Chapter Twenty - Alex's Memory

October 3rd, 1974.

Two years ago.

''Stupid know-all - he really thinks he can correct me?''

''He just swaggers about thinking everyone should worship him because he knows loads of pointless facts.''

''All I know is I try to avoid any conversation with him. He starts spouting stupid facts before you can even get a word in. Man, he's boring. I'd never want to be friends with him.''

''That's the point - he thinks he's so bloody clever when he doesn't even have any friends.''

The whispered jeers of my housemates do get to me, I'll admit, as I walk away from their table in the library, having just tried to help one of them, Peterson, with his homework. Alright, maybe I did rub it in his face a bit, but my intentions were fair - I was just trying to give him a hand. Yet once again he and his pals insult me behind my back. I'll receive the silent treatment now - though I've basically received that treatment for four years already. It started as soon as I met the imbeciles in my house - just because I'm cleverer than them, they won't accept me. Just because I'm smart. And they call themselves Ravenclaws.

I head deeper into the library, searching for the Muggle books section. They have some Muggle fiction there, but I'm not not actually searching for those - I'm looking for a Science book. I love Muggle science and am dying to read some Chemistry - a question I can't remember the answer to has been bugging me for the past few days and I need to find the answer. And so my quest for a science dictionary begins.

I find the Muggle book section and immediately begin to scour the shelves. My eyes don't even scan the space, I just go straight for the books. However, it's a few seconds later, my eyes flickering over the titles of the various volumes around me, that I realise someone else is also searching the shelves. Looking to my right, I see a girl I know to be in my year - Elena Fairweather, her name is. I never talk to her - for one, she's a girl, and she's never around. She's friends with this girl from Slytherin who, in my mind, is a little crazy, and never socialises with her fellow Ravenclaws. You could call her an outcast - like me.

She sighs as I watch her and I turn away, though out of the corner of my eye I see her lean back and turn her large eyes, fringed with light lashes, to scan the shelf in front of her, pushing her shoulder-length ash blonde hair back as she does so. For some reason, then I open my mouth and speak, though I'm not quite sure why.

''Looking for something?'' I question, my voice polite.

She looks up, jumping as I speak, her light blue eyes becoming wide as she looks at me and her expression turning shy. ''I - er - Science books. I'm looking for Muggle Science books.''

I raise my eyebrows, turning back to the shelf. ‘’Ironically, I’m looking for the same thing.’’

She laughs tensely, apparently abashed. ‘’Really?’’

I nod. I don’t know quite why I’m talking to this girl, but it encourages me that she’s looking for the same thing - and that she actually knows what Muggle science is, unlike most of my stupid classmates. ‘’I need to get the answer to this question involving some Chemistry - it’s been plaguing me for days now.’’

‘’What does it concern?’’ She asks, still shy but a little less guarded.

I turn to look at her, then crease my brow as I answer. “Well I can't remember if the process of making ammonia is an equilibrium reaction, and the properties of a reaction exhibiting dynamic equilibrium.” I watch as her face goes slightly blank and laugh awkwardly. “Don't worry, I confuse a lot of people with my Muggle knowledge.”

She looks up and her face clears suddenly. “Oh no - I wasn't confused by it.” She laughs. “I know the answer - the reaction involved in the process of making ammonia is indeed an equilibrium reaction, and the properties of dynamic equilibrium are; when the rate of forward reaction is the same as the rate of backward reaction, when the amount of product and reactant is the same, and when colour or pressure properties are constant.”

There's silence as she blushes and I raise my eyebrows, genuinely impressed. Then, for some reason, I speak instinctually and change the subject completely. “Tell me, Fairweather, what is your opinion on artificial fertilisers used by Muggles?”

Immediately Fairweather begins to speak, losing her shyness and expressing her opinions in a diplomatic manner. “Well for a start I think farmer should go back to previously used method of crop rotation - Muggle laws should be laid down to I force the use of natural crop rotation. And also laws restricting the purchase of artificial pesticides - they're killing wildlife in streams and rivers, all for the sake of greed. But of course, the stupid Muggle government isn't doing anything about it, they-”

She stops mid sentence, realising she's been ranting, and quietness again. “Sorry,” her voice is bashful once more, “I tend to get carried away with my opinions.”

“Oh no - I agree with you - but the Muggle government aren't as useless as they seem, though there'd have to be a protest against this kind of things for them to take notice and do something.” I answer, automatically beginning a debate. “Though I'm not all for crop rotation - there are quite a few negatives to take into account.”

“Well of course but it worked well in the past, before we had artificial fertilisers. It could easily work well again.” She answers, dropping her guard and regaining the earnestly diplomatic look she’d worn before.

“Yeah, but that was when our population wasn't increasing at this rate - crop rotation can't work now because of the sheer amount of food needed for our huge numbers.” I answer, countering her statement well.

“It wouldn't be the only method of natural fertilisation - we could…”

Our debate goes on, the two of us becoming more and more familiar with each other as time passes. It's great to argue good-naturedly about something that not only I am well versed in, but my opponent is as well. muggle science and Economics is something I love debating, but there's never been anyone around at Hogwarts to debate it with me. Until now.

By the end of the debate, when we've reached a conclusion and the dark haired mad Slytherin girl who is Elena’s best friend comes to collect her, I can tell we’re friends. And Elena, though she started off shy, shows her bold side as she turns back to me when they're heading off.

“Coming, Alex?” She asks, her friend staring at her.

I raise my eyebrow humorously. “Does this mean we're friends?”

Her answering grin sparks warmth within me I have never know before, and suddenly I feel settled, as I've finally found something I can rely on. “Oh yes.”