Thread: Fifth Year Complications *The Anonymous and Renewal*

Draco glanced at Potter. "Are you actually as stupid as you lo-" he stopped talking hastily as Joe glared at him. "Sorry." he said sheepishly. "But it's about the dark lord! My father insists that Potter wasn't lieing when he said he'd returned."

Stephen's eyes narrowed in anger, but he only looked down, unwilling to respond to the insult. His eyes on his lap, he said slowly, "But... why would anyone lie about that?"

"It's potter, sin't it?" scoffed Draco "He'll say anything to get attention. But anyway, as father said, he wasn;t lieing. So that must be what the aht was refering to."

Stephen looked up, face blank and void of emotion. "Well, looks like the hat's smarter than the Ministry. How... unsurprising."

The sorting ended, and Dumbledore stood. Thankfully, he only said a few words, before bowing and allowing the food to apepar.

"YAY!" Joe and Josh squealed simultaniously, and began to fill their plates.

Stephen grabbed his food last, waiting for the others to fill their plates. Thankfully, the house elves always ensured there was more than enough for everyone, so he too had a full plate. Eating slowly, Stephen watched his fellow Slytherins, from the generally refined pace of Draco, to Joe and Josh's more frantic pace.

Joe and Josh held two turkey legs each, biting from one, and then the other. Millicent, who was sitting opposite them two spaces from Stephen, couldn't help but laugh.

Joe, who was trying to swipe a turkey leg from Joshes plat, stopped as he saw a First-year at the end of the table crying and not eating. Softly, he murmured "Accio Tisshu." and walked over, handing out to the boy.

"Wow..." muttered Draco.

Stephen smiled sadly, watching the crying first year and Joe's attempts at comforting him. "I guess I can see how he made prefect now..."

Draco snorted. "Of course. Did you ever expect anything less?" Although Draco was still quite haughty and condescending toward him, Stephen knew that he was restraining himself for the sake of the brothers.

Stephen rolled his eyes and smiled. "Guess I should have had more faith." All around them, dinner was winding down, as plates slowly emptied and students began to chat rather than eat.

The first year giggles and sniffed. Joe smiled, whispered something in his ear, and sat back down as desert appeared.

"Turns out he's upset about being in slytherin." said Joe, reaching for ice cream. "Said his parents told him they're all bad, and that he'd deffinatly be in gryffindor. I told him that he shouldn't base all Slytherins by their reputation and founder, and that I was one of his decendents, and asked if I seem bad." He smiled.

"So, what cheered bim up?" asked Josh through a mouthfull of gatou.

"I agreed to give him lessons on the history of Slytherin, and let him try out for the Quiddich Team. Speaking of which." he added, adressing Josh, whom was a beater, and Draco, who was a Chaser (Not sure about Stephen) "Try-outs are next week. I want you all there." Joe himself was seeker, and captain. Potter was captain this year for Gryffindor, Cho Chang for Ravenclaw and some radom seventh-year for Hufflepuff.

"I don't know why I bother," Stephen complained. Although he seemed unenthusiastic, Stephen loved flying. Nothing better characterized magic for him than soaring through the air at high speed, completely and undeniably free. Unfortunately... "You should know I'm terrible at Quidditch." Enthusiasm did not equal talent. He had tried out in the two years previous, but had been denied both times, even a spot as a reserve member.

"C'mon Steph." said Joe bracingly. "You forget; I saw your past try-outs, and you got better every time."

"What possition are you trying out for?" asked Draco. Joe gave him a faint nod of approval.

"Chaser, I guess... That's the heart of the game, isn't it?" Stephen smiled, thinking about how it felt to fly. "Besides, they fly the most; the Seeker and the Keeper tend to stay in one place, while the Beaters are focused on the Bludgers, not flying."

"Oh, it would be perfect if you got on as a Chacer!" said Joe. "I'm plannng this move. It's called the Eagle Formaton. The Chacer with he Quaffle flys in front of the other two, who are to his left and right. Then, if the opposng team comes in-" he was cut off, however, by Dumbledore calling for Silence.

Stephen clammed up immediately when Dumbledore called out. Despite being a Slytherin, he held an intense amount of respect for Dumbledore. After all, it took a lot to be the only one the Dark Lord ever feared.

OCC: I can't exacly remember the speach from book five, so let's just pretend he already said it, hm?

As the speech ended, everyone stood up with the usual screeches of benches. Joe, after sseveral fialed attempts to get the first-year's attention, finally gave up and screamed. "Oi, midgets!"

Someone else said it at the saem time, however. He looked over, scowling, to see Weasly looking back at him with a matching scowl.