Harry Potter / Highschool DxD : A deal with the devil

Bored out of his mind by the silence, Thomas excused himself, before making his way towards the compartment where his roommates were. Now, whatever Harry wanted to tell didn't seem like something he easily could share and so, the poor boy dragged out things to the point that despite caring for his friend, Thomas couldn't wait anymore, after all, not being able to eat as much in the morning made him hungry.

When he reached their compartment, Thomas was surprised to see only Adam and Michael playing some cards, while James was nowhere to be seen. As soon as the door opened and Thomas walked inside, Adam and Michael turned towards him.

"Glad to see you coming back mate. How are Harry and the others doing?" Adam asked, still holding onto his cards.

"Good I'd say. We spent a few hours yesterday talking and catching up since they slept at my house. By the way, where's James?"

"James said he had to use the toilet, but we think he's gone to look for Tracey. You know, since the bloody fool been crushing on her since last year. He was blabbering about her all morning, saying how he wanted to impress her with his adventure and some souvenirs or something." Michael said, rolling his eyes.

"Yeah, he's probably trying to find her compartment and charm her with his lame jokes and cheesy compliments. He's so hopeless when it comes to girls. I bet he'll be back soon, either with a slap mark on his face or a broken heart." Adam added, chuckling.

Thomas shook his head, amused by his friends' antics. Oh, he knew James had a soft spot for Tracey and that she too likes him a bit, but he didn't think he would ditch them to chase after her. Nevertheless at least, one of them had an easier time dealing with girls, unlike him… who had to juggle his time between, Latia, Irina, Sona, Tsubaki, Hermione, Akeno and Koneko… and sometimes Serafall.

Before he could delve deeper in those thoughts, Thomas heard his name being called by a worried Michael.

"You good Thomas?"

Blinking rapidly for a second, Thomas slowly nodded his head at his friend before sitting across from them.

"I'm good, Michael. Sorry, it's…"

"Tough summer?"

"Worse than that. Had to deal with a political mess, fought against a racist knight and then had to keep myself from going insane. The things I do for fun, right?" Thomas said with a pained smile on his face.

A smile that neither Adam nor Michael could ever understand. After all, if things were so harsh as their friend says they are, why is he forcing himself to act normal or even cheerful?

"Anyway, tell me what have you two done this summer?"

"Not much to be fair. Had to stay home since my father had a lot of work to do, which meant that we didn't get to visit any exciting place. Thought at the same time, I managed to finish reading quite a few of the books we were planning to read this year." Michael added with a smirk when he saw the shocked expression on Tom's face.

"C'mon Tom, don't like you haven't trained and unlike us who are mere mortals, you are already in the leagues with the last years and some of the weaker professors. What's wrong me reading a book or two ahead of you?"

Thomas was in no way angry or disappointed with his friend for doing what he loved, besides only a fool would get angry for having friends with a head on their shoulders instead of asskissers like a certain daddy's dearest. He knew Michael was a brilliant student who had a passion for learning and reading, and he respected him for that.

"Nothing's wrong, Michael. I'm actually glad you read ahead. It means we'll be able leech on you." Thomas added with a genuine smile on his face before turning towards Adam. "What about you, Adam?"

"I went to Norway with my family, but other than that same old thing. Stay at home and do nothing exciting, thought while in Norway I swear I met a guy that could be a Norse God or at least he could drink like one…"

Before Adam could continue his story, a rather familiar and not pleasant at all voice was heard from across the hallway making Thomas massage his eyes as he and his friend quickly walked out of their compartment and run towards Draco's voice.

At one o'clock, the plump witch with the food cart arrived at the compartment door.

"D'you think we should wake him up?" Ron asked awkwardly, nodding toward Professor Lupin. "He looks like he could do with some food."

Hermione approached Professor Lupin cautiously.

"Er … Professor?" she said. "Excuse me … Professor Lupin?"

But the man didn't move.

"Don't worry, dear," said the witch as she handed Harry a large stack of Cauldron Cakes. "If he's hungry when he wakes, I'll be up front with the driver."

"I suppose he is asleep?" said Ron quietly as the witch slid the compartment door closed. "I mean, he hasn't died, has he?"

"No, no, he's breathing, thank Merlin for that," whispered Hermione, taking the Cauldron Cake Harry passed her.

He might not be very good company, but Professor Lupin's presence in their compartment had its uses. Midafternoon, just as it had started to rain, blurring the rolling hills outside the window, they heard footsteps in the corridor again, and their three least favorite people appeared at the door: Draco Malfoy, flanked by his cronies, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle.

Amongst their group, the only person who Draco was genuinely scared of was Thomas, and to a lesser degree his friends, but with the golden trio… Draco Malfoy and Harry had been enemies ever since they had met on their very first train journey to Hogwarts. Malfoy, who had a pale, pointed, sneering face, was in Slytherin House. Thanks to his father's influence, Draco played Seeker on the Slytherin Quidditch team, the same position that Harry and Thomas played on the Gryffindor team and respectively Ravenclaw team. Crabbe and Goyle seemed to exist to do Malfoy's bidding like two loyal minions. They were both wide and musclehead with Crabbe being taller, with a pudding-bowl haircut and a very thick neck while Goyle had short, bristly hair and long, gorilla-ish arms. Typical goons for a second or even third-hand villain.

"Well, look who it is," said Malfoy in his usual lazy drawl, pulling open the compartment door. "Potty and the Weasel."

Crabbe and Goyle chuckled trollishly at the poor attempt of a joke coming from their master.

"I heard your father finally got his hands on some gold this summer, Weasley," Malfoy said with a smirk on his face as he looked down at Ron. "Did your mother die of shock yet?"

Ron stood up so quickly he knocked Crookshanks's basket to the floor which in turn made Professor Lupin gave a snort.

"Who's that?" said Malfoy, taking an automatic step backward as he spotted Lupin.

"New teacher," said Harry, who got to his feet, too, in case he needed to hold Ron back. "What were you saying, Malfoy?"

Before Draco could scurry away, not wanting to fight under a teacher's nose, both of his goons found themselves at wand point courtesy of Adam and Michael as Thomas walked towards Draco with what the less fortunate blonde boy could only describe as a horrifying smile on Tom's face.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the ferret and his lackeys. What are you doing here, Malfoy? Trying not to pick a fight with someone who can actually fight back?" Thomas said mockingly, as he walked beside Draco and put a hand on the lad's shoulder.

"Thomas, what are you doing here?" Harry asked, glad to see his friend.

"We heard some noise and came to check it out. And look what we found, a bunch of cowards bullying my friends once again. I swear to God, if I didn't know better, I would have said that Malfoy over here was having a crush on you Harry." Thomas said, his eyes never leaving Malfoy.

"Don't fight here Tom. They're not worth it." Hermione said, trying to calm the situation before Professor Lupin wakes up.

"Shut up, you filthy mudblood. You don't get to tell me what I am worth!" Malfoy spat, his face turning red with anger but only for a second.

"Watch your mouth, Malfoy. Or I'll make you regret it." Thomas said, as his hand gripped the other blonde boy's shoulder to the point, Malfoy was being forced to bend his knees.

A few tense seconds pass by with Draco looking between Thomas and his friends back to his goons and in the end, he choose the right thing to do.

"C'mon," he muttered resentfully to Crabbe and Goyle, and they disappeared.

Once the ferret and his goons left, Thomas, Adam, Michael, Harry, Ron and Hermione all squeezed inside the compartment, ignoring the still sleeping professor.

"I'm not going to take any crap from Malfoy this year," he said angrily. "I mean it. If he makes one more crack about my family, I'm going to get hold of his head and …"

"Ron," hissed Hermione, pointing at Professor Lupin, "be careful . . ."

But Professor Lupin was still fast asleep.

"Don't worry about Malfoy. Leave him to us, besides it would be a boring year with one less Weasley if we were to let you deal with the ferret." Thomas said, earning a pinch from Hermione and a smile from Ron.

"What's wrong with him though?" Adam asked while pointing at the sleeping professor.

"Dunno. He was like that when we found this compartment."

The rain thickened as the train sped yet farther north; the windows were now a solid, shimmering gray, which gradually darkened until lanterns flickered into life all along the corridors and over the luggage racks. The train rattled, the rain hammered, the wind roared, but still, Professor Lupin slept. After a few good more minutes, the three Ravenclaw boys decided to head back to their compartment, hoping that James had returned from his trip to the toilet, otherwise… not even God or Merlin's ghost could save his Irish ass from his friends anger.

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