A week later, Maddox was still pining to escape Hogwarts. She had finished all her homework in the common room earlier and was sitting in her room. Everyone else was downstairs, probably watching some tournament the Slytherins cooked up. Maddox had a piece of parchment laid out in front of her, prepared to write to her father. She placed her quill in her hand, bit her lip and began to scratch out words.

Dear Father,

I am well aware you will probably not return my letter, but I wanted to let you know I am alright. Hogwarts is terrible and I don't how much longer I can stand it here. I do not understand why you must force me to come here. I do hope you reply.

Sincerely,

Maddox

She folded the letter and exited the room, sliding quietly down the stairs and into the common room. A few Slytherins looked at her, and then went back to watching the game. Maddox slipped out of the common room and traveled up the stairs and outside to the owlery. Searching for her chocolate colored owl, she found him and attached the letter to his foot, feeding Laurel a treat. She stroked him and sent him off.

Maddox turned around and ended up colliding with a boy. She brushed herself off and stood up, slightly embarrassed. Averting her eyes, she spoke, "I'm so sorry, I should've paid better attention."

"No, it was my fault, I was kind of dazed," the male said.

Maddox shivered, the voice sounded too familiar. She looked up and felt a wave of nausea overcome her. Her eyes met emerald orbs surrounded by wire rimmed glasses, "Harry Potter?" she breathed.

"Um, yeah. And you might be?" He looked confused.

"Maddox…L-L-Lidder," she bit her lip forcefully.

"You look really familiar, have we met?" Harry narrowed his eyes, thinking.

"No," she lied.

"Are you alright? Your lips bleeding," Harry used his hand to wipe the blood from her lip. She felt another chill when his hand touched her face.

"Well, I better go," Maddox rushed down the stairs.

"Nice to meet you!" Harry called after her.

Maddox fell to her knees in front of the Slytherin portrait. She pulled her knees to her chest and squeezed her eyes shut, trying her hardest not to cry. Tasting the metallic blood, she wiped her lip again. A streak of crimson appeared on her fingers. A small tear formed in the corner of her eye and she wiped that away too. If her father knew she was crying, she would really get it. He taught her to be strong, and tears were a waste of time because they never change anything. Her shoulders shook as she recalled the only time she ever cried.

The October air hung humidly as Maddox drug herself down the stairs to attend to her father. She found him in the living room, sitting in his chair quite calmly.

"You called, father?" She asked, standing before him.

"Yes, you piece of worthless filth. Your mother is dead," he said coldly.

Maddox felt faint and weak, "W-W-What?" She began to shake.

"Your mother is dead," he said simply, "She is on the kitchen floor."

"Why? Did you do it father? WHY?" Maddox lost control.

"Do not raise your voice at me!" He got up slowly and a little painfully.

"WHY FATHER?"

"She disobeyed me, she knows better."

"She was all I had! How could you do this? I HATE YOU!" As soon as she said that, Maddox regretted it at once.

"I didn't ask for you to be born you ungrateful piece of dung. If I never had to see your face again I would live!" He screamed at her.

Maddox began to cry and couldn't stop. She fell to her knees and sobbed uncontrollably. Her heart hurt, her head hurt, her stomach hurt, every bone in her body ached and she couldn't stop it.

"GET UP!" He demanded.

Maddox ignored him and lay crumpled on the floor. Suddenly, a sharp kick hit her stomach and she began to retch.

"GET UP NOW!"

Maddox got up and leaned over, trying not to regurgitate.

"STOP CRYING YOU PATHETIC WENCH! IT DOES NOTHING FOR YOU!"

She felt another sharp hit, this time to her face which stung quite painfully.

"Go find Robert, now, tell him to clean up your mother. And if I ever catch you crying again…" he warned as he sat down again.

Maddox dried her face, fetched Robert and stole a quick glance at her mother and felt a nauseous feeling creep up her throat.

Maddox wiped her lip once more, rubbed her eye and sat, leaning her head against the wall, eyes closed.

"Are you alright?" a voice from above her asked.

Maddox jumped up and swallowed hard, "Yes, I'm fine," she turned to say the password and realized she completely forgot it, "Great," she sighed.

"It's Arvada," the voice spoke.

Maddox turned and Draco was facing her, a slightly worried look on his face, "Maddox, are you sure you're alright? You don't seem very….happy," he seemed to choose his words carefully.

"I'm fine," she said, teeth clenched as the portrait opened, "Thank you," her voice cracked as she stepped through the opening.

Draco grabbed her wrist and made him face him, "Really Maddox, what's wrong?" He appeared genuinely concerned.

"Don't think I'm going to let you anywhere near my pants because you're being nice to me," she snapped.

"I didn't want to, I was trying to be considerate," he snarled.

"You wouldn't even begin to understand my problems Draco Malfoy. You think your life is so hard. Try living life as a Lidder. Imagine waking up every morning wishing you could be anyone else, anywhere else than where and who you are. Once you can imagine that, perhaps you could understand what I go through," she yanked her arm away from his hand and stormed back upstairs, flinging herself on her bed and falling immediately asleep from pure exhaustion.

The next morning, Maddox was awaked by the sunlight blazing into the dormitory window. She rubbed her sleepy eyes and sat straight up. Pansy Parkinson was slipping on her uniform, along with some other girl Maddox did not know. She pulled herself out of bed and made her way to her closet.

Maddox sighed as she put on her uniform.

"Hey," Pansy barked at her, "I saw you with Draco last night. What was that about?"

Maddox closed her eyes, "I don't believe that is any of your business," she brushed her dark chocolate hair out and wrapped an emerald scarf around it, leaving her bangs in her face. She prepared to leave and Pansy grabbed her arm.

"Excuse me, I don't think you know who you are talking to, answer me!"

"Get your filthy hands off me you pretentious squib," Maddox growled, taking Pansy's hand and pushing it to her side, "I know who I'm talking to, a crude, malicious, wannabe pureblood. You sicken me and my father."

Pansy's mouth formed into a wide 'O', and she just stared at Maddox in disbelief.

"If you ever touch me again, I'll make the next few years of your life a living hell," Maddox threatened and descended down the staircase and followed the stairs into the Great Hall, mobbed with hungry students, gobbling down their breakfasts. She slid into a Slytherin seat, aware of her upset stomach. Eating only a few bites of toast and eggs, Maddox collected her books and left the Dining Hall, quite unfulfilled. She jogged down the stairs into the dungeons for her first period class with Professor Snape, a double Potions period. Maddox was one of the first pupils to arrive.

"Excuse me, Professor, may I please use the lavatory?" She pleaded.

"Yes, Miss Lidder, make it snappy," Snape barely looked up from his work.

Maddox exited the room and made a sharp left into the lou. She slid into a stall, did her business and was prepared to open the door when she heard Pansy's voice.

"That Lidder girl is getting on my nerves," she whined. Her friend grunted in agreement, "I think we need to teach her a lesson," Pansy's voice lowered as she explained to her friend her concocted plan.

Maddox's mouth dropped as the two left. She mumbled, "I'll just have to show Pansy a Lidder lesson."

Maddox hurried back to Potions and found her stuff in-between Harry and a red-head she assumed to be the Weasley her father always talked about. He had the same shaggy hair, deep green eyes, and worried look. She slumped into the seat as Harry smiled and said, "Maddox, right?"

"Yes," she grumbled.

"This is my friend Ron Weasley, Ron this is Maddox Lidder," Harry introduced.

"Hello," Maddox mumbled.

"Have we met before?" Ron asked the same question as Harry did last night.

"No," she said through clenched teeth.

"Lidder sounds so familiar," he trailed off as Snape stood before the class.

"Open your books to page four hundred and eighty seven. You have the rest of class to complete this task. Lists of ingredients and directions are located on the page. Begin now." He sat down at his desk, occasionally lifting his eyes to glance at the class.

This was Maddox's perfect chance to teach a Lidder lesson. Once she was half done and Pansy was clearly preoccupied, Maddox walked over and whispered spells towards her cauldron and awaited the results. After a few moments, enough time for Maddox to finish her potion, Pansy turned around and stirred hers once more, adding a few more ingredients. As she began to finish stirring, her potion exploded, causing a large puff of smoke. As it cleared, the name Lidder flashed in bright green, enough for Pansy to see. Once the smoke was completely gone and Maddox was holding her mouth from laughing, her arm moved to her gut to stop it from exploding from laughter.

Pansy's eyebrows were completely gone and her nose turned even more upright, and was a shade of brown, resembling the pug she was meant to be. She tried to speak, but she only barked, and her hands flew to her mouth. Her tongue swelled and whiskers grew from her cheeks. The class was in tears from the laughter. As the fur began to grow, Snape rushed over and sent Pansy to the infirmary. Before she left, Pansy sent Maddox a death glare, and Maddox returned it with a simple shrug of her shoulders.

Professor Snape's eyes blazed as he searched the room for the culprit, "Who did this?" He demanded.

All eyes wandered the room and a bustling noise occurred, "Granger!" He yelled.

"No sir," her eyes grew wide, "I didn't do that!"

"Who else would have the proper education to perform that kind of spell?" His face grew red from rage.

Maddox raised her hand slowly, "It was me sir," she spoke.

Snape looked at her quizzically, "Alright, Miss Lidder, three days of detention and a two hundred inch essay of what you did and why due to me by the end of your days of detention. Class dismissed."

Maddox quickly gathered her things and went to rush out of the room. Someone caught her arm and she whipped around; it was the Granger girl.

"Thank you so much for taking the blame. He would've given me detention for sure. I'm sorry you have detention, that's not fair because you're innocent," the walked up the stairs together.

"I'm not innocent," Maddox said matter-of-factly.

The girl's jaw dropped, "Why'd you do it?"

"I just can't stand her. I overheard her talking about teaching me a lesson, so I taught her one of my own."

The girl tried to hold in a snigger, "Well, she deserved it. I'm Hermione Granger by the way."

"Maddox Lidder," Maddox introduced, stopping at the top of the stairs with Hermione.

"Well, Maddox, thanks again for telling him the truth and for doing something us Gryffindors have been dying to do since first year."

"Your welcome," Maddox waved good-bye as she continued up the stairs to History of Magic.