Harry Potter and the Thunderstruck Muggles(01) - Sahits

your eyes, attacks seemed possible only with words and from some distance, confidence wassparse, and trust an alienity. And the dog hadn't been so noisy.The exchange of welcoming shouts suggested an encounter after several decades of separationbetween best friends. Listening to pieces of conversation here and there, Harry learned thatmost people had seen each other last time at yesterday's party. But still, it made sense -yesterday's party was the deadest thing, surpassed maybe only by yesterday's stars, except thatsome of them were walking around, trying their best not to look like zombies.And friends - Harry had to learn a new terminology. A best friend was someone you'd met atsuch a party, to be addressed my dearest friend. A good friend was someone who might beready to answer a phone call - unless he had something better to do. A close friend wassomeone to exchange gossip with, of course spiced with a generous dash of misinformation.A young friend was a rookie in the party scene, like he himself.After a while, he knew that even this bunch of hyenas and chackals had friends, and the goodsense to protect such rare animals. When referring to them, they never used names, didn'teven specify the sex. I know someone meant there was somebody they had been able to trustonce in the past, and it would be a thrilling experience to find out if it still worked that way.The partygoer's rule number two dealt with shaking hands. Quite a complicated protocol, usedto exchange the messages nobody dared to say aloud. Extending an arm and looking awaymeant, "Get lost." The same, combined with keeping the grabbing hand grabbed, meant, "Getlost, but not before I say so." Then there was the handshake trap. It started with extending anarm. When the hand was taken, the other arm snapped forward, closing the trap. This wasfollowed by an endless pumping up and down while sending one smiling insult after the other.A milder version, using the same arm technique but a louder voice, came into play toannounce news nobody wanted to hear. In this case, the trapped person had almost nomeaning in the context.And some people tried to be impressive through handshakes - toward men, that was. A softgrip, until the other hand was firmly caught, then the high pressure vice, while studying howthe opponent could cope with that.The first time someone did this to him, Harry simply waited. Being used to handle a bokkenthrough a three hour's lesson, he had no trouble waiting the man out without feeling any pain.Hardening some muscles was enough to balance out.When the next man tried the same, Harry was already fed up sufficiently to play along. In thisleague of glass-holders, he should have been kept out of competition. But he wasn't, and sohis first response was a counter grip, until he felt the force balanced. Then he changed to aserious pressure.And no doubt, the people surrounding them knew what was going on, had probably sufferedfrom that trick before.The man's grip broke, the moment where the real pain started - and only now, for what had tobe agonizing five seconds, Harry put his full concentration into his handshake. Seeing theman's face pale, he let go.30