It was dark. No. It was only foggy. Lavender Brown glanced out of the
window of her compartment on the Hogwarts Express. She gulped knowing that
this year she would be entering her sixth year. The pressure was
unbelievable. Her parents were expecting her to do famously on her OWL's,
which she'd failed to study for. Her summer seemed too short, and everyday
she grew more depressed as the summer nights turned into fall, school
mornings.
"What's up Lav?" Parvati said, disturbing the silence.
"Nothing. Stop asking!" Lavender yelled out without thinking. Parvati looked surprised and frightened. Her big, bright brown eyes were stunned and nervous.
"Just asking," she mumbled. Lavender felt like apologizing, but she was too caught up in her own thought to do so. This year would mean confronting the people she couldn't stand, pulling all-nighters and everything else she hated about Hogwarts. She felt tears running down her cheeks and she knew her skin would be stained black if she didn't wash up her running mascara.
SCRREECH!
The train stopped. Slowly, Lavender got up to her feet. She grabbed her bag and walked out of the compartment and onto the crowded platform. Parvati was still standing right next to her ranting on and on about the summer she had spent with her friend from Beaux batons. Lavender gave the occasional 'go on' to give the illusion that she was listening. The two walked up to the carriages they were riding to the castle, where they had to fight to get in. Unfortunately, Lavender found that she was sitting with Lavender to her right and Draco Malfoy to her left.
"So! The princess doesn't look to excited to be back at Hogwarts!" he said in a sly tone. The other surrounding Slytherins chuckled.
"Oh screw off" she mumbled with out turning from the window. She was busying herself by looking at the first years.
"Oh I'm so scared. Hey, why don't we play a game?" Pansy (who wasn't to far away) sang.
"I don't think so. Why don't you all just go some where and die?" Lavender yelled. The carriage went silent except for the sound of Draco's laughter.
"So one who you has balls enough to say anything!" Draco exclaimed. Lavender knew he was referring to her fellow house members.
Lavender shrugged. Inside she felt herself smiling somewhat. No one had ever told her anything like that. The only time she had heard anything about bravery was when people were talking about Harry Potter! He was nice and brave, and Lavender knew it. HE and his crowd were the ideal hero. She was friendly to them when needed, and they ignored her the rest of the time. This year she knew she would have to confront them. She had always wondered what it would be like to be 'one of them'. It looked pretty interesting. Life threatening. Fun. Harry, Ron and Hermione were like family: something Lavender had never had at Hogwarts. Sure Parvati was nice and her absolute best friend, but she wanted something more. A lot more. She needed a change from her usual year of discussing fashion and lipstick. She needed the thrill that only risk and adventure could provide. This year she was going to join another crowd. She needed a change, and she knew just how to get it. Or so she thought.
"What's up Lav?" Parvati said, disturbing the silence.
"Nothing. Stop asking!" Lavender yelled out without thinking. Parvati looked surprised and frightened. Her big, bright brown eyes were stunned and nervous.
"Just asking," she mumbled. Lavender felt like apologizing, but she was too caught up in her own thought to do so. This year would mean confronting the people she couldn't stand, pulling all-nighters and everything else she hated about Hogwarts. She felt tears running down her cheeks and she knew her skin would be stained black if she didn't wash up her running mascara.
SCRREECH!
The train stopped. Slowly, Lavender got up to her feet. She grabbed her bag and walked out of the compartment and onto the crowded platform. Parvati was still standing right next to her ranting on and on about the summer she had spent with her friend from Beaux batons. Lavender gave the occasional 'go on' to give the illusion that she was listening. The two walked up to the carriages they were riding to the castle, where they had to fight to get in. Unfortunately, Lavender found that she was sitting with Lavender to her right and Draco Malfoy to her left.
"So! The princess doesn't look to excited to be back at Hogwarts!" he said in a sly tone. The other surrounding Slytherins chuckled.
"Oh screw off" she mumbled with out turning from the window. She was busying herself by looking at the first years.
"Oh I'm so scared. Hey, why don't we play a game?" Pansy (who wasn't to far away) sang.
"I don't think so. Why don't you all just go some where and die?" Lavender yelled. The carriage went silent except for the sound of Draco's laughter.
"So one who you has balls enough to say anything!" Draco exclaimed. Lavender knew he was referring to her fellow house members.
Lavender shrugged. Inside she felt herself smiling somewhat. No one had ever told her anything like that. The only time she had heard anything about bravery was when people were talking about Harry Potter! He was nice and brave, and Lavender knew it. HE and his crowd were the ideal hero. She was friendly to them when needed, and they ignored her the rest of the time. This year she knew she would have to confront them. She had always wondered what it would be like to be 'one of them'. It looked pretty interesting. Life threatening. Fun. Harry, Ron and Hermione were like family: something Lavender had never had at Hogwarts. Sure Parvati was nice and her absolute best friend, but she wanted something more. A lot more. She needed a change from her usual year of discussing fashion and lipstick. She needed the thrill that only risk and adventure could provide. This year she was going to join another crowd. She needed a change, and she knew just how to get it. Or so she thought.