“Ifell.”Draogotupratherstifflyandbrushedafewbkfeathersoffhim.“Ididn’tknowIhadthatmanyfeatherstobeginwith.”Heseemedmildlyimpressed.
HarrydroppedoutofDrao’sbedontheothersideandbrushedoffthebkfeathershimaswell.Butwhatwasthattasteinthebakofhismouth?Withonefingerhetraedthebakofhistongueandmanagedtodislodge…afeather.
“ShouldIevenaskhowafeathergotinmymouth?”Harrymuttered.
Draolookedmildlydisgusted.“Thatwouldbeano.”
Harrydidn’trespondtoDrao’sanswer,infathehadn’tevenlookedatDraoafterthatfirsttimethism.SeeingDraowasstilltooonfusing…orbroughtuponfusingthoughts.Anditwastooearlyinthemtodealwithonfusingissues.
HarrymadehiswaydowntotheGreatHallforbreakfasttofindthat,forone,hehadarrivedbeforeRonandHermione.Hewashalfwaythroughhisseondpieeoftoastwhenthetwoarrived.
“Oh,Harry,youshouldhavetoldusyouweregoingtobehereearly.”Hermionetoldhimastheysatdown.
“Mate,areyoufeelingokay?It’saSunday;onesleepsinteonSundays.”Ronremindedhim,oblivioustothelookofexasperationHermionesenthisway.
Otherstudentsbegantofilterintobreakfast,butHarrynotedthattherewasnosignofDrao.Thatwasratherodd.Draowasnormallyatbreakfastaroundthistimeeverydayoftheweek.Butpushingthethoughtoutofhismind,hereturnedtotheoionthatwashappeningaroundhim.
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TheHouse-Elves,Draothought,ouldbereallyannoying.Thelittlebuggershadbeeninhisbedroomwhenhe’demergedfromhisshower,pikingupfeathers.Theyrefusedtoleave,eventoallowhimprivaytogetsomelothingon,untiltheywerefinished.Draoalmostinformedthemofhowmuhtimetheywerewasting.ItwasmuheasierfortheVeriaehimselftopikuphisownfeathers.Theywerestillkeyedtohimafterall.Soifanyoneelsetriedtodoso,astheHouse-Elvesweredoing…well,ittookalongtime.SoDraostartedwonbreakingthereordforlotimewearingnothingbutatowel.
Whentheywerefinallydoneandoutofhisroom,Draosetaboutgettingonsomeproperlothingandthenponderedwhattodoabouttherestofhisday.Shoolworkeventuallywonover,beausetomorrowwasMonday,andheouldalwaysountonhisgodfathertoassignsomelongessay(whihhehadfinishedandintruthhadenjoyeddoing)sohemightaswellfinishthehomeworkheneededtohandinonTuesday.Arithmany.Drao’seyessannedthetopioftheessay,andheimmediatelyresolvedtojustlookuptheanswerinabookinsteadofdoingtheextraworktofigureitout.ThatwastheproblemwithArithmany.Duringhisfirstyearstakingit,he’datuallydonetheworkoffiguringouttheanswertotheessayshimself,thenhe’drealizedtheywereallinthebook,justnotinthehapterthesswasurrentlystudying.
Nowwherewasthatbook?Let’ssee.Thesttimehe’dusedit,hewasdoingthoseanalogythings(stupidteaherwasinlovewithanalogies,hewasertain).He’dbeenprettytikedbythetimehe’dfinishedthestone(outofonehundred),soheprobablyputthebooksomepeoutofthewaywiththehelpofthemagialurrentsthatdriftedthroughHogwarts.This,ofourse,meantthathehadnoluewhereitwasnow.Forallheknew,hehadbanishedittothefourthfloororridorandMerlinknewwhomighthavefoundit.Butasheasthiseyesaroundtheroomhesawthatthiswasnotthease.Itwasjustbanedonthetopofhisbookshelves…whihwereabouttwieastallasDraohimselfwas.
Oh,wouldn’tthisbefun.Draolookedatthebookashesensedaroundforanyurrentsthatmightbenearby.ThatwasthethingwhenonewasdownnearthedungeoninsideabuildinglikeHogwarts,oneouldn’trelyonthenatureurrents,whereasoutsidetheywereeverywhereandanywhere.No,inside,onehadtorelyontheurrentsthatamefromthosewhowereusingmagiatthemomentintimeorfromolderspellsthatwereentombedintherokwallsoftheastle.And,astheHogwartsstairsproved,thesewererathertemperamental.So,ofourse,therewerenomagialurrentsforDraotofindandalltohisaidwhenhewantedthem.
SoDraodidwhatanyself-respetingteenagerwoulddo.HegredatthebookshelvesandtheArithmanybookasifitwasalltheirfault.
“SoHarry,”Ronaskedastheyfinishedbreakfast.“Haveyoufinishedyouressayyet?”