Scott rowed the boat a short distance from the dock, then stopped, letting it drift with the gentle waves.
He said to Jacob, "It's only been a month since term started, but you've changed a lot. Compared to when we first met, you're like a different person."
Jacob gave a soft laugh. "If I were still as naive as when I first entered the Wizarding World, what do you think would have happened to me?"
Scott's lips curved slightly. He rested one hand on the gunwale, his fingers unconsciously tapping a steady rhythm against it.
"I'm not criticizing you, Jacob," he said softly. "On the contrary, I admire what you did."
Jacob didn't look surprised. He gazed calmly at Scott. "I know."
He said, "You originally planned to expose me completely, but then you changed your mind, didn't you?"
Scott didn't bother to hide that Jacob was right. "That's right."
Just then, he looked up and waved back at the Weasley Twins, who were waving to him from the distant shore.
Then he continued speaking to Jacob. "I decided not to expose you because this involves where people stand."
"Pure-blood wizards and Muggle-born wizards?" Jacob asked knowingly.
Scott nodded. "I originally thought you'd chosen to side with Jasmine Travers."
At that, he smiled again. "I didn't expect to have misjudged you this time."
Jacob gave a few cold laughs. "I know exactly what they think of Muggle-born wizards. Besides, I didn't come here to learn how to be a House-elf."
Scott brought up what had happened the day before. "Now that I think about it, you probably had something to do with Turpin exposing herself so easily, right? The traces she left when sneaking into our dormitory were far too obvious."
He clapped his hands. "You must have been waiting for an opportunity like that, and the fact that the three Travers girls fell ill gave you one."
Jacob didn't hide it. "Yes. At the time, I kept urging Turpin on, making her even more nervous. In her panic, she chose to use a Severing Charm to open Davis's trunk."
"I thought Davis would realize something was wrong when he saw the trunk. I didn't expect him to actually get on that broom." He shook his head.
"In any case, you chose to make Turpin the opening that let the professors understand what had happened. Well done, Jacob." Scott clapped softly.
"I originally thought that although you might have been forced into it at first, later you'd simply chosen to become Travers's lackey. Since you had no intention of helping yourself, I wasn't going to go out of my way to rescue you. That's why I stopped paying attention to you."
He paused, then swiftly drew his wand.
"Waddiwasi."
The spell struck a pebble the Twins had skimmed across the water, sending it flying back in their direction.
Scott held his wand in his hand and continued speaking to Jacob. "I understand now. You turned down my help and didn't ask the professors for help, choosing instead to keep hanging around those Pure-blood girls. You wanted to get something from Travers, didn't you?"
He tapped his palm with his wand. "Some Dark Arts, for instance."
Jacob readily admitted it with a nod.
"Just a few little Hexes and a couple of Jinxes. They don't really count as Dark Arts. But I think what matters more is learning things that are common knowledge to Pure-blood wizards," he said.
"Maybe you think it was a bad bargain, Scott."
Jacob showed little emotion.
"But I don't have your great magical talent. To gain knowledge that I can't learn at Hogwarts, I think what I've had to put up with is worth it."
At that moment, his eyes shone with extraordinary brightness.
"Even though I've been insulted every day and hit with spells, I still think it's worth it!"
"That's very Ravenclaw of you."
Scott made the remark, then raised his wand and cast a spell at another pebble flying toward them.
"I'm not going to judge whether it's worth it," he said to Jacob. "That's your choice. I won't interfere."
"That's very Ravenclaw of you, too." Jacob returned Scott's words to him.
"Thanks." Scott went on, "But you know, even though Professor Flitwick said he'd expel her, there's a good chance Travers will still return to Hogwarts."
Jacob wasn't surprised. "I know. The most Travers did was incite others. There's no concrete evidence that she hurt or threatened me..."
He shook his head. "...You know, that doesn't constitute a crime. Avery, who gave Turpin the Dark Arts objects, did something much more obvious."
Scott took hold of the oars again and began slowly rowing the boat back toward the dock.
"Even after she returns to Hogwarts, the professors will keep a close eye on her, but you should still be wary of her taking revenge in secret," he warned Jacob.
Jacob smiled. "You might be one of her targets, too, Scott. I know her fairly well. She holds a grudge, and she never lets things go."
There was a note of meaning in his voice.
"So you know about Travers's plan to take revenge on me," Scott said. "But you chose to hide it from Professor Flitwick."
A sly expression crossed Jacob's face. "My instincts told me not to lie to Professor Flitwick, so I only hid part of what happened. The rest of the time, I told the truth."
"Your instincts are good," Scott complimented him.
Jacob said, "The magic of magic is that there are so many methods we don't know about. If we only defend ourselves, we'll be at a disadvantage."
"So?" Scott raised an eyebrow slightly.
"So we should make that girl lose the ability to take revenge on us," Jacob said, his expression cold.
He paused, his expression softening a little, then added, "That was why you called me here alone, wasn't it?"
"No, you're mistaken, Jacob."
Scott's answer wasn't what Jacob had expected.
"Make Travers lose the ability to take revenge on us?" He shook his head. "I'm afraid we can't do that. Even if we could, it would be extremely risky. I don't do things unless I'm sure I can pull them off."
Although Jacob's suggestion sounded reasonable and was very tempting to Scott—
St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries was somewhere Scott knew nothing about. He would never risk going there.
"Then why...?" Jacob finally looked surprised.
"I told you. I just wanted to talk with you."
By then, the boat had reached the shore. Scott stood up and jumped onto the dock.
He turned back to Jacob, who was still sitting in the boat, and said, "We're both Muggle-born wizards, so a lot of the time we're on the same side. And you're a clever guy. Maybe we'll have plenty of chances to work together in the future. This time, we've gotten to know each other a little."
With that, he waved and turned to leave.
Before he left the dock, he heard Jacob's dissatisfied voice. "I don't know you at all!"
"That's your own problem."
Scott turned his head and replied, then stepped onto the stone staircase leading up to Hogwarts Castle.
Before you continue