Title: Deflections and revelations
Harry looked at Ed's steady gaze and couldn't help but smile wide. He also had a clear view of Hermiome and Ron, and saw that both were trying their best to hold back barks of laughter. Beside him, Sirius Black coughed and sputtered, clearing his throat of his inadvertly inhaled butterbeer. He looked over to Lupin, his old Defense against the Dark Arts teacher and werewolf, and saw the smirk gracing his lips. Mr. and Mrs Weasley both looked positively uncomfortable, faces torn between laughter and terror at Ed's mangling of the Dark Lord's name.
"Vha--at." Ed said with a rasping voice.
It was the pile of rags that was Mundungus that broke the silence. Snorting with laughter, he said:
"'Moldy-shorts' HA! That's got ta be da best name I've eva 'eard for 'im..!"
His godfather then slapped the table with his palm, and a nearly soundless chuckle shook his shoulders.
The atmosphere in the room lightened considerably after everyone at the table had a laugh. Harry saw Ed raise an eyebrow, clearly confused by their reactions. Ed sat back slightly at the hearth, one knee bouncing up and down, mismatched hands clasped together between his legs.
"Forgive us, Edward. We forget that you're muggle-born, and new to all of this. Apparently." Sirius said as he looked over at Ed.
Ed scowled slightly, but nodded a sharp nod.
"Vhile you're at it, tell me vhat this 'muggle-born' is. And 'muggle'."
"You really don't know?" Hermione gasped.
Ed rolled his gold eyes at her.
"Vould there be a point of asking if I did?" Ed snapped.
"Ed.." Harry began.
Ed let out a breath through his nose, and frowned. His gold eyes looking at them all.
"Didn't your parents tell you? I thought..I'd assumed..you had to be homeschooled..?" Mrs Weasley said.
"I told you dat alvready. De're dead." Ed said flatly.
Harry blinked, surprised at that bit of news.
"I-im sorry." Harry stammered.
Ed's sharp gaze pierced his own.
"Don't be. Now tell me vhat I vant to know."
Harry took a breath, but before he could even begin.
"How old are you, mate?" Ron said.
Ed narrowed his eyes as they shifted to Ron.
"16 years. Vhy?"
"Blimey 16?! I thought you were youn..
"YOU SAYING I'M SHORT FOR MY AGE???!!!!!" Ed roared, face full of fury as he stood with his mismatched hands fisted at his sides. Fully focused on Ron.
Ron glanced to Harry, eyes wide with surprise and worry. He leaned back as far from the furious blond as he could get without leaving his seat, obviously remembering the pounding his twin brothers had received. As Harry watched, he was literally wilting from the intensity of Ed's fury. Harry noticed that even the adults at the table shifted slightly away from the blond, as if, they too, were afraid of what he'd do when sufficiently angry.
"Ed...he didn't mean it like that. Honestly..we didn't know." Harry said carefully in a calm voice.
Harry watched as Ed grumbled to himself in that odd language of his. Within moments, the blond sat back down at the hearth, and folded his arms across his chest. Ed looked at Harry specifically.
"Tell me vill you?"
"I'm not sure its a good idea for him to tell you. He's in trouble enough as it is. He...has a court date over that attack on you and him both." Lupin said.
"Vhy?"
"It's illegal for a minor to use magic, especially in front of a muggle." Harry muttered.
"But Ed's not a muggle! He did that hair drying thing...without a wand even! We all saw that!" Ron said.
"The Ministry must not know about that. Didn't you see? There were no notices sent to him by owl for performing underage magic. I should know!" Harry said.
"You get them..."
"..nearly instantly." Fred or George added.
He saw Ed clasp his hands together, resting his elbows on his knees. Ed looked down, and a frown deepened on his face. He was silent for several moments.
"Legally...I am my own guardian. Vould this make difference with this 'Ministry' of yours?" Ed said slowly in a low voice, like he was weighing each word with care.
"No. No. Not that I know of." Mr Weasley said, and he looked at Ed with a tilt to his head.
"And you vould know because..?"
"I work for the Ministry. Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Department."
Ed sighed. He rubbed the lower half of his face with his left hand. Then he shrugged. He glanced over at Harry and held his gaze.
"As I understand it, your actions saved my life. I do not understand your laws when they cause one to be punished for such a thing. But then, many laws are like that. I can see you, or anyvone here, telling me any more about these tings vill not be equivalent. This is fine.
"As for this 'Ministry', they are likely very incompetent. At very top, I mean. They vill be upset once dey discover their mistake, and I see dey vill not be nice. I vill go as soon as I am able. "
He watched as Ed stood from the hearth and stretched a bone popping stretch. Ed then looked over at Mrs. Weasley.
"You are having place for me to rest...?"
As Ginny showed Ed to the room, Harry resumed his conversation with Sirius. This sparked an arguement between Sirius and Mrs. Weasley, and Harry was grudgingly allowed to hear 'news' about the Order of the Phoenix's doings. It was to be very limited news mostly because Dumbledore only wished him to hear what he needed to know.
'Whatever that means..' Harry thought.
"ok, Harry. What do you want to know?" Sirius began.
"Where's Voldemort?" Harry demanded.
Ed flopped on the bed that was conjured from nothing, not really caring anymore for analysis of conjured objects. His head ached, and the drowiness overtaxed his ability to concentrate. He was surprised that sleep did not claim him right away like he thought it would. Instead, his mind buzzed.
:::
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