“That does seem like a natural thing that would happen with such a large age gap between you guys.” Again he contemplated asking something about her mom, but left it alone. For the first time really sitting down and having a conversation with Ash, they had certainly been getting pretty deep into things. Not that he minded. He wasn’t sure if he’d ever just had such a frank conversation with someone like this. And if he had, it certainly had not lasted this long. He’d rather not ruin it now and upset her by asking about the wrong thing.

“Maybe it was just a spare spell he could think of?” His own way of protecting. Everyone had certainly had to get … creative with figuring out how to keep each other safe in the last few years. Something else they never should have had to deal with. But there was no changing that all now. “Do you remember what spells you tried to use on him?” Taking on a sixth year was definitely a gutsy move, and yet that seemed on brand for her. Though he did not think that in a judgmental sense. Rare for him.

It wasn’t so much that he actually found her weird, really he didn’t, it was all just curiosity. It was a statement that definitely felt like it had needed follow up. He was glad she was willing to provide more insight into the remark. “They do?” How unobservant of everyone was he really? Nemesis Upstead confused him to no end, he just didn’t know how to get a read on the Slytherin. He’d tried a bit the previous term, but only through observation and never anything direct. But then one thing he DID hear fairly often came to mind, “Do you mean how people automatically label them a traitor?” Obviously Ash would know what it was like to be labeled something and then being written off as anything but their predetermined conceptions. So… maybe he did understand what she meant. Maybe a little. “You can hate a person’s actions without hating the person.” And well… they were all just kids weren’t they? So maybe it was too soon to make full judgements on what type of people their fellow peers -- kids -- were.

“Especially combining groups with different experiences. It’s like they were asking for a disaster.” No wonder it hadn’t lasted long. Evan was not usually someone to talk back to authority, but well… Healer Poppy certainly brought that out in him. “My mom is a psychologist and she would never encourage that.” Which was why he knew how WRONG it had been. And as for the who hired her question well… “I just assumed the ministry sent her to us?” Could it be… no one had and she had just made up some type of credentials? Was that something that people would not be leery and careful of even after what happened before???

“I’m.. pretty claustrophobic.” It was a new thing, but he couldn’t handle most enclosed spaces anymore. If there was no window or felt too crowded, he had incredibly difficult time keeping himself calm. Not something he’d really said to anyone though, he just.. Tried to avoid the situation. “I don’t see why they would be mad if the closet makes you feel better. Helps you find some peace.” And if they were mad, then they were monsters. The safe spaces were limited around here, they had to take what they could get and the least everyone else could do was respect that.