Gideon's encounter with Myrtle had taken him by surprise. However, he was glad for the ghostly girl's unexpected intervention. She had certainly distracted him.

With classes over for the day, except for extracurricular options, the halls were a little clearer now, and Gideon found his way to the Hospital Wing tower without too much trouble. There was a room either side of the entrance to the ward. One was the patient's bathroom. The other was marked:

Madam H. Longbottom

Matron

Like everything at Hogwarts, the Hospital Wing beyond was an impressive space. The high ceiling's architecture resembled that of an old, but well-maintained church. The ward was twice the length of those at St Mungo's, full of empty beds and natural light.

Gideon knocked on the door of the office and heard a sudden commotion. The door opened a few seconds later and a slim, fair-skinned woman answered, looking rather flustered. Behind her, a tall man with very red cheeks was straightening his robes. Apparently, Gideon had interrupted a private moment.

'Mr Maxwell, I presume?' said Madam Longbottom cheerfully.

Gideon wondered how she knew who he was, then, he remembered why he was there and nodded in reply.

'I'll see you at dinner, Matron,' the man said bashfully as he squeezed by her and departed with a polite nod to Gideon.

'Come on, then, let's take a look at that eye,' she said to Gideon without acknowledging the man, and showed him to the nearest empty ward bed. 'Have you had any problems with it?'

'No, it's been fine.' Gideon responded.

'St Mungo's sent me your information, but oddly, it didn't list how you were injured,'

'Oh, well, I'm not sure actually.'

The end of her wand emitted a small blue glow, which she then pointed at his face while removing his patch and dressing, 'Nasty bit of spell damage, I expect. Okay, can you try to open it for me?'

Gideon slowly tried to open his eye. The weak light that crept in burned slightly and what little he could see was blurry.

'That's fine,' she said, placing fresh ointment over the wound and taping on a new dressing. 'It's coming along nicely. You must have had some very good healers!'

As the matron refastened Gideon's patch, he asked her, 'Will I have to wear this much longer?'

She considered it for a moment, 'I'd say two or three more changes should do the trick, as long as you keep it covered! If you ask me, the magic of this old place and the country air outside both help speed things along. That's not exactly been proven, mind you! I like to think it's true, though.'

***

On returning to the Common Room, Gideon discovered the first-year boys practicing their levitation charms. He joined the girls in getting some homework done before dinner.

Dinner in the Great Hall turned out to be a selection of rice-based dishes. Gideon enjoyed a plate of paella, all the while keeping an eye out for Anthony. Once again, his brother appeared to be absent from the Gryffindor table.

Was Anthony going to pretend Gideon didn't exist, like their father was? Gideon wondered if he should go find him, but he remembered the prefects saying that the locations of the other house common rooms were kept secret.

Gideon's first day had been a mixed experience. The bad points were balanced out by the wonder of his new surroundings and the friendships he was forging. After dinner, the boys took a walk around the grounds, where Gideon watched the most amazing sunset he had ever seen.

Still, the day had been a long one. After spending the evening discussing Quidditch, Gideon fell asleep shortly after his head hit the pillow. Sadly, his sleeping thoughts were filled with strange interpretations of the day's events.

He found himself chasing his brother all over Hogwarts. Anthony, however, was always just out of Gideon's reach and refused to respond to his calls. He was also able to slip through the walls and doors of the castle much like the ghosts.

Gideon was soon lost in a maze of corridors, and then, he became the one being chased, by a shadowy figure in blue robes. Gideon surely knew who it was, but he couldn't face the representation of his father. He escaped and sought refuge in a girls' bathroom, but the flush of a toilet signalled that he wasn't alone.

However, it wasn't Myrtle that appeared from inside the stalls. Emma and Sasha Barrington emerged and proceeded to bombard him with questions that seemed more like accusations. Gideon couldn't stand their endless interrogation and raced from the bathroom to the nearest door he could find.

The door was old and stiff and wouldn't budge. Gideon had to push it with all his might before it burst open, and he tumbled through it. The walls of Hogwarts disappeared, and his view became somewhat blurred except for an attractive, dark-haired young woman who was reaching for him and calling his name.

Gideon felt compelled to reach out to her, but in place of his own limb he found an abnormally short arm with an abnormally tiny hand. It seemed very important that their hands met but he just couldn't reach her. Suddenly, a wall of flames came between them and the last thing he saw was the woman's pained expression as she was consumed by the fire.

'Wake up! Wake up! WAKE UP!'

'Wha-what's wrong?' said Gideon in a panic.

‘“What's wrong?”' snapped Vinny. 'You're kidding, aren't you?'

'Nothing wrong with us, mate. You're the one yelling like a maniac!' said Jaden.

The boys had gathered around Gideon's bed, and they all looked annoyed, concerned, or in Brendan's case, plain scared.

'What's going on in here?' said an angry voice from the other end of the room. It was Jack, the prefect. 'It's the middle of the night! What do you guys think you're playing at?'

'Sorry Jack,' said Harjeet, 'It's Gideon, he had a nightmare.'

Nightmare? Gideon wracked his brain trying to remember what he had been dreaming about. He thought he remembered something about Anthony, but it was no use, the dream had faded. 'You're saying I was talking in my sleep?' he asked.

'Not talking! Screaming!' Jaden corrected him.

'We could hear you two doors down!' Jack added.

'I-I don't know what to say,' said Gideon. 'I'm sorry!'

'Well, as long as you're all okay, get back to bed now! And do try not to wake the whole castle again, won't you?' Jack ordered before departing. When the fifth-year boy exited, Gideon heard him reassuring other students in the corridor that there was nothing to worry about.

'Like we'll be able to get back to sleep after that,' commented Jaden as the boys got back into their beds.

'Why did we have to get lumbered with a freak?' Gideon heard Vinny mumble audibly four beds away.

A little hurt, Gideon rolled over towards the window. Maybe Vinny was right. Maybe he was a freak. Not because he was a Squib, for once, but because his family were driving him barmy! He resolved to track down his father and brother at the earliest opportunity.

***

Gideon was too afraid of a recurrence to go back to sleep. So, he headed to breakfast early with his books for the day, and then, remembering the Matron's advice, took in the morning air with his toast. Gideon felt down, but observing the picturesque grounds made him feel better. He was cheered up further when a giant tentacle appeared to wave at him from the surface of the Great Lake.

The first lesson of the day was Herbology. Like with Potions, their practical session in the greenhouse was a double lesson taking place later in the week. Their teacher turned out to be the man Gideon had met in the Hospital Wing, who Gideon deduced was the matron's husband. Professor Longbottom was a very friendly man and encouraged the students by giving out points to any who participated, not just those who answered his questions correctly.

The children on the other hand, were acting considerably less friendly towards Gideon. Even Emma Barrington was avoiding quizzing Gideon over the night's excitement. Obviously, word had spread that Gideon had been the source of the disturbance. Even the Gryffindors seemed to be whispering about him. Otherwise, the lesson went by very quickly, as opposed to the following History of Magic class with Professor Binns, which seemed to drag on endlessly.

When Anthony didn't appear in the Great Hall for lunch, Gideon decided to try finding him by trailing a group of Gryffindors to their common room. However, the group split, and those Gideon followed ended up at the library.

The unexpected detour meant that Gideon arrived at his first Transfiguration lesson a little late. However, he was happy to find that he had beaten Professor Voronov there. That was, until a high-pitched screech made the students look up to the ceiling before taking cover as a live bat dived towards them and then, transformed into the man himself.

'Are we sure he's not a vampire?' Gideon heard Brendan whisper to Harjeet.

'Simply put,' he addressed the startled students, meeting their eyes one by one, 'Transfiguration involves magic that changes the properties of an object, individual or substance. Those who are able to do so freely are capable of the grandest of spells; transforming one's obstacles, enemies or even, one's self!

'However, it is among the most difficult forms of magic to learn, and dangerous to perform. Successful transfiguration requires a deep understanding of intent, subject, and outcome. Waving a wand and uttering an incantation without which, will achieve nothing.'

Professor Voronov pointed his wand at his blackboard, and a complicated set of instructions appeared, including what looked like chemical formulae.

'We will begin by changing liquids into other liquids. First, vinegar into water. It may sound simple enough, but you will be putting your abilities to the test!' the Professor said, his red lips curling into a menacing sort of smile. 'Meaning, those who are unable to complete this task will leave with a bad taste in their mouths, in more ways than one!'

The students were each given a goblet of vinegar. They spent the lesson reading about the properties of both vinegar and water, and then, using one of two suggested spells to transform their vinegar samples. One spell would have a better effect than the other. Choosing the correct spell based on their understanding was another part of the task.

Frustratingly, Gideon knew which spell to use, but it did him little good. Thankfully, not many of the other children were able to do much better. Professor Voronov's words became clear when most of them left the lesson sampling a mouthful of vinegar.

Muggle Studies was the last class of the day. It was only held once a week, but as their teacher explained, it was now a core subject. Professor Blanchard was a perfectly ordinary looking man who dressed in perfectly ordinary Muggle clothing. At Hogwarts, though, he stood out terribly.

Gideon wasn't really looking forward to the subject, having attended a Muggle primary school and with two years of Muggle Studies under his belt, but he was sure to get top grades. In addition, Professor Blanchard seemed like a good teacher, and he informed the class that they would be studying the Muggle arts in their first semester, a topic which interested Gideon.

Gideon was interested in attending the optional extracurricular classes that were held at four PM. The day before he had missed Magical Theory while in the Hospital Wing. Today, however, he planned to attend Ghoul Studies, but decided against it when he overheard Emma mention that Professor Binns taught the class.

So, Gideon returned to the Common Room with the other Slytherins. Brendan walked by his side, though, he spoke mostly to the others. When they entered, Gideon found a discarded copy of the Daily Prophet on a study desk and took it to the dorm room to read on his bed. He was happy to discover his aunt's name in the by-line. The lead story read:

MINISTER FOR MAGIC SANCTIONED

In an historic move, the Wizengamot have voted to sanction the Minister for Magic. After an emergency meeting of the wizarding judiciary, members voted by a ratio of 3-1 in favour of sanctioning Minister Hermione Granger-Weasley.

The meeting was called by little-known member, Draco Malfoy, after he voiced his opposition to the Minister's continued use of executive privilege. He urged other members to refrain from resigning their posts, and instead, meet to discuss their issues (more on page 8).

After a number of high-profile resignations from the Wizengamot, the move comes as a heavy blow to an already controversial administration. While a sanction on a Minister's record doesn't have any actual power, Minister Granger-Weasley will be hard pressed to ignore it given the international attention it will garner. It also provides an indication of numbers in the unlikely event of a vote of no confidence.

No British Minister for Magic has been successfully sanctioned by the wizarding judiciary since Hector Fawley, who was famously forced from office in 1939, following his weak response to the rise of dark wizard, Gellert Grindelwald. Continued on page 3.

Gideon decided to write a letter to congratulate his aunt on her front-page story. He also wanted to tell her about his father, hoping she might be able to shed some light on his presence at the school. He scribbled a note on a spare piece of parchment. He didn't go into too much detail about how he was doing, and half-jokingly, finished by telling her to expect to see him soon.

When it came time for dinner, Gideon found his new friends had gone ahead without him. He arrived at the Great Hall and took a seat at the table next to Vinny, whom it quickly became apparent, was ignoring him. Brendan, who was sitting opposite him, seemed reluctant to make eye contact.

People ignoring him was hardly a new concept to Gideon, but he found it a little harsh that the boys were judging him over something of which he had no control. Gideon found it almost laughable that he had managed to alienate people after just two days. It had to be a record of some kind.

He focused on other things as he gulped down a hearty serving of cod, chips, and peas, such as the clouds drifting across the enchanted ceiling, the Gryffindor table where Anthony might appear, and the teachers interacting at the staff table.

It occurred to Gideon that of his mandatory subjects, the only teacher he had yet to meet was Professor Kenyatta of Astronomy, which the first-years had the next day. Gideon suspected a man in elaborate leopard-print robes might be him.

Then, he noticed at the far end conversing with Professor Blanchard, was his father, Professor Maxwell. Gideon vaguely wondered why he hadn't been at the table during mealtimes before now. Then, he shook his head, and tried to banish the thought of the man who had abandoned him from his mind.

Gideon finished his dinner and left without dessert, eager to escape the uncomfortable atmosphere at the table. He also wanted to visit the owlery, to send the letter in his pocket to Caroline using one of the school owls. He walked slowly, taking his time to admire the castle's many grand paintings, statues, and suits of armour.

As Gideon reached the foot of a long staircase, he was startled by its sudden movement. The stairs swung magically across the hall until they met with a new doorway, altering his route. It was still pointing to the floor Gideon needed to get to, so he ascended the flight, figuring he would be able to find his way.

He reached the top, opened the door, and there, standing in his new path, was his brother.

'Gideon!' said a surprised Anthony. He then looked to the two boys accompanying him and told them, 'Go on ahead, guys, I'll catch up.'

The brothers looked at each other in silence until Anthony's friends passed Gideon on the stairs.

'You've been avoiding me,' Gideon stated. He was referring to the last few days, of course, but the same could be said of the last few months.

'Yeah, well, what did you expect?' Anthony barked, his furrowed eyebrows baring a striking resemblance to their father's.

'What does that mean?' the younger brother asked.

'It means, Dad said you're the one that hurt Mum!' Anthony shot back.

Gideon had spent a lot of time thinking about how his first conversation with his brother would go. Right now, he couldn't remember any of the things he had told himself he would say.

'But... How can you believe that? It's crazy! You know I could never hurt Mum. You know I—that I'm a Squib!' Gideon argued.

'Well, that's not what Dad says!' Anthony retorted. 'The fact that you're here proves it!'

Anthony made a good point. It was hard for Gideon to argue he wasn't magical while standing in the world's finest school for witchcraft and wizardry!

'The witness from our attack was in on it! Why do you think I'm wearing this thing? I was injured, too, you know!' Gideon reminded him while pointing to his eye. 'As for me being here, the whole thing is a mistake. I think they were just impressed with my Middling grades. I'll be going back soon enough, and then, you'll be free to eat in the Great Hall again!'

Anthony's cheeks flushed before he pressed, 'So, why did you even bother coming here?'

'I'm starting to wonder that myself,' Gideon admitted aloud for the first time. 'I guess I was curious. But I can already tell I'm not going to be able to keep up.'

Anthony looked sympathetic for a moment before his tough expression returned and he shook his head vigorously.

'I don't believe you. Dad says you're dangerous, and I think he's right! He's told me everything Gideon! I know who you are, and I know you're not my brother!'

Gideon felt like he'd been punched in the gut. He was used to his brother saying mean things, but that was just teasing. This was different. Gideon had learned that the boys were not related by blood while he was in the hospital, but for Anthony to say it, and use it as a weapon no less?

He might have stormed off in that moment had Anthony not beaten him to it. As his big brother strode past him, Gideon processed the rest of his words.

'Ant, wait! Come back here!' Gideon pleaded. 'What do you mean, "dangerous"? What do you know? What is dad doing here? Anthony!'

It was no use. Anthony dashed down the stairs two steps at a time, without looking back.