Chapter 4 - - Hogwarts, Second Year
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In second year, when the Heir of Slytherin reared its scary head, Millicent and Neville were among the team of students who helped Professor Sprout raise and harvest the mandrakes that ultimately saved the petrified students and ghosts and cats.
Millicent had actually been quite worried about Mrs Norris and that quirky little Colin Creevey. Weird, that kid, no question about it, but he'd kind of grown on Millicent - - partly because he so obviously annoyed that git-and-a-half Harry Potter, but also because she rather admired him, Gryffindor though he was. He was a misfit, and a lot of people laughed at him, but he never let it get him down. Just kept pointing that Muggle camera and taking pictures no matter what anybody said.
Millicent had come to realise that she was a misfit, too - - she was big and ungainly where Creevey was little and spindly, but the principle was the same. The only reason Millicent didn't get laughed at (at least not to her face) was that she never hesitated to punch people's lights out if they gave her too much grief. Creevey, poor little sod, didn't have that option.
And if she had been pressed, Millicent would probably have grudgingly admitted that she wasn't sorry that Know-It-All Granger had been un-petrified, too. Millicent didn't like Granger - - being smart wasn't everything, after all - - but she didn't want her to stay petrified.
In fact, she would have been perfectly content to live-and-let-live if only Granger didn't try to show off so much. "I've been reading all about duelling," she had announced to Millicent when they'd been made partners in the Duelling Club. "I'll be happy to explain the principles to you, if you need extra help."
"As if I was too thick to get it on my own," Millicent said to Professor Sprout the next day, when she and Neville went to check on the mandrakes and to tell the professor all about the excitement at the Duelling Club meeting, how Professor Lockhart had got knocked down by Professor Snape (Millicent's part of the report) and how Harry Potter had duelled Draco Malfoy (Neville's part) and how Potter had talked to a snake (both their parts).
The professor had listened most interestedly, but she had seemed just as interested in hearing what Neville and Millicent themselves had done during the meeting. That's when Millicent had explained about Granger.
"She offered to help you, did she?" said Professor Sprout with a chuckle. "And what did you say?"
"I said, 'See if you need any help with this' - - and I put her in a headlock."
"Oh, Millicent." Professor Sprout managed to look both amused and sorry at the same time. Mostly sorry, though.
Millicent felt the need to explain further. "It's just. . .she's such a know-it-all. Why does she always have to make people feel stupid? It's like Parkinson always acting as if everyone is ugly but her. Like we're all hopeless, and they're not."
Professor Sprout checked a couple of mandrake pots for fungus before she replied.
"It's always possible," she said finally, "that both those girls are just trying to be unpleasant. Not everyone in the world is kind or compassionate, my dears, no matter how much we might wish they were. And Merlin knows, even the best of us have our difficult moments. But then again, maybe there is some other reason for their behaviour."
She checked another pot, and Millicent understood that the professor was giving her time to "think it out" - - to figure out what the "some other reason" might be.
Think though she might, however, Millicent still felt that "just trying to be unpleasant" was probably the right answer.
After a minute or two, Professor Sprout said, "Miss Granger might have been trying to be friendly, offering you the only gift she thinks she has - - her knowledge. She doesn't understand yet that people might like her even better just for herself. Just as some people - - " and here the professor tapped her nose and nodded her grey head first at Millicent and then at Neville - - "seem to think that others will only like them if they're strong or have a lot of magic."
Millicent scowled. She didn't want to hear about people who were strong, and as for magic, she had never understood why Longbottom wittered on all the time about being almost a squib. He had plenty of magic as far as she could tell, so what was his problem?
"That's completely different," she told Professor Sprout. She could hear Auntie Enna in her head ("Millicent, you're being belligerent again"), but she ignored Auntie Enna. "And what about Pansy?" she demanded. "She's definitely not trying to be friendly."
"Well. . ." Professor Sprout took off her hat and ran a hand through her riot of fluffy hair, making it even fluffier. "Miss Parkinson is a very pretty girl, and just between us, my dears, I think her family has high expectations for her - - they mean for her to be popular and sought-after. It can't always be easy for her."
She trailed off, shaking her head, and then laughed. "Listen to me, standing here nattering when there's work to be done. What a hopeless old gossip I'm turning out to be. Now you run along, children, before your Heads of House come to hex me for making you miss your dinner. Hurry, now. I think it's jacket potatoes and roast chicken tonight. With lemon pie for afters!"
Millicent made her way rather slowly to the Great Hall, wondering if Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall would really hex old Sproutsie for making them late to dinner. She could believe it of both of them, frankly.
Well, she thought grimly, taking hold of her wand, I'd just like to see them try.
Pansy spent the entire dinner talking about the new robes her mother was having made for her, but Millicent barely listened. She was too busy imagining how she would burst in on Snape and McGonagall when they tried to hex Professor Sprout, how she would take them by surprise and shout "Expelliarmus!" and then when their wands flew out of their hands, she would tackle whoever was nearest and knock them down flat. It wouldn't be hard: Snape was so skinny and McGonagall was old.
She'd probably be expelled, but it would be worth it, because Professor Sprout would be so happy and grateful to her. "You saved me, Millicent, my dear," she would say, and she'd pat Millicent's arm the way she sometimes did. "Whatever would I do without you?"