Two weeks passed, and Jasper had kept his promise to Christopher, and stayed away from Anthony, but he hated doing so. He honestly was so confused about this whole situation, even more confused than before.
He didn't understand why Christopher hated him so much. What had he done to make him so opposed to him talking to Anthony? It was not the fact that Ella had a crush on him, because Ella was not even their sister!
He had mentioned all this to Harry, and he replied, "I have no idea what Christopher's problem is mate."
"It's honestly annoying at this point." Jasper grumbled. "Like, he isn't even telling me why I should stay away from him. The least he can do is give me a reason."
"I would say talk to him." Harry started, jotting something down on a piece of parchment. "But that won't work with Christopher." Harry looked up from his Charms textbook. "Have you seen Anthony at all? In the Great Hall? In a corridor? What about class? He's been in class, why don't you try to talk to him then?"
"I would speak to him in the classes we have together, but it is tough when we aren't partners, and there is barely time to talk with the work." Jasper shook his head in frusration. "And when we are outside of class Christopher is with him. Always. It's bloody annoying, and if he ever spots me, he glares. Like sorry for walking down the same bloody corridor as you, I promise I don't want to..." He sighed. "This is frustrating."
Jasper decided it would be best to talk to someone who was in Ravenclaw house about this whole confusing situation to see if they had any more information, so Jasper asked Ian as he was one of Anthony's dormmates.
"Christopher has always been...odd." Ian said slowly, as he had gathered this from what he had seen from Christopher, and when he was distracting him so Anthony had chances to do anything without his older brother tailing him. "Or at least to me he has. He has always been protective of his brother – to the extreme, but they fight a lot." Ian looked around the corridor to be sure Christhoper was not lurking anywhere. "I think Christopher has a bit of anger issues."
"I can see that." Jasper said.
"Him, and Anthony have had a rocky relationship." Ian said. "They don't really know how to communicate, and Christopher does try, but he isn't good at it. He isn't good at explaining things without getting mad, and lately, he has been really impatient with Anthony. He yells at him all the time." Ian paused. "My sister says Christopher has always had trouble expressing his emotions, and if he does...it is anger..." Ian shrugged. "I think he is stressed."
Jasper nodded, processing all this information. The brothers had communication issues, Christopher had issues expressing his emotions, and was stressed, and it would get to the point where he would snap at anyone. "I just wish he would explain his problem with me."
"I'd ask Pandora, she knows him best or you could ask Anthony." Ian suggested.
"I can't." Jasper said. "Christopher is always with him."
Ian shrugged, giving Jasper a small smile. "Are you going to the library today?"
Jasper wasn't expecting the change of topic, and said, "No, I wasn't planning on it, but Harry probably will."
"Maybe go with him?" Ian suggested.
Jasper had a feeling Ian was trying to indicate something, so he said, "Well maybe I will."
Ian smiled, and hopped off the windowsill. "Great, have fun studying." He was walking backwards so he was facing Jasper. "See you later!" He ran off.
Jasper slipped off the windowsill, and started to head back to the Hufflepuff common room. He did the password, and headed back to the dorm to find Harry asleep with a heavy book on his face.
Jasper briefly wondered how Harry could be asleep with something as heavy as a textbook on his face, and he shook his shoulder, making Harry murmur you have to leave? Jasper took the book off his face. "Are you awake?" Jasper asked, as Harry was stirring.
"Yeah." Harry murmured. He got up slowly, and rubbed his eyes. "Sorry I was just...dreaming, I guess."
"You guess?" Jasper asked, closing the book, and placing it back on Harry's bed.
"More like a memory." Harry said.
Jasper nodded slowly, not really understanding. "Well, okay..."
Harry stretched his arms over his head, and cracked his knuckles. "What time is it?"
"Two o'clock." Jasper replied.
Harry hopped off his bed. "I need to go to the library, I need to check out some books on Transfiguration." He walked to the door, and Jasper followed.
"I am going with you." Jasper said. "I do need to get a Defence book."
They both went down the stairs. "Sounds good." Harry said as they both left the common room, and went down a corridor, and up the stairs. "Have you asked Cara or Allen for help in Defence?"
Jasper replied, "I have, but they are really busy with OWLS. They apparently are driving all the fifth years insane."
"Maybe ask a teacher?" Harry suggested. "Like Moody?"
Jasper shook his head quickly. He did not want to be in a room alone with Professor Moody, he was still quite scared, and he didn't want to think about even asking him for something all alone.
They were walking up one of the staircases, Jasper was looking out for any trick steps to avoid as he had learned quite early on that if you stepped on one, the stairs would turn into a slide. He spotted one, and started, "Harry don't step there–"
Well, he did.
The stairs turned flat, and they slid down the slide.
Jasper slowed himself down halfway using his hands, and feet, so when he was at the bottom he just stood up, but Harry banged into a suit of armour. Jasper ran over, and helped him up. "Blimey! You okay?"
Harry nodded, while holding his head. "Yeah, I hate those steps."
The suit of armour he banged in to stood up, and stomped off, indignantly. "Sorry..." Harry tried.
They walked up the stairs again, now carefully, and went down the corridor towards the library. They both entered, and sat at a table. Harry took out his books, and a roll of parchment. Jasper took some parchment out too, and he looked around the library for Anthony, but there was no sign of him. Jasper sighed, he wanted to see him, but it would be hard to see him if Christopher was following him everywhere he went. He opened his book as Harry found a Transfiguration book.
They worked on Transfiguration for about an hour, going over the questions that Professor McGonagall had given them, and making new notes on things she had hinted at throughout the class. Jasper suggested they work on Defence Against The Dark Arts next, so Harry got up with Jasper, and they walked to get a book on Defence.
They were looking through bookshelves, when Harry tapped Jasper. "Look." Harry said. He indicated to four people at a small table in the back of the library. It was Marlene, Emmaline, Quinn, and...Anthony.
No Christopher.
"You can finally have an actual normal conversation with him." Harry whispered.
Both Harry, and Jasper walked up to the table. The four Ravenclaws seemed to be looking through a bunch of really old books. "Hi!" Jasper said.
The four looked up. "Jasper!" Anthony exclaimed, smiling. "I thought you abandoned me."
"Oh no, I haven't, I'm sorry." Jasper said, quickly. "Your brother–"
"Oh don't worry I know." Anthony said.
"We all know." Marlene said.
Quinn pulled up two more chairs. "Sit down, maybe you can help." Quinn looked over at Anthony quickly. "If that is okay."
Anthony nodded. "Yeah, it's okay."
Jasper, and Harry sat down. Both of them wondered what the Ravenclaws were up to. Harry looked at the books in front of them, and furrowed his brow. "Yearbooks?" Harry questioned.
Emmaline nodded. "Yeah." She paused. "We were looking through them for something."
"What for?" Harry asked, as Jasper looked over another book with Anthony.
Emmaline looked at Marlene, and Marlene said slowly, "Um...it's for a project on people who used to go here!"
"Okay..." Harry said slowly, still confused.
Jasper asked, "Where is your brother?"
"Getting distracted by Ian again." Anthony replied.
Jasper now understood what Ian meant earlier that day about the library, but that didn't erase his confusion about why Christopher needed to be distracted. "Your brother would be mad that you're researching for a project?"
Anthony bit his lip. "Well...you know him."
Jasper nodded at this. He did. Too well.
"What about her?" Emmaline asked suddenly. She slid the book towards Anthony, and pointed to a Ravenclaw girl with the name Ellopie Rowle.
Anthony looked at the picture, and consulted a few more books, and a few minutes later, he sighed, and shook his head. "No, she is part of the Sacred 28, and she is a pureblood in a still pureblood family."
"Are you sure you don't have her name?" Quinn asked.
Anthony shook his head. "I wish I did."
"Want to try to ask Christopher again?" Marlene asked.
"Absolutely not." Anthony said. "Last time it ended in a yelling match."
"Yeah, it was bad." Quinn said.
Now both Harry, and Jasper were confused. Who was this girl Anthony was looking for that his brother apparently knew? "Wait, what are we looking for?" Jasper asked.
Anthony looked up from his book, and faced Jasper. "Well, it is a bit of a secret."
"We need to know what we are looking for." Harry told him.
Anthony slowly nodded. "Yeah..." He looked at Jasper. "Promise not to tell?"
Jasper held out his pinkie. "Promise."
Anthony held out his pinky, and they made the promise.
Emmaline looked horrified. "Is that some sort of Unbreakable Vow?"
Marlene shook her head, laughing. "No Em, it is a pinkie promise." Emmaline still looked confused. "It's a muggle thing."
"Ohhhhh."
"So what is it?" Harry asked.
"Well..." Anthony started, thinking how to word this, and then he said in a quiet voice, "When I was really young–"
All of a sudden they heard a harsh voice ask, "Where is he?!"
Anthony looked at the direction it came from. "Oh no..."
Quinn started to close the books quickly, but Christopher appeared, and spotted them, and then spotted Anthony. "What are you doing?!" He asked harshly. He looked at Jasper sitting right beside him. "What are you doing with him?"
"We - we were just studying." Anthony said, nervous.
Christopher grabbed the books, as Quinn tried to fight with them. "Give them to me, Nakurmaura." He snapped, and yanked them out of Quinn's grasp.
He looked at the title, and his eyes widened. He looked up at Anthony. "What have you been doing?" He asked darkly.
"Researching." Anthony mumbled.
"I told you no!" Christopher said, angrily. "You never listen!"
"You're the one who never listens!" Anthony shot back.
Marlene looked between the two of them nervously. She had never been exactly present for any of their big fights, but she had certainly heard bits of them. "Okay, how about we–"
Ian ran in at this point, panting. "I - I - I am sorry." He said, breathing hard. He had run the whole way here from Ravenclaw Tower. "I - I tried to stop – but – just – so quick." He sat down on a chair, trying to catch his breath.
"Why are you so persistent on this?!" Christopher asked, as he waved the yearbook, ignoring Ian.
"You know why." Anthony said, getting frustrated.
"I have told you there is no point." Christopher said. "So stop it."
Harry looked at Jasper, who looked just as confused as he felt. "Look, just let him do what he wants–" Harry started.
"Shut it Warbeck."
Harry shut up, and now Jasper looked annoyed.
"Is he not allowed to look through yearbooks?" Jasper asked.
Christopher glared at Jasper. "Don't even start Odair."
"You're being rude!" Jasper exclaimed, angrily.
"I'm not." Christopher said. He looked at Jasper, and Anthony sitting beside each other. "Get away from him." He told Anthony.
"Why?!" Anthony yelled.
"You know why!!!" Christopher screamed, making Emmaline back away from him, Marlene took her hand, and Madam Pince shushed them.
Anthony stood up, and crossed his arms. "You're being mean." He whispered.
"This is for your own good." Christopher said.
"You never let me do anything!" Anthony yelled. "Ever since I came to Hogwarts you have been so controlling, you're not letting me do anything on my own! I want to make my own friends. I want to hang out with them. I want to have my own life."
"And I just want to protect you!" Christopher said back.
"I don't need you to protect me anymore!" Anthony snapped. "I want to do things on my own." He picked up the yearbook. "Like this."
"No!" Christopher told him, sharply, making Madam Pince shush them again.
"Why not?!"
"There is no point!" Christopher yelled.
"I want to find her!" Anthony yelled back.
"Why?!"
"Because she cares about us." Anthony told him, hugging the book to his chest.
Christopher stared at him, quiet for several moments, then – then he laughed. "You really think that?"
Anthony looked nervous at the change of tone. "Yes. Of course."
Christopher shook his head, chuckling, but then turned serious, and said, "You're wrong."
"I'm not." Anthony said. "She said–"
"I don't care what she said." Christopher hissed. "It was years ago."
"That is why I want to find her." Anthony said. "There may be a chance she couldn't find us after we moved, and–"
"You don't get it, do you?!" Christopher said, in a louder voice. It wasn't anger, it was frustration, and hurt. "She isn't coming back, okay?!"
"She said she would–"
"She isn't! Let it go!"
"But she said she would–" Anthony started again, but he got cut off by his brother.
"She isn't okay!!" Christopher yelled. "Mum left us for good! She abandoned us! So, stop trying to find her, she doesn't love us!!!"
There was silence in the library. The whole library. No one said anything, everyone just sat in shock at what was revealed. Christopher closed his eyes, realising he screwed up. Why did he say that in the library in front of everyone? Why? He was so bloody stupid.
Anthony had tears in his eyes. "She has to love us, she is our mother."
"If she loved us." Christopher said, much quieter now. "She would have taken us with her, but she left on her own, she is a coward who hates her own children."
Anthony looked at his brother, tears going down his face. "So my whole family hates me?"
Christopher stared at him. "What? No, why do you think that?"
"You said it yourself!" Anthony told him. "Mum doesn't love us, you said dad wouldn't like me, and it is quite obvious you hate me." He took a deep breath, wiping away his tears. "Everyone hates me." He ran out of the library.
Christopher stood there for a few beats, he looked like he was about to start crying too. "No, no, no, no, no that is not what I meant." He ran out after him.
Jasper stared after them, eyes wide, trying to process what just happened. He looked at Harry, and the other Ravenclaws, and then at the other students in the library. They were all in shock. Silence. No one knew what to say.