See, you can be completely surrounded by people, and still feel entirely alone, and there are times I feel that way simply because I’m overweight and people do not understand it. All my friends are skinny, or average, and definitely pretty in their own ways, but I don’t think I am. If anything, they probably think they’re better than me, even deep down or in the back of their mind, whether they say it or not. 

As I hurried back to the Ravenclaw Common Room, I wanted to head straight up to my dorm and simply toss my bag onto the floor, letting the books hit the floor with a bang. However, people in the common room were carrying on about something, throwing a fit and gossiping about some students and something major that had just happened. Deciding to listen in, I heard a couple of names mentioned that I knew all too well. Apparently Luna, Neville, and Ginny had tried to break into Snape’s office.

I knew shock hovered over my face, along with the hurt. Then I realized Neville must have heard what the boys and one girl had so rudely said to me because he was in Gryffindor. “Are you alright? I wouldn’t let them get to you.” He smiled sympathetically, his hand still on my shoulder. I always depicted Neville as a shy guy, not the type to walk up to someone and offer support.


 

Luna glanced up at me with a sparkle in her eye. No matter what, I thought it was impossible for her to ever look defeated. “Haven’t you heard? Neville, Ginny, and I tried to steal the Sword of Gryffindor from Snape’s office. He caught us and was rather kind about it, only giving us a detention with Hagrid in the Forbidden Forest. I find that rather enjoyable to be with Thestrals and other creatures. Perhaps Professor Snape has gone soft.” She rambled on a bit, but I did not forget what she just told me for one second.

That’s when I knew I had to be alive. Dead things didn’t breathe, they didn’t feel this much pain. I started to hear sounds in the distance, faint, then ever so quickly loudening within my ear. It only added to the constant pounding in my head, but I wished for more. At least I knew I was alive, despite not remembering how I had gotten to be this way. I tried to push on, tried to open my heavy eyelids to see anything but this constant black abyss, and after much struggling, my eyes finally opened.