Splinched

The Life and Times of Tracey Davis

By Granny Adams

It was suppertime, and I sat between Pansy and Millicent; Daphne a few seats down, determinedly not looking in my direction. We weren't on speaking terms anymore and yet, it was so early on in the year. We'd barely had time to grow weary of one another- it must've been a new record for the both of us.

It was the first week back at Hogwarts and everything was reasonably ordinary, or so it seemed from the Slytherin table's perspective on the Great Hall. The room was bustling with activity, as it tended to do when every entity alive (and dead) in the castle occupied it simultaneously. I could see the Golden Trio from across the room; although it seemed as if I was sitting in their laps- their body language was so transparent. All huddled together, they were most likely conspiring to break more school rules, as per usual. Most of the noisiness seemed to emanate from the Badgers- nothing new there. The Ravenclaws, our neighbors in the Hall, were also up to their usual activities: those concerned and informed Ravenclaw discussions. Each Claw talked as if they had a terrible new revelation that they, with furrowed eyebrows and lofty expressions, would bestow upon their housemates.

I only say that it was reasonably ordinary because, at about that same time the year previous, life outside Hogwarts had been a different entirely. The entire Wizarding World was on the Brink of War, we were told. A new Minister of Magic had been sworn in not a month before. And at whole, the return to school was a little less animated, a little less carefree than I had remembered it to be in the past.

I didn't really consider the events that had transpired over the months leading up to that very moment 'ordinary' by any standard. However, it seemed that life could've potentially gotten more unusual at the drop of a wand, and so, I resolved myself to not worry quite so much and to focus on the life I led. My school days were somewhat fantastical in that they were so far removed from the actual world, the 'real' world that we simply glimpsed into from time to time, but otherwise would ignore. I had my distractions, after all.

Watching Pansy and Millicent eat was interesting in its own right. Pansy would shuffle her food around in her plate with her fork while she talked, occasionally spearing a small sprig of lettuce and chewing it delicately, all the while brushing her auburn hair behind her ears with her free hand. She claimed that she had been on a diet since the beginning of summer holidays and it really showed. The year before, I had considered her plump, but that year she miraculously went down three dress robe sizes. I wondered if she'd sold her soul in order to become that thin that quickly, because otherwise it was a sheer impossibility. Perhaps in return for her new, lean body, she gave up her wit. She had lost her edge, if you asked me. Draco, who was sitting directly across from her, seemed to be enjoying the transformation. Maybe having her on his arm at a formal function wouldn't have been quite as embarrassing any more.

Millicent, however, ate with no apologies. She formed a pile of all the food on her plate, compressed it onto her fork using her knife to pack it all in and then ate it. At least she chewed with her mouth closed. Funnily enough, Millicent looked much thinner as well, though I couldn't find anything unnatural about it. She had undergone serious Quidditch training all summer in hopes of making the house team ('How mannish of her', I thought). She was far more muscular and healthy looking than Pansy. But then again, she still had that awful, masculine bone structure. Her cheek bones were more prominent than ever and 'Gracious! Did I detect a bit of color on those cracked lips? Millicent Bulstrode wearing lipstick, who would've thought? And more importantly- why?'

I considered neither of these girls attractive, but then again, I tended to hold people to impossibly high standards. Even my 'dearest friends' weren't safe from my inevitable, silent judgment.

Funny, I almost forgot to disclose some of the most important things about myself; the sort of basic information that exists only on your apparition license.

The introductory monologue goes something like this:

"My name is Tracey Anne Davis and I am a sixth year in the Slytherin house at Hogwarts. I am sixteen years old and am turning seventeen next August. I am currently without a boyfriend and wish to discontinue this negative trend in my life. My best mate was Daphne Greengrass before she and I got in another fight, this one being equally ridiculous to the other ones. Daphne and I have been close since the third year, but I hope to end this three year mistake for good. Explaining Daphne is.. very difficult, you see, because she's such an intriguing character. Intriguingshe may be, but she's an appalling friend and a marvelous phony."

Dinner soon ended, and everyone stood up to leave at once, creating quite the blockade. I strategically stepped behind Goyle, who shoved his way through of the crowd with ease. I could hear the squeals of children who had been crushed by my hulking housemate. As we shuffled along, another housemate of mine, Theodore Nott, appeared at my side, apparently using the same tactic as I.

"Have a nice summer, Tracey?" He inquired politely, pushing a Ravenclaw second year out of his way. He'd had a nice summer, or so I assumed. He'd returned with a new sort of rosy-ness about him, as if he had found a few answers over the summer and was brimming with new energy. Of course, this was all just a speculation, but mostly I have a knack for these sorts of estimations. Nevertheless, he seemed genuinely pleased to see me, which was, of course, a flattering gesture.

I responded with a modest smile, "It was lovely. And yourself?". He returned the smile with a brilliant, shining grin.

"Mine was excellent, thank you," he paused to dodge around another body. By then, we had reached the vast oak doors that lead out into the main corridor. "Well, Tracey, I must go. It's very nice to see you again, perhaps we can talk later." I nodded. He bowed his head, and slipped away to a stairwell that lead upstairs, which seemed to be exceedingly strange since, as most know, our Commons are located in the dungeons. Before I spent too much time wondering, Millicent Bulstrode appeared at the top of the stairwell. How had she gotten out so quickly? Why was Theodore dashing up to the second floor to meet her? I continued staring incredulously at Theodore, who smiled as Millicent greeted him. Before my mind imploded from the sheer enigma, I turned away, fearing Millicent would catch me gaping at her. Instead, I looked to the stairwell down to the dungeons, and at that very moment, Daphne stomped past me with her nose in the air, pretending as if I didn't exist. 'How mature', I thought bitterly, watching her wave to someone and disappear from my line of sight.

'She never did tell me what she had gotten on her O.W.L's. I'll probably never find out at this rate,' I thought, 'She must've done awfully.' I smiled to myself, but then after considering it for another second, the smile melted off my face. For someone I wanted nothing to do with, she still managed to make me exceptionally gloomy when I realized she wasn't my friend at the moment. I attributed this to the sheer habit of our friendship, but once I could rid myself of this habit, she would no longer trouble me. 'And all of this over Adrian Pucey telling her to shut up. Pathetic.'