Snapdragons Go Pop!
Or, The Black Sheep of the Malfoys
Or, Save Us From The "Kids Of The Canon" Cliché!
Or, *insert witty title here*
By Annie ContraBassClarinet
"Hospital Wing Revelations"
Flames danced before my eyes. Flames? How strange. I tried to put my hand up to the flames to calm the deep cold inside me, but my arms were too heavy. I blinked, and the Hogwarts medical ward swam into focus. The fire appeared over a strange, distorted face. I blinked again. Minerva! Of course.
I coughed. "Minerva?" I croaked. "What are you doing here?" She looked down at me and gaped.
"Joseph! Albus!" she called. "Adriel's back!"
I saw Albus hurry over from the other side of the ward. "How long have I been here?" I asked.
"Three days," reported Albus. "You've been conked out for Defense Against the Dark Arts, Potions, Astronomy, and Charms. But I saved all your work."
That was Albus for you, I thought. "Where's Joseph?"
He walked over from the far side of the ward, and seemed very subdued.
Minerva looked into Joseph's face and mine, and her expression grew very stern. "Joseph, we agreed you would tell us everything that happened when Adriel came to. I want, and Albus wants, an explanation."
Joseph swallowed and looked at me. I shook my head. I was too exhausted from waking up; it felt as if I had just been in a terrible car accident. However, the truth needed to be told. I sighed, and began to talk.
AI can't even begin to tell you the trouble I've had with Hades, and…and my father. But I'll give you an idea." I took a deep breath as tears formed at the corners of my eyes. I wiped them away and continued.
"From childhood, I was squashed underfoot. The forgotten, unwanted. My father, Draco Malfoy, was too conceited with Hades. He gave him everything except punishments, which I received repeatedly, often for no reason at all. I got all the hand-me-downs from Hades, who treated everything he had as if it were nothing at all." I paused for a moment and picked at the frayed sleeve of my robe. "My father didn't want me to go to Hogwarts, but the letters came and he had no choice but to send me. At the Sorting Ceremony…" I trailed off.
"What did the hat tell you?" asked Minerva gently.
"It said, that I should be put in Slytherin because I was a Malfoy. I argued and insisted that I was not an evil person. It suddenly realized…it said…something like, 'Your courage through your family makes you more than worthy of Gryffindor.' So then, I was put in Gryffindor, much to my father's astonishment."
The tears suddenly came, and I tasted the salty bitterness on my lips.
There was a brief silence, and Joseph put his arm around me. "You show that you study much. I've never even heard of a spell like Serpentsortia. And the way you attacked those third years to save Minerva and Albus is something I would have never done."
"But, but, you're a…you can talk to snakes. In snake language. Both of you can. Why?" Minerva demanded.
Joseph, thankfully, answered. "It's called Parselmouth. Some people have it. Some don't. We…we're just born, being able to do it."
Albus looked at us, frightened.
How do we know you're not going to attack us? It's the mark of…of You-Know- Who!"
"Voldemort," Joseph and I corrected at the same time.
"Albus," remarked Minerva, "Joseph is our cousin. We've known him forever. He got, what's it called, Parselmouth, from our Uncle Harry. Remember?"
"But what about Adriel?" Albus snapped. Joseph looked at me, and I was suddenly very glad to have his arm there. He wouldn't think I was evil. Right?
"I don't think Adriel needs to tell us anymore about her past today," commented Joseph. I ignored him, but suddenly became very tired. The aching in my hands came back as I replied.
"My mother was a Parselmouth. She was from America, from a wizard school named Columbia Academy. She didn't know she was one, mind you, until she was an exchange student at Hogwarts in her fifth year. Well, my dad went off and got married to her, but my grandfather got so angry at him he supposedly pushed her off the edge of a cliff blindfolded. Old family story, but I haven't seen my mom since I was three."
"You're half-American, then?" asked Albus.
"You say it as if it's a bad thing," I answered, grinning.
The nurse, a barmy, twittering thing aptly named Madame Dwink, hurried Albus, Minerva, and Joseph out and pulled curtains around my bed. "Quite the little socialite, aren't we?" she asked in an annoyingly high voice. I pretended to not hear her, and started drifting off to sleep.
I didn't realize then how well my friends could keep a secret.
Or, The Black Sheep of the Malfoys
Or, Save Us From The "Kids Of The Canon" Cliché!
Or, *insert witty title here*
By Annie ContraBassClarinet
"Hospital Wing Revelations"
Flames danced before my eyes. Flames? How strange. I tried to put my hand up to the flames to calm the deep cold inside me, but my arms were too heavy. I blinked, and the Hogwarts medical ward swam into focus. The fire appeared over a strange, distorted face. I blinked again. Minerva! Of course.
I coughed. "Minerva?" I croaked. "What are you doing here?" She looked down at me and gaped.
"Joseph! Albus!" she called. "Adriel's back!"
I saw Albus hurry over from the other side of the ward. "How long have I been here?" I asked.
"Three days," reported Albus. "You've been conked out for Defense Against the Dark Arts, Potions, Astronomy, and Charms. But I saved all your work."
That was Albus for you, I thought. "Where's Joseph?"
He walked over from the far side of the ward, and seemed very subdued.
Minerva looked into Joseph's face and mine, and her expression grew very stern. "Joseph, we agreed you would tell us everything that happened when Adriel came to. I want, and Albus wants, an explanation."
Joseph swallowed and looked at me. I shook my head. I was too exhausted from waking up; it felt as if I had just been in a terrible car accident. However, the truth needed to be told. I sighed, and began to talk.
AI can't even begin to tell you the trouble I've had with Hades, and…and my father. But I'll give you an idea." I took a deep breath as tears formed at the corners of my eyes. I wiped them away and continued.
"From childhood, I was squashed underfoot. The forgotten, unwanted. My father, Draco Malfoy, was too conceited with Hades. He gave him everything except punishments, which I received repeatedly, often for no reason at all. I got all the hand-me-downs from Hades, who treated everything he had as if it were nothing at all." I paused for a moment and picked at the frayed sleeve of my robe. "My father didn't want me to go to Hogwarts, but the letters came and he had no choice but to send me. At the Sorting Ceremony…" I trailed off.
"What did the hat tell you?" asked Minerva gently.
"It said, that I should be put in Slytherin because I was a Malfoy. I argued and insisted that I was not an evil person. It suddenly realized…it said…something like, 'Your courage through your family makes you more than worthy of Gryffindor.' So then, I was put in Gryffindor, much to my father's astonishment."
The tears suddenly came, and I tasted the salty bitterness on my lips.
There was a brief silence, and Joseph put his arm around me. "You show that you study much. I've never even heard of a spell like Serpentsortia. And the way you attacked those third years to save Minerva and Albus is something I would have never done."
"But, but, you're a…you can talk to snakes. In snake language. Both of you can. Why?" Minerva demanded.
Joseph, thankfully, answered. "It's called Parselmouth. Some people have it. Some don't. We…we're just born, being able to do it."
Albus looked at us, frightened.
How do we know you're not going to attack us? It's the mark of…of You-Know- Who!"
"Voldemort," Joseph and I corrected at the same time.
"Albus," remarked Minerva, "Joseph is our cousin. We've known him forever. He got, what's it called, Parselmouth, from our Uncle Harry. Remember?"
"But what about Adriel?" Albus snapped. Joseph looked at me, and I was suddenly very glad to have his arm there. He wouldn't think I was evil. Right?
"I don't think Adriel needs to tell us anymore about her past today," commented Joseph. I ignored him, but suddenly became very tired. The aching in my hands came back as I replied.
"My mother was a Parselmouth. She was from America, from a wizard school named Columbia Academy. She didn't know she was one, mind you, until she was an exchange student at Hogwarts in her fifth year. Well, my dad went off and got married to her, but my grandfather got so angry at him he supposedly pushed her off the edge of a cliff blindfolded. Old family story, but I haven't seen my mom since I was three."
"You're half-American, then?" asked Albus.
"You say it as if it's a bad thing," I answered, grinning.
The nurse, a barmy, twittering thing aptly named Madame Dwink, hurried Albus, Minerva, and Joseph out and pulled curtains around my bed. "Quite the little socialite, aren't we?" she asked in an annoyingly high voice. I pretended to not hear her, and started drifting off to sleep.
I didn't realize then how well my friends could keep a secret.