The Terrors of Gossip

Kano watched as Neville floated higher and higher, then came plummeting down.

He sighed, swung himself onto his broomstick, and kicked off hard with both legs, shooting forward like an arrow released from the bow.

Judging Neville's path of descent, he caught him by the shoulder halfway down and flung him outward with all his strength.

He used the technique Gawain had taught him for grabbing an enemy off a horse. Poor Neville went from falling to rolling, gaining several scrapes, but at least he had not broken any bones.

Kano had slightly strained his arm as well, but it healed on its own before he could even take a breath.

Madam Hooch hurried over anxiously to check on them. She intended to send both Kano and Neville to the school hospital.

"I'm taking these two children to the hospital. All of you, put down your brooms. If anyone takes off before I return, I'll have them expelled."

Malfoy grinned brightly and called out to his lackeys, "Kano really is an idiot. He made such a mess of himself just to save another idiot."

His followers, Crabbe and Goyle, let out a pair of dull, booming laughs.

Kano patted the wrinkles from his robes and turned to Malfoy. "Laugh all you want, Malfoy. If you ever find yourself in danger someday, I'll definitely watch elegantly from the sidelines."

"It'd just be a shame about that fine head of yours. It'll go splat... red and white everywhere... tsk, tsk."

Shaking his head, Kano left with Madam Hooch and the others. Malfoy's face turned pale, as though he could already see himself smashing into the ground.

Kano and Madam Hooch supported Neville toward the hospital wing, and from the corridor windows, they saw Harry attempting a difficult aerial catch.

Madam Hooch was nearly unable to remain standing. She handed Kano and Neville over to Madam Pomfrey, briefly explained their injuries, and rushed off again.

"They ought to cancel Quidditch altogether. Every year, students get seriously hurt because of that thing."

Madam Pomfrey took out a bottle of Essence of Dittany and applied it to Neville's scrapes. Fresh skin immediately grew over them.

She drew her wand and cast several diagnostic spells. Finding that Neville had no other injuries, she nodded in satisfaction.

Then she turned to Kano. After a wave of her wand revealed that he was completely uninjured, she immediately began shooing him out without ceremony.

"You're as healthy as a young calf. Go have dinner in the Great Hall." She paused. "And helping your classmates is a good thing, but pay attention to your methods next time. If both of you break your necks together, that would be quite troublesome."

Kano naturally nodded and thanked her, then left the hospital wing with the still-shaken Neville.

Harry ate happily. Kano knew it was because his misfortune had turned into good fortune: McGonagall had made an exception and admitted him to Gryffindor's Quidditch team.

Malfoy came over to provoke him, proposing a wizard's duel with Potter that night. Ron agreed on Harry's behalf without a second thought, while Harry himself, the person involved, was completely confused.

So he chose to ask Kano for advice.

"You agreed without even knowing what a wizard's duel is?" Kano asked, eating his beef pie at an unhurried pace and looking at them as though he doubted their intelligence.

Harry could not stand that look and turned to Ron.

"Hey, don't be like that, Harry. Nobody can cast any powerful spells yet. At most, we'll make each other dance," Ron argued. "And if that doesn't work, just punch him. Besides, don't you want to hit him?"

Harry imagined Malfoy taking a punch to the face, his nose broken and blood streaming down, and clenched his fists excitedly.

Kano shook his head, feeling that the two boys were still a little too innocent.

Hermione, who had been eavesdropping beside them for quite some time, leaned over and sternly accused the two of them of planning to ignore school rules and sneak out at night.

"We'll lose points! You could be expelled!" Hermione was so anxious that her prominent front teeth showed, looking as though she might bite Ron at any moment.

"Don't you meddle too much? My brothers sneak out at night all the time, and they've never been caught."

Ron was utterly unconcerned. In the end, Harry turned a pleading gaze toward Kano.

Kano wiped his mouth and asked, "Harry, think about it. Why did Malfoy ask you to duel at midnight? Wouldn't the edge of the Black Lake this afternoon have worked just as well? And if I remember correctly, Slytherin has class tomorrow morning."

Harry was merely a little rash, not stupid. "You mean he never intended to show up at all?"

"If it's Malfoy, he might even tip off Filch," Hermione realized as well.

Filch was the school caretaker, and he loved catching students sneaking out at night.

"But... Harry," Kano said, turning his gaze toward Malfoy, who was bragging loudly with his two foolish lackeys, "do you really want to give him a beating?"

Harry nodded without hesitation.

Kano smiled and turned to speak with Parvati Patil, one of the Indian sisters.

"Parvati, do you know about wizard duels?"

Parvati and Kano were no more than casual acquaintances. She froze for a moment, then nodded.

"I do. They say you wager a wizard's honor and life."

"I heard Draco Malfoy is holding a wizard's duel tonight. But don't go spreading it around." Half of Kano's face was hidden in the shadow cast by his cupped hands, and Harry seemed to hear him holding back laughter.

"Don't worry, I absolutely won't spread it around. But is it true?"

Kano shook his head, indicating that he had only heard about it and had no definite information.

Parvati looked toward Malfoy in confusion, but as a Gryffindor, she could hardly go over and ask him directly.

Her choice was a natural one: she told her twin sister, Padma Patil of Ravenclaw.

Harry watched the sisters exchange a few words, after which Padma ran over to a small group of Ravenclaw girls.

A pretty girl named Cho Chang was among them, and Harry could not help taking a second look.

Then the group of Ravenclaw girls let out a cry of surprise and scattered to find Slytherin girls to confirm the news.

Ravenclaw students really were indifferent to many things, but that did not mean the girls did not enjoy spreading all sorts of gossip.

Hufflepuff students joined in as well, while Ravenclaw's little eagles explained to them the sanctity of wizard duels and Malfoy's challenge.

Malfoy was still enjoying his lackeys' flattery, basking in it when Pansy Parkinson came up to him with admiration written all over her face.

"Oh my God, Draco. I heard that tonight, you're going to stake your family's honor, your dignity, and your life on a magical duel to the death with your opponent. You're so cool, so brave!"

There were quite a few people at Hogwarts, but not that many. Before lunch was even over, this thrilling news had spread through all four Houses, and the things Malfoy was supposedly staking seemed to multiply with every retelling.

Children loved nothing more than stirring up trouble, and Malfoy could not explain his suffering.

Harry and the others watched the rumor take shape and could not help staring in astonishment. Especially that line—"Don't spread this around"—which was practically some kind of spell.

"Kano, you really are a Black."

The twins had watched the whole process too, leaving behind that single assessment.

Kano smiled elegantly, as though he were completely innocent.

"Now Malfoy has to go." Kano patted Harry on the shoulder. "Ron was right. If the wand doesn't work, use your fists."