Chapter 76 - 75: Death, Homework, and Secret Lessons

"Death? But... how? You couldn't see Thestrals before the holidays, could you, Edward?" Draco asked, his voice tinged with shock. "What happened during Christmas?" Daphne cut to the chase, her eyes sharp with curiosity. Edward glanced at them, his expression complicated. He hesitated, torn about whether to share what had happened over the break. He could easily brush it off by saying a distant relative or a family friend had passed away, but a voice inside him insisted that wasn't right. Honesty with friends was a knightly virtue he held dear. But what if being honest meant dragging them into trouble they didn't need to be part of? Seeing Draco's puzzled look and Daphne's increasingly raised eyebrow, Edward made up his mind. He'd tell them part of the story, leaving out key details—like the name "Black Knight," which almost no one knew. Maybe that way, he could keep them out of danger. He had a gut feeling that in Glastonbury, those Black Knights had been after him. "Something did happen over Christmas. I went to Glastonbury..." Edward began, giving a simplified version of events while carefully omitting any mention of the Black Knights. Daphne and Draco listened intently, hanging on his every word, too stunned to interrupt. "So, the Ministry's investigating, but they still don't know who the attackers were," Edward concluded as the carriage rolled to a stop at Hogwarts' gates. "So... you can see Thestrals now because you witnessed... an attacker's death?" Daphne asked, her face pale. Edward nodded silently. At the mention of death, Draco visibly shuddered, his face even paler than Daphne's. "That's awful. I mean, your parents should've been more careful, right?" he said hesitantly. "I can't imagine getting attacked out of nowhere at Malfoy Manor." He paused, then added, "And a spell that turns someone to ash? You're lucky to be back at school alive." To Edward, Draco's words were basically a roundabout way of saying, "I'm glad you made it out okay." The three stepped off the carriage in silence. As they parted ways, Daphne and Draco glanced back at the empty space where the Thestrals stood, then hurried into the castle. "Don't worry, I'm back at Hogwarts in one piece, aren't I? What's that saying? Hogwarts is the safest place in the world," Edward said as they entered the Great Hall, trying to lighten the mood. The Christmas decorations were still up, set to be taken down tomorrow. Twelve towering Christmas trees lined the walls, and soft, warm snowflakes drifted down from the enchanted ceiling. "Safest place, huh," Daphne scoffed. "Tell that to the trolls, rogue broomsticks, and Bludgers." But the moment they sat at the Slytherin table and food appeared on their plates, all their worries seemed to melt away. Draco immediately launched into bragging about his Christmas at Malfoy Manor—his family's white peacocks and the pile of gifts he'd received. Edward and Daphne, meanwhile, mostly listened, focusing on their food. Their long conversation with Hermione about Nicolas Flamel on the Hogwarts Express had made them miss the trolley's snacks, so dinner was their chance to make up for it. Edward glanced at the Gryffindor table, where Hermione, Harry, and Ron were already whispering furiously. Every so often, they'd sneak glances at the Slytherin table—specifically at Edward—before scanning the staff table. But this time, Edward noticed they weren't just fixating on Snape. Their eyes darted across all the professors. Honestly, figuring out who might be after the Philosopher's Stone—potentially a "Black Knight"—from among the staff was no easy task. The professors teaching first-years were limited: McGonagall, Flitwick, Sprout, Snape, Quirrell, Binns (the ghost), Sinistra (Astronomy), and Hooch. But Hogwarts had far more staff than that. Beyond first-year classes, there were courses like Divination, Arithmancy, Muggle Studies, Care of Magical Creatures, Alchemy, and Ancient Runes, each with one or two professors. Then there were non-teaching staff, bringing the total to at least twenty or thirty. From Harry's expression, Edward could tell he still wasn't ready to believe Snape wasn't out to get him. After all, Snape's attitude toward Harry was downright hostile, while even Draco seemed almost friendly by comparison these days. In fact, Draco hadn't bothered Harry or the other Gryffindors much at all lately—he was practically Edward's shadow now, not unlike Crabbe and Goyle at the start of term. Dinner ended quickly, and the exhausted students trudged back to their common rooms. Their physical fatigue came from holiday antics, but the mental exhaustion stemmed from the looming start of classes—and the fact that many still hadn't finished their homework. In the Slytherin common room, nearly every first-year swarmed around Edward, begging to copy his assignments. Even some older students came to him with Potions questions. To keep things fair, Edward set a rule: they could copy his work to get by, but they had to meet with him later to prove they'd learned the material. If they didn't, they'd have to join him for morning runs around the castle. Oh, and no Quick-Quotes Quills allowed—everything had to be handwritten. The first-years gasped in horror, but faced with the prospect of perfect homework, the cunning little snakes reluctantly agreed. They'd deal with the consequences later—whether that meant cramming during breaks or jogging laps with Edward. "Phew! Finally done!" Draco announced, finishing his copying and rubbing his sore wrist before flopping onto a sofa by the fireplace. "Don't forget, after History of Magic, you're coming to me to review the material," Edward reminded him. "Got it, got it," Draco sighed, then lowered his voice as if remembering something. "By the way, when are we starting on new spells?" Daphne, who'd been quietly reading nearby instead of copying homework, perked up and leaned in. Edward rubbed his chin, glancing at the clock on the wall. "Tomorrow night, same place as usual. It'll be a good chance to check how well you've been keeping up." Draco nodded eagerly. Support me by leaving a comment, voting, and visiting my Patreon at ilham20