[Ten pounds? For a mug, and there were four of them? That was ... that was impossibly dear to Herbert, who's family would never pay more than a pound or two for something like a mug, and would probably get them second-hand in the first place, or from various free giveaways. It shamed him, horribly, the money Eriq would spend sometimes, and he's not really sure what to do with it now. Half of him wants to say, Fine, go sit with Banner, and you two can stare at pretty girls together and see where that gets you. The other part wants to grab the taller boy and make him stay.

Instead, he puts the mugs and the brownies on the seat next to him, lips twisted in an unhappy expression, and turns to dig through the satchel on the floor. He pulls out a sheaf of papers in an old leather folio and holds them out to the Slytherin. They're not wrapped, but if Eriq opens the folio he'll see the title: Being a Treatise on the Extraction of Human Essence.]