Title: Light In the Darkness
Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter. I own nothing (except for some characters I made up which you will obviously not recognize)
Rating: PG-13- for language, violence (typical teenage stuff)

[This is my second fan fiction. My first is an Avatar: The last Air Bender fan fiction. It is entitled: The Memoirs of Sankari: Pride of the Fire Nation]

...

...Imagine, if you will: The story does not take place in the 90's but the 2000's. Not many of the Death Eaters have been throw into Azkaban. Imagine that Ron, Harry and Hermione befriended more people in the journey to ending the second Wizarding War. The Order of The Phoenix has a few...untold chapters that will be revealed. If you can imagine this, you are ready to read...

Slow I go
And the wait seems to be over
All that I know
Is that my life has become such a waste for you

Hermione Granger was as smart as a whip. As brilliant as fifteen year-olds come. She could tell you just about everything about any subject. She was very studious and was often sought out by her friends for help. But her intelligence wasn't based on knowing absolutely everything. Hermione had lots of common sense. She was also boy-smart too; it had helped being close with Ron and Harry over the years. She was also very observant too. She noticed things that others did not. This was the reason why she couldn't help but notice her; pick her out from all of the other students. This girl rarely seemed to smile, or display any cheerful types of emotions. Like Harry, and many other students at Hogwarts, the Sorting Hat took it's sweet time deciding on which house she would remain in for the rest of her school years. And even after that, the girl didn't seem the least bit happy about her placement. Hermione would often study her from time to time in the passing periods; watching what she did, wondering why the girl's eyes glistened with pain and sorrow. But that was all she could do; wonder.

Evyn Di Amourie had no desire to be a Slytherin. Though her whole family had belonged to that house, she did not want to continue the legacy. To her, it made her feel submissive, with no identity. It seemed as though she was living their lives' instead of her own. She didn't like it one bit. Why didn't the Sorting Hat choose Ravenclaw or Gryffindor...even Hufflepuff would sufice. The girl was smart, daring and hardworking. She was sure she had those traits. But instead, Evyn was stuck in the house that others deemed corrupt.

Evyn hated being a pure-blood. Why did every witch and wizard think that blood type had anything to do with it? It had nothing to do with talent were a number of half-bloods she knew of who could perform charms and mix potions better than any of her pure-blood friends. She had even heard of a mudblood who knew every spell in the book. Another thing she hated; mudblood. Not the people, the sterotype. It made her skin crawl. Such a horrible term for someone. Evyn couldn't stand to hear it when fellow Slytherins would throw the derogatory word at other students. She wanted to let them know exactly what she thought about it. But she held her tongue; they wouldn't understand. No one would understand. Not her closest friends, nor her family. Her parents? She hated them; wanted nothing to do with them, actually. They were among the many ignorant wizarding families who claimed to be better than half-bloods or muggle borns. Evyn felt ashamed to be afiliated with recalled her parents' views on muggle borns. She remembered her mother's words to her so long ago..."They're weak. Repulsive. Don't deserve to live." The memory sent a chill down her spine. But her mother was wrong. So wrong indeed that Evyn wouldn't stand for it. Why just the other day...

Hermione was on her way to Defense Against the Dark Arts. It was such a horrible class now because of Umbridge. The woman refused to teach them anything. It was all the work of the ministry, and the Gryffindor girl was livid about it. The tail-end of her school robes waved back and forth as she swiftly made her way down the hall. A small commotion soon caught her attention.

"Just leave me alone." A small boy squeaked on the side of the hallway. It was Calvin Price, a Hufflepuff second year, and he was surrounded by a handful of laughing Slytherins as well as a few Ravenclaws. One of the Slytherin boys had a hold of something very valuable of the first year's; his wand. 11 inches, Oak, dragon heartstring. The older boy held it out of Calvin's reach. "It's not funny, give it back!" The poor boy was extremely frustrated.

"Oh, Pricey wants his wand back, does he now?" Chuckled the older boy who possessed the younger one's wand. As Hermione drew closer, she recognized the bully; Victor Ioudas- all time jerk of the year next to Draco Malfoy of course. The Slytherin had black hair, dyed by the looks of it; it swept to the right side of his face, falling slightly over his eyes. He was lanky, like many of the Slytherin boys. But obviously not like Crabbe and Goyle. Victor stopped laughing and looked at Calvin with disgust. "Now you listen well, we don't allow mudbloods to use magic..." The word cut through the air like a knife, and that was all Hermione needed to hear. On top of her bitter mood that day, what Victor had said set her off the edge. She turned to face them, plucking up her courage as she pushed through the crowd.

"Wow, isn't that so gallant of you? Picking fights with a twelve year old." Hermione congratulated him was in fact, four years older than Calvin; a sixth year student. Victor's taunts stopped for the time being as his followers began to chime in with 'oohs'. Calvin looked grateful that Hermione had stepped in when she did. A few other girls from both Gryffindor and Hufflepuff started to gather, seeming to back the brainy girl up. Just like Malfoy, Victor hated to be shut up. His face turned into a sneer.

"Well, if it isn't Granger. Mudblood sticking up for mudblood." He was inches away from her face. Hermione was peering into his serpent green eyes, with the deepest loathing imaginable. As much as she tried to make herself appear to be an unbreakable wall, she still felt the hurt inside. She knew how this young boy felt; to be different and thought of as unequal by many others. She knew the pain all too well. Hermione was finding it hard to come up with a clever retort the more she stared the Slytherin boy down. But luckily for her, she didn't have to.

"Ioudas." Another voice came from outside the circle. Many turned around to see who had intervened. She had hair that dropped down a few inches past her shoulders. Her eyes were hazel and had a magical glow to them. Her skin was pale and clear. It was the girl whom was subject of Hermione's observance; Evyn Di Amourie. "What are you doing?" Victor's grin returned as he greeted his fellow Slytherin.

"Letting these blood-traitors know how the real world works. Care to join me?" Evyn took two steps towards him. She had no desire to continue berating Granger and Prince.

"Stop it." she ordered quietly. Victor as well as the other Slytherins gathered there, looked at her as if they hadn't heard her clearly. Hermione was also a bit shocked. Why hand't she joined the Slytherins and continued to taunt them?

"You can't be serious?" Victor looked at Evyn, forcing a bit of laughter. "You're actually standing up for these mudbloods?" Evyn could feel her blood boiling. She really despised this boy. For years now, she had longed to strike him across the face. Now seemed like the appropriate time, but still, she restrained herself.

"Stop it, Ioudas." She demanded, louder that time. Her eyes never left his. Hermione took one look at the girl's robes. The edges were green and the crest higher up was that of a Snake. It didn't add up to her. Why was this girl defending them? "Wand. Now." Evyn glared at Victor. The older boy seemed very hesitant and narrowed his eyes right back at her. He too was taken back by her actions. "I don't think I need to go into detail about your little accident in the charms room, do I?" Victor's green eyes widened ever so slightly after Evyn's half threatening voice. Whatever she meant, he obviously did not want to bring it up. "Give me the wand, Ioudas." Evyn was almost growling by that point. The older boy slowly extended his arm to her, almost shoving it into her outstretched arms before he and his accomplices stormed off.

Evyn took the wand in hand and turned to Calvin. "Use the body-binding spell on him next time." She joked. A small smile spread across the boy's lips as he nodded his shy thanks at her. Hermione still stood next to him, trying to understand why a Slytherin in their right mind would bother to stand up for muggle borns. She, Ron, Harry and the other Gryffindors had never had any good run-ins with the Slytherins. Why now, of all times, did fate decide to let a decent one come onto the scene?

"Why do you care?" Hermione whispered, shaking her head as she adjusted the books in her arms. "You're a pure-blood." Evyn redirected her gaze from Calvin to Hermione. Hazel eyes met brown. Both knew somehow deep inside that things weren't always as they seemed. When Evyn finally answered her, the response was simple and just.

"Is that all that really matters?"