Disclaimer: I do not own the Chronicles of Narnia.

Post Date: 7-18-10

Okay—it's been four months (not as long as last time, but yes, still long). I was going to wait until Friday to post this; I don't think it's perfect, but after such a long wait I figured you guys deserved something. So I'm giving it to you now, but I will most likely revise it. If I do revise it, the revision will be posted either by Friday or with the next chapter, which I am optimistically planning to post/have ready by the end of August. We'll see how well that works out.

Thank you to my reviewers. I think I am right in believing that 15 reviews is a lot to have for a two (well, now three) chapter story with such long update gaps… so, thank you again! And don't feel compelled to review. I know as well as anybody that sometimes you just don't feel like it. I mean, reviews are nice and all, but, I repeat, I'm not going to beg for them.

Well, here you go:

Chapter Three

Edmund turned on his heel and marched right back out of the room, leaving a shocked and teary-eyed Lucy behind. His mind clouded with anger and frustration, he stormed through the halls without really noticing where he was going.

"Why don't they believe me?" Edmund muttered. "I told the truth, and Lucy was happy; what more do they want?" Swinging his fist out in frustration, he had to bite back a grunt of pain when his hand connected with and shattered a glass case. As he hissed at the stinging pain in his hand, Edmund heard footsteps drawing near to where he was.

"What have we here?" It was not the cold, stern voice of Mrs. Macready that Edmund had been expecting- it was the kind and wise voice of the Professor.

"Ah…um…," Edmund stuttered. The Professor glanced down at his cut hand, his angry face, and the shattered case.

"Hmmm… I take it you were angry, young man?" the Professor said, his tone not giving anything away. "Come. I'll take you to my study to get that hand bandaged up, and then we'll have a little talk."

The Professor put his arm around Edmund's shoulder, gently, but firmly enough to prevent his running away. They walked in silence down the hall. When they reached to study, the Professor, still not speaking, reached down a small medical kit from a shelf and proceeded to wash and bandage Edmund's hand. Then the Professor spoke.

"Well, young man… care to tell me what the problem is? What got you so angry that you had to smash a glass case?"

"Peter and Susan don't believe anything I say!" Edmund said. "And they told me to be nice to Lucy, not to spite her any more, and to tell the truth!"

"And did you listen to them? Were you nicer to Lucy? Did you tell the truth?" the Professor questioned gently.

"Yes!" Edmund cried exasperatedly. "But they didn't believe me!"

"Why do you think that is?" the Professor said. Edmund became suddenly irate at the Professor's blasé tone.

"Because they're stuck up and think they're right all the time, about everything! They try to act like grownups ands boss me around all the time!" Edmund spat. "Peter and Susan are still children like me, what right do they have to act like they're so much older?"

"Ah, what do they teach them in school these days?" the Professor mused. Edmund looked at him in puzzled anger.

"What?"

"Logic, my boy! This whole situation, not just your current predicament, is very stressful; perhaps trying to act older and gain control of the situation is Peter and Susan's way of dealing with it," the Professor said.

"But-,"

"That does not make it right, of course," the Professor said. "Now, I have another question for you: are you usually mean, spiteful, and deceitful to your siblings?"

"Um… yes," Edmund acquiesced.

"Well then, why should it be any different this time?"

"Because it is!" Edmund retorted.

"Yes, but Peter and Susan do not know this! You have given them no indicator that you have changed, so they were forced to believe that you were acting the same: being spiteful and deceitful!" the Professor said. "Again, it was not completely right of them, but it is understandable." Edmund thought for a second.

"I guess that makes sense," he admitted. "But I'm still cross with them."

"Well, I can accept that, as long as you don't smash anymore glass cases, eh? And I'll just tell Mrs. Macready that I got a little clumsy—this time! You'll have to find your own way out of trouble if you smash another," the Professor said. "Now, run along! And continue being nice to your sister—maybe Peter and Susan will actually catch on that you are being nice."

Once out of the room, Edmund let out a relieved sigh. He hadn't gotten in trouble, thank goodness. Maybe the Professor wasn't such a bad chap after all. Still a bit loony, though. Just like his appearance, Edmund thought. The night he and his siblings had arrived Edmund had had to keep pretending to sneeze and cough to cover up his laughter at how funny he thought the Professor looked.

Thinking about what the Professor said, about being nice to Lucy, Edmund scoffed. Stuck-up Susan and Peter wouldn't believe he wasn't lying until the truth was staring them in the faces.

"Well, that's another thing I'll have to do next time I'm in Narnia. They don't believe me? Then I'll show them Narnia exists, and take them to that Faun, Tumnus, to prove that I was there with Lucy." Edmund muttered. "They'll see. Just wait—I'll show them."

So, I hope you can see why I want to revise it (or maybe I don't want you to see…). The revision will mostly be for word choice and sentence structure variety. I also might try to make it a bit longer—still ending and beginning in the same spots, but I think about 1,000 words is a good amount for a chapter. This is only 783. And again, I'll will try to get the next chapter out by the end of August, though I probably won't (darn procrastination). And the revision should be up pretty soon (Friday?).