First week and whispers

The next morning, Teddy woke to the sound of birds chirping. He glanced over at Andy, who was still asleep, his face pale and drawn. Teddy hesitated, then gently shook his shoulder.

"Come on," he said softly. "We don't want to be late."

The first day was a whirlwind of harsh experiences. The first period was of Charms. Professor Macmillan told them some beginning stuff. The period was a double period so Professor Macmillan also taught them levitating charms. They practiced a bit. Teddy found it difficult. They advanced to potions after the bell rang. Potions were easy, and Teddy was good at it much to the surprise of Professor Slughorn. 

It was break next,After break they marched to Herbology. Whispers were following Andy in the corridors. Students would stare, some with open hostility, others with morbid curiosity 

Professor Longbottom started the class with an introduction. He was staring at Andy from time to time. Andy was working when Professor Longbottom walked towards him, his brow furrowed, his expression hardening.

"Lestrange," he said, his voice clipped and formal.

Andy looked up, startled. "Yes, Professor?"

"I want to talk to you," Longbottom said, his gaze fixed on Andy.

Andy's heart pounded in his chest. He knew what Longbottom was talking about.

"About my… family," he stammered.

Longbottom nodded. "Your family's history is well-known, Lestrange. It casts a long shadow."

Andy looked down at his hands, his fingers tracing the delicate veins of a Moly leaf.

"I know," he whispered.

"Do you?" Longbottom challenged, his voice rising. "Do you truly understand the pain your family has caused? The lives they destroyed? The scars they left behind?"

Andy remained silent, tears welling up in his eyes.

"My parents…" he began, his voice trembling.

"Your parents were Death Eaters, Lestrange," Longbottom interrupted, his voice laced with bitterness. "They served a dark wizard who terrorized this world. They tortured and killed innocent people. Don't try to pretend you don't know that."

The class was hearing this conversation with shock. At the same time the bell rang and they left the green house. Andy had tears in his eyes.

***********

The same night, Andy was in Gryffindor's common room. Andy was in the washroom when Teddy overheard some boys talking in a corner.

"It's disgusting," one of them hissed. "A Lestrange in Gryffindor. It's an insult to everyone who fought against Voldemort."

"He's just a kid," another one said, but without much conviction.

Teddy felt a surge of anger. He slammed his book shut, startling the group.

"He's my friend," Teddy said, his voice trembling with barely suppressed rage. "And if you have a problem with that, you have a problem with me."

He glared at them, his eyes flashing a warning. The group, taken aback by his outburst, mumbled something and turned away.

************

The second day passed without great incidents.

Meanwhile, the whispers continued, fueled by a growing sense of unease among the students. The Gryffindor common room felt less welcoming, the smiles less frequent. Even Leo seemed to be keeping his distance from Teddy and Andy. Teddy wanted to tell Leo that Andy was not like his parents and that Andy was innocent.

One evening, Teddy found Leo alone in the common room, staring into the fire. He took a deep breath and approached him.

"Leo," he began, "can we talk?"

Leo looked up, his expression guarded. "About what?"

"About Andy," Teddy said. "About everything that's been happening."

Leo sighed. "Teddy, please leave me alone"

"But he's not his father!" Teddy insisted. "He's different."

"Is he?" Leo challenged. "He's a Lestrange. It's in his blood."

"That's not fair," Teddy said, his voice rising. "You can't judge him based on his family."

"And you can't ignore it," Leo retorted. "He's a risk. He could be dangerous."

"He's not!" Teddy shouted, losing his temper. "You don't even know him!"

"And you do?" Leo shot back. "You've known him for what, two days? You think you know everything about him?"

"I know enough to know he's not like his father," Teddy said, his voice shaking. "And I'm not going to let you, or anyone else, treat him like he is."

The argument ended there. Teddy stormed off, leaving Leo staring into the flames, his face etched with worry.

The next day, the tension in the castle reached a breaking point. During a particularly chaotic Potions lesson, a Slytherin student made a snide remark about Andy's "family tradition" of brewing poisons. Andy, usually quiet and withdrawn, snapped. He hurled a vial of bubbling green liquid at the Slytherin, narrowly missing his head. Professor Slughorn saw that and gave both detentions to Andy and the Slytherin boy, Oden McNair.