Calm Before

Matt was quieter on the walk back from the music shop. He was keeping an odd distance from the others. He still felt guilty about how he lost his temper at Cassidy in front of everyone. He felt sure that at least Harry and Hermione could tell he was affected by what they had discussed. He did not want to bring it up.

Matt stood in the archway of a courtyard. It was large, several dozen feet across and just as many deep. It was bordered on three sides by a series of covered arched pathways, all open aired. In the middle of the courtyard stood a massive stone statue, with representations of each of the houses carved in stunning three-dimensional detail.

Behind Matt was the entrance hall to the castle, the Gordian Knot on the floor and the four house statues further beyond. He turned to see the girl he had always considered his sister. Although he did not have any siblings of his own, she was often counted as much.

While he had spent considerable time with Cassidy Curtis and David Harding, they were his girlfriend and best friend after all, he tried to spend as much time with Sarah as possible. She was a year younger than him, but he was very protective of her. During his second year and her first, she was bullied mercilessly by some of the older students in Thunderbird House. Matt had raced to defend her, unable to tolerate the hate thrown at her.

Ever since he knew she cared for him. He thought she was wonderful, singularly gifted and wanted nothing more than to see her succeed. So, when he came to the decision of what he was about to do it was as impossible to do as climbing Mount Everest without a harness. He knew he would have to send her away, the Headmaster was sure the attack was coming. Matt swallowed hard as he heard Sarah approach.

He turned to her, her black hair, frizzy and sticking out in every angle possible on top of her head. She looked like she was wreathed in an unmoving black fire. Her skin was the same mocha color as her father, and she was beautiful. Matt knew she would make some lucky wizard or witch incredibly happy one day. All he wanted for her was happiness. He knew for that to happen, he had to do an unthinkable cruelty.

"Sarah." He said as approached him. "We have to talk."

"Yeah? What's up bro?" she asked, leaning against him, and pushing him playfully.

"Sarah…not now." Matt said and turned to her, his hands on her shoulders, his face stern. He was serious.

"Wh-what? What's going on?" she asked, all pretense of playfulness gone from her face.

"You have to leave the school." Matt said.

"I'm not leaving the school." She replied, anger rising in her voice.

"Please. Your dad thinks there's an attack coming, and I agree with him. Better you are not here." Matt told her.

"No! I wanna fight! I'll stand right by you, just like always!" Sarah said, standing her ground.

"It's too dangerous." Matt said, the platitude sounded old and worn out.

"Like hell! Then you're leaving too, right?"

"Sarah…" Matt began, there was a pleading desperation in his voice.

"You're not?! No! I'm not going! You're like my brother. You know why I won't go if you're still here."

"Damnit Sarah. I'm not your brother! I never have been." Matt said in anger, a coldness in his voice.

"Wuh-what are you saying? Yes, you are! You love me and I love you! I'm not abandoning you!" Sarah tried to embrace him, but he stopped her, taking her hands and pushing them down to her sides.

"No! I don't! I don't love you like that. I never have. I used to love Cass and only her. But she's gone too. I don't want you here. I don't want to see you again. Just go!" Matt snarled and turned his back on her. He heard Sarah cry. She moaned and sputtered a reply, but Matt stalked off, ignoring her.

"F-fine! Fuck you then! I hate you!" Sarah screamed.

Matt moved to the end of the courtyard. He slumped against one of the archways. He stayed there for a long time. It felt like hours passed until Sarah came marching back out of the castle. Her trunk floating behind her. She briefly saw him and ignored him, turning her back and spat on the ground before making her way down the path away from the school.

Matt waited until she was out of sight and therefore earshot before he sunk to ground and wept.

"Matt?" a voice came and snapped him out of his memories. "Are-are you alright?" It was Hermione talking to him, her hand was on his arm.

"I'm fine." He lied and shrugged her off. Hermione did not like that but chose to not push it either.

"Ginny was just telling me and Harry about what you mentioned about how CDs are made. It sounded remarkably interesting. Could you explain it to us?" she asked.

"Uh, sure." Matt replied and nodded his head.

"You know it never occurred to me to find out about computers. They didn't teach us much like that in primary school." Harry said.

"Well, you both know the basics on how computers work. They're essentially big calculators. They're just more sophisticated, like when we use spells like 'Protego' for instance, there's a second level 'Protego Duo' and so forth. Same with calculators and computers, calculators are 'Protego' and Computers are more like 'Protego Duo'." Matt explained.

"Right! We used that a lot, didn't we Hermione?" Harry said, hearing the example really seemed to help.

"So, anyway, computers being more advanced, have their own language. It's simple, two characters, zero and one make up everything. Computers can take something like a song, with all of its instrumentation and vocals and backing sounds and translate it into a series of ones and zeroes. Binary language. They're then able to use a high-powered light inside the computer to etch the ones and zeroes onto a piece of plastic, like a CD. Pop the CD into a player that has a different light with an eye that can read all those microscopic ones and zeroes and play it back." Matt continued.

"This is fascinating, we definitely never covered this in my classes. Where did you lean this anyway?" Hermione asked as they walked.

"I think No-Maj Studies was a lot different for me than you. We got a lot of additional information. Plus, I would read up on stuff during the summer just so I could function in the No-Maj world." Matt replied.

He noticed he felt better after having had something to focus on and regurgitate the information. Hermione must have sensed that and drew him out of his melancholy. She was good. Matt acknowledged a new level of respect for her.

Matt fell silent again as they walked through the streets. He was almost sure that whatever Cassidy told them, it would change their opinion of him. He hated that. If someone was going to change their opinion on him, he wanted it to be because he did something to warrant it. Not something someone else told them from their own biases and perspective.

"Matt…" Hermione began, determined not to let him fall too far into his own head.

"Yes?" Matt asked.

"I know what you're thinking…and it doesn't matter." She continued. Matt stopped and turned to her, not sure what to say in response.

"How can you say that?" he finally responded after a few moments.

"Because it's what she told us, not you. It's in the past. And for the record, I don't think she was unkind or trying to turn us against you." Hermione said. Matt gave her a sad smile.

"Thank you." He said, his voice strained. "C'mon let's go get something to eat." He said and turned away, trying to keep his emotions in check. He did not want to cry in front of his new friends but what she had said meant a lot to him. Even if he was not able to articulate at that moment.

The rest of the day went much smoother as the group returned to the Leaky Cauldron and proceeded into Diagon Alley. They spent a lot of time just simply browsing the shops and talking to various familiar faces for Harry, Hermione, Ginny, and Luna. Matt met a few of their friends but kept his introductions short and spoke in clipped sentences.

"You know, you're trying too hard to hide your accent." Hermione said to Matt as they say at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. Someone had reopened the store following the owner's abduction and murder by Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters. They kept the name in honor of the former proprietor and the ice cream was as good as ever.

"I don't have an accent! You have an accent." Matt shot back.

"Excuse me, I most certainly do not! Do I Harry?" Hermione said, mockingly affronted.

"Actually, I think Hermione's right, you do." Harry said with an apologetic tone.

"I'm gonna stop talking." Matt replied.

"That'll be a welcome change!" Ginny quipped.

"Ah! I'm betrayed!" Matt said holding his hand over his heart and over dramatically leaning on his chair, before accidentally falling out of it. Everyone laughed, including Matt, as he sat the chair back up and resumed his spot. The group enjoyed the rest of the day together before parting ways, promising to meet up early the next day.

"And you're positive you can get to the strain station?" Hermione asked Matt as they were leaving the Leaky Cauldron.

"Yes, I'm sure. I know the way. We walked it three times and went over twice more step by step over dinner. I'll be fine!" Matt replied. He knew his trip through London worried her.

"Alright. If you're certain. I can always come back and escort you, you know." She spoke.

"Oooh, an escort. Like I'm some kind of celebrity!" Matt teased.

"Don't start! You're supposed to be keeping a low profile, aren't you?" Hermione reminded him.

"I know I know. Don't talk to anyone, don't touch anything, and try not to look at anything." Matt smirked. Hermione rolled her eyes. They were standing in a corner, talking quietly so as not to draw attention.

"Just, be careful. I'll see you at King's Cross Station." Hermione said and Matt waved goodbye to her and Harry as they returned to Grimmauld Place. He sighed and climbed the stairs up to his room.

As Harry and Hermione sat down in the kitchen at Grimmauld Place Harry asked Hermione a question that had been on his mind apparently.

"Hermione, why are you nagging at Matt?" Harry asked her.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked back, feeling herself flush.

"Well, you always do tend to…" Harry began.

"Tend to what, Harry?" Hermione asked, anger crept into her voice.

"You tend to want to," Harry paused, searching for the right turn of phrase, so as not to upset his bushy haired friend. "Take care of someone. And with you and Ron being on the outs…"

"I'm not dating him! He's not some kind of rebound!" Hermione shot back. Harry was reading her face and expression, seeing how she reacted and searching her expression. He wanted to see if she was hiding something. He thought briefly about trying Legilimency to view her mind but thought better of it. He wasn't very good at the art and didn't want to invade her privacy in that way.

"Okay. You just seem to be a little overprotective of him. I'm sure he's more than capable of handling himself." Harry said.

"Oh, really? We're talking about the same Matt, who decided to go looking for a store in the middle of city he's never been to nor seen except from pictures at a distance. The one who got into a wizard's duel in the middle of said store? The one who's supposed to be keeping a low profile and failing spectacularly at it? That's the same person to which you're referring?" Hermione crossed her arms over her chest.

"Okay, fair enough. But why do you care so much?" Harry asked. "He's still not…you

know…"

"Not what Harry?"

"He's not Ron."

"I know he isn't Ron! I'm not in love!" Hermione responded.

"Okay! You're not in love. I just, feel like we should maybe, be a little more vigilant is all.

Voldemort's supporters are still out there."

"Harry, we're not at war. We can start to trust again, can't we? He's not some kind of evil unknown. You've met him. You've seen how he is. He's fine. He's not some Death Eater." Hermione responded and sighed. "We can trust him." Hermione looked down and studied the floor for a few moments. "We lost so many people Harry. Is it wrong to want to fill that empty space with someone new?"

Harry tried to respond but could not find the words. Hermione and he had lost good friends fighting Voldemort. Hermione's parents were still in Australia and had no idea who she even was. And it was questionable whether they would ever remember her without being tortured.

"Hermione, you're right. I'm sorry for doubting you." Harry said. She smiled at him.

"Thank you." She replied. "For trusting me." Hermione replied. Harry nodded as she stood. She gave him a side hug from his seat and moved upstairs to her room. "Goodnight, Harry." She called.

"Goodnight Hermione." Harry said before retiring to his own room.