, he made a similar development but didn't get the right catalyst until much later. He also realized that maybe expecting loyalty had been a bit too much, considering they had only known each other for a few days. Neville's actions also suggested that he isn't the hero, as they are too close to Neville in the books.
Atlas sighed and said, "I understand why you did it, Neville." But you have to understand that trust is important to me. To be honest, I expected that at least we would stick together as roommates. But maybe you are right. I too realized that Quirrell's class would allow us to grow if we took it seriously, and that limiting ourselves by being soft on friends would just hinder growth for everyone. So I see that you wanted to prove yourself in this class, and I can respect that. Just know that I will act the same in the next class. But that doesn't mean we have to antagonize each other outside of class as well. "I will just accept that the things that happen in defense against the dark arts will stay there, and I hope you see it the same way."
Neville nodded, feeling relieved that Atlas understood his perspective. "Thank you, Atlas. I'm still sorry for taking your wand."
Atlas nodded at the apology. "I may have been a bit harsh on you. "You did as instructed, and I shouldn't have expected anything else." He began to grin a bit as he teased, "Next time, though, I want you to fight for my wand instead of just picking it up off the ground."
This caused Neville to turn red like a tomato as Atlas continued, "Maybe we should talk to the others so that there won't be any hard feelings between us. And Quirrell said that he will train in many different situations, who knows, maybe there will be a time when we fight together."
Realizing it was almost time for lunchbreak, they went together, talking about the uniqueness of Quirrell's class.
When they arrived, their other roommates were already there, with Hermione sitting a bit alone, a bit away from them.
Harry and Neville settled into their seats next to Dean and Seamus, ready for a well-deserved lunch break. But before they could dig into their food, Seamus leaned over and asked with a curious expression, "Hey, is everything alright? We just saw you two walk away from Quirrell's classroom."
Atlas paused mid-bite before answering, his eyes darting to Neville before responding, "Yeah, everything's fine. We just had to talk about something that happened in Quirrell's lesson."
Seamus leaned in further, interested in the details. "What happened?"
"Well," Atlas continued, "we realized that in Quirrell's lesson, we shouldn't hold back just because we're roommates. There are too many options in that class, and allying ourselves with each other is a good strategy, if possible. But we also agreed that we shouldn't blame each other if we end up set against each other."
Dean nodded in agreement, chiming in, "Yeah, I think Quirrell's lesson really pushed it today. We can't afford to hold back if the next lessons are the same."
Harry, who had been listening quietly, spoke up hesitantly. "I-I agree. It makes sense," he said, his voice soft and unsure. Ron, who was sitting next to him, nodded in agreement but said nothing.
They all nodded in unison, their enthusiasm for the class clear. They discussed Quirrell's lessons in more detail, sharing what they did in all this chaos, with Ron highlighting how he gave Malfoy a heavy punch in the face and stole his wand. The two laughed and talked while enjoying their lunch. It was clear that they had all bonded over their shared experiences in the class and their newfound determination to do their best.
As the group finished discussing their thoughts on the Defense Against the Dark Arts class, Harry spoke up, his voice still a bit timid. "Does anyone know why Snape is so... mean?" he asked.
Ron immediately jumped in, a hint of annoyance in his voice. "He's always been like that. taking points from other houses and bullying anyone he doesn't like. My brothers have complained about him for years, and the other teachers don't really do anything about it. And Professor McGonagall is too professional to show equal favoritism for her house to make up for it." he said.
Harry looked hesitant, unconvinced that Snape's hatred was simply a result of his general demeanor. "But he seems to have it out for me personally," he said, turning to Atlas, who had also been singled out by Snape.
Atlas shifted in his seat, his expression thoughtful. He knew the reason why Snape targeted Harry, but he couldn't reveal it without revealing how he knew these things. "I don't know, Harry," he said finally, trying to choose his words carefully. "Maybe he just doesn't like anyone who shows potential or who reminds him of someone he dislikes."
Neville, who had been listening quietly, spoke up. "I don't think that's it," he said. "I mean, he's been really tough on Harry from the start, even before he showed any potential. And he's never given him a fair chance."
Atlas nodded, acknowledging Neville's point. "That's true," he said. "But sometimes people just have their own biases and prejudices, and it's hard to change their minds."
Harry frowned, looking down at his food. He didn't like the idea that Snape might simply hate him for no reason. But at the same time, he couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to it than that.
Harry turned to Atlas with curiosity. "What did Snape want from you after class?" he asked.
Atlas bristled at the question, his anger not directed at Harry or Snape but at his own mother. "My mother wrote a letter to Snape," he said through gritted teeth. "Apparently, they were together at Hogwarts and learned potions together. She thought it was a good idea to tell Snape to challenge me so that I don't waste my potential as a potioneer."
The rest of the group looked at him in horror. "Why would she do that?" Neville, his voice trembling with fear, asked if anyone else was worried that their own family members might pull similar stunts, while imagining that his grandmother would do exactly that if someone brought it up, as good grades in potions are necessary to become an auror.
Atlas let out a sigh and pulled his hair in frustration. "All I know is that my mom was only trying to help. She's a part-time potion maker and taught me a bit when I was younger. I showed interest in it early on, and she just wanted to make sure that I didn't lose that passion. I guess she thought I would be bored as I already know most of the first-year stuff and didn't want me to stagnate." he explained, a hint of depression in his voice. "But the thing is, Snape doesn't seem to care about my education. He enjoys seeing me suffer."
Harry and the others looked at him sympathetically, understanding the difficult situation he was in. "That's terrible," Neville said, fear evident in his voice. "I will never get ahead in potions so that my grandmother doesn't get any ideas."
The group chuckled at Neville's fear, and it lifted the previously depressed mood. Harry spoke up, changing the subject. "Does anyone know what the next class is about?" he asked. "And is the teacher as unpleasant as Snape?"
Ron, who had been quiet until now, spoke up. "My brothers said that the class is taught by Professor Bartholomew Ward, an old guy who's relatively laid-back," he said. "He does not live in Hogwarts like the rest of the teachers and only comes to teach this class. He has an ill wife at home and wants to stay there and care for her as much as possible. He only agreed to teach because Dumbledore asked him, and because the class is only for first-year students, it's only taught once a week."
Hermione entered the conversation from the side. "I've heard of him. He's supposed to be a really good teacher," she said. As Hermione continued talking about Bartholomew Ward, the group fell silent. They hadn't talked with Hermione much besides the boat tour. The rest of the group shared a room together, so they had some companionship. Hermione was an outsider to this group, and most of them weren't as invested in the curriculum as she was. So, the first real impression she made was that of a nerd.
Atlas knew that Hermione was, in fact, a bit nerdy, and her talk about school-related stuff was her way of trying to integrate into school. The group had mixed reactions to Hermione's reaction. Ron was bored as soon as she started to talk and was annoyed because she didn't stop. Harry was interested but didn't understand over half of what she talked about. Dean and Seamus weren't much better, but at least they didn't try to show it because they bonded a bit over the boat tour. Neville was still frozen by his imagination about his grandmother sending a letter to Snape.
After it seemed that Hermione wasn't going to stop soon, Seamus intervened, trying to say as politely as possible that they didn't really share her passion but that she was welcome to go with them to the class. Atlas had the same thought, but Seamus intervened faster. He knew what Hermione was talking about as he read ahead too, and that caused him to know just how dry and boring the stuff was that she was talking about.
Hermione seemed to take the hint and stopped talking, but Atlas could see a bit of disappointment in her eyes. He felt a bit guilty for not being interested, but he just couldn't help it.
The group walked to the classroom for magical theory only to find a letter pinned to the door. The letter explained that Professor Ward would be unable to come to school for personal reasons and instructed the class to study and write a short essay about the first section of the book "Magical Theory" by Adalbert Waffling. The group was happy to have more free time to do their homework and explore the castle.
Hermione said goodbye to them as she went to the library instead. The group started to do their homework after playing around a bit. After Ron pestered Atlas, he promised to help them with their potion homework. To Atlas's surprise, he couldn't explain every problem they had to solve in their homework. His mother focused more on how to do a potion right than on what would happen if you did something wrong. So, they had to go to the library too.
As they walked into the library, they saw Hermione sitting with a few Ravenclaws who looked like they were having a heated discussion about something. However, because they needed to be silent in the library to not anger Ms. Pince, they lowered their voices, so Atlas didn't know what the discussion was about. The group split up as Atlas went to look for the potion books, and the rest of his friends searched for a free spot a bit on the edge of the library so that Ms. Pince wouldn't mind if they talked a bit.
Atlas walked by the group of Ravenclaws and Hermione, trying to locate the potion books. He saw that the Ravenclaws were all a bit older than him or Hermione. The guy in the group looked like he was at least a year above them, and the two girls looked like they could be in their second or third year as well. As he passed by, he heard Hermione ask a question about a potion ingredient to the guy sitting beside her, earning herself an annoyed glare from one of the older girls.
"Ethan, do you happen to know what happens if you add a spitter slug into a Cure for Boils potion instead of a horned slug?" she asked. Ethan smiled and leaned in a bit closer to Hermione, replying, "Of course, Hermione. The spitter slug looks quite similar to the horned slug, so sometimes people add the wrong one. The acid of the spitter slug solves and neutralizes the poison in the snake's fangs. The reaction causes the solution to overheat and sometimes explode. Even if that doesn't happen, the potion will only add itching to the boils you try to cure."
Atlas was taken aback by what he had just overheard from Hermione and Ethan's conversation. He had only known about the explosion part; the itching was new to him. The thought of it sent shivers down his spine. Who would be stupid enough to put a failed potion on a wound to test something like that?
Despite feeling curious and wanting to join the conversation, Atlas reminded himself that he had promised to help Ron and the others with their homework. Besides, it would be rude and quite shameless to intrude on Hermione and Ethan's conversation after his group had already politely declined to talk about school-related matters with Hermione. So, he grabbed the books he needed and headed back to his group's desk.
As he walked, Atlas couldn't help but think about Hermione. He knew that a lot had changed since he arrived, but he didn't know that Hermione had friends she studied with before joining Harry and Ron's group. He wondered if things were any different for her before they all became friends. The books and movies didn't have any information on that either. But just because it wasn't mentioned doesn't mean it didn't happen. It wasn't like the book could describe any activity or every moment of every character in the book. And after the changes Quirrell had shown, not much would surprise him anymore, even if it was actually different in the books.
When he arrived at his friend's desk, he saw that Ron had decided to put off his homework and teach Dean how to play Wizard's Chess instead. Atlas didn't really mind, though. He figured that the Potions homework could teach him something too, especially after listening to Ethan's conversation with Hermione.
As Neville played against Ron in Wizard's Chess, he lost in two turns. "A fool's mate," as Ron smugly called it.
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