So I got this up right on the dot, Monday! Happy reading. Same disclaimers as always!


Dear Hanna,

We're so happy to hear that your first week went well! Hannah, Susan, Ernie, and Justin sound like very nice, good-hearted kids; they sound like they'd be great friends! I'm so happy to hear about Hufflepuff (your father was hoping you'd get sorted into Gryffindor, although we would've still loved you no matter what house you got sorted into, we promise!). I hope you love it as much as I did! Say hello to Helga Hufflepuff for me!

Your father insists I put this next part in, but we can't stress enough how important tobe yourself, no matter what others say. There will always be people that try to put you down; don't think that just because you're at Hogwarts now you're safe from that now. It's your job to not let them get to you and remember that you're beautiful inside and out. You have the biggest heart of gold that I know. Don't let any bullies take that away from you. And whatever happens at Hogwarts, remember that we're only an owl away.

Love always,

Mum and Dad

Hanna Marin smiled as she folded her first letter from her parents neatly and placed it next to her plate at the Hufflepuff table and popped another blueberry muffin in her mouth. It was already her third muffin, but she couldn't help it; the moist cake freckled with freshly picked blueberries was just too hard to resist.

"Oh look everyone," Pansy Parkinson jeered from the Slytherin table, as her sidekicks Jenna Marshall and Mona Vanderwall snickered at her comment. "Hefty Hanna still gets letters from Mummy and Daddy! How sweet!"

The rest of the Slytherins pointed and laughed along with her, as Hanna suddenly turned bright red at that awful name that she'd hope to never hear again. Tears filled her baby blue eyes as she placed her arms across her robes in an effort to mask her flabby stomach.

To think Hefty Hanna was no more after Millard Prep, she thought sadly, shaking her head about her traumatizing experiences at the Muggle primary school she attended. She hung her head down and closed her eyes as she recalled all those lunches where her classmates would throw food at her and she'd have to constantly eat alone in the bathroom. Mr. and Mrs. Marin had insisted that Hanna attend a Muggle primary school to expose her to the Muggle world to engrain in her that one's blood purity didn't matter and to discourage her against the blood supremacist views of some of the infamous pureblood families, like the Malfoys. While Hanna couldn't care less about who was pureblood, half-blood or Muggle-born, she did learn one thing: wizard or not, the bullies were all the same.

"Do you not have anything better to do than pick on someone reading her mail?" Hannah Abbott glared in the Slytherin girls' directions.

They looked at each other, gave her identical condescending stares, before going back to their food.

"Don't listen to them, Hanna," she turned to her friend kindly.

"How did they know?" Hanna choked through her tears.

"Know what?" Susan Bones asked.

"That awful nickname I used to be called when I was younger by the mean girls at my old school," she whispered.

"I doubt she knew that," Ernie MacMillan chimed in matter-of-factly, "but don't let them get to you. They like to pick on everyone, even a few of their own, like that Bulstrode girl. I've heard she's quite unpleasant herself, but she doesn't deserve that. The more people react to them, the more they do it."

"Besides," Hannah placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's what's on the inside that really counts. And we're all here for you, no matter what."

"That's right," Justin Finch-Fletchley, the shiest of their group, spoke for the first time. "We Hufflepuffs always look out for each other. Always."

"Look," Susan's eyes darted toward the Slytherin table, where Alison Dilaurentis strode toward Pansy and her two minions.

"If you ever say anything to that girl again," the blonde Slytherin yelled at them, "I will tell everyone that you still wet your bed and sleep with your stuffed unicorn at night! Then we'll see who's laughing."

But it was too late. Alison's voice was so loud, that everyone had stopped eating to focus their attention on Pansy Parkinson, and now everyone knew.

"You…you promised!" tears formed in Pansy's eyes. "You promised you wouldn't tell anyone!"

"I never promised anything," Alison shrugged. "I chose not to tell. But it's too late now."

"You'll pay for this one day, Dilaurentis!" Pansy screamed at Alison through her tears. "I swear on my mother's grave you'll pay!"

"That's the spirit," Alison gave them her infamous smirk.

"Well," Ernie raised his eyebrows and turned back around to face his housemates. "I never thought I'd say this, but she's not as bad as I thought."

"So Hanna," Alison approached the Hufflepuffs at their table. "What was it that Pansy was calling you? Hefty Hanna?"

Hanna cringed at the sound of that terrible nickname, but she gave her a small nod, not looking at her.

"What do you want, Alison?" Hannah looked up at her.

"I can get them to stop calling you Hefty Hanna," Alison ignored the other Hannah. "Forever."

Hanna looked up. "Really?" she asked hopefully.

"I don't like the sound of this," Ernie stood up to face the Slytherin girl. "She doesn't need your help, Dilaurentis. Leave her alone."

"Let her speak for herself," Alison pushed him back into his seat. "What do you say?"

"Don't listen to her," Hannah warned. "She's just trying to use you."

Hanna looked from her blonde Hufflepuff friend to Alison, torn between the two of them. She'd dreamed of her Hefty Hanna days being gone since she was five years old, and the idea of Alison putting an end to those days wasn't a terrible idea. But she'd finally found a group of people that looked past the shape of her body and loved her for who she was on the inside and almost stopped caring that she weighed well above the average eleven year old.

She finally looked up at Alison. "How exactly would you do that?"

A slow smile formed on her face. "Come with me and I'll show you."

Hanna turned to her housemates. "I'll catch you guys later."

Hannah and Susan shot her warning looks, but she ignored them and followed Alison Dilaurentis out of the Great Hall.

"Where are we going?" she asked curiously. "Your dormitory?"

"As if I'd take you there," scoffed Alison. "Please. We are going to the loo."

"But…why? I don't have to go," Hanna was confused.

"You will soon," she assured her, a scheming glint in her eye. "Trust me."

Alison led her into an abandoned bathroom on the second floor corridor that hadn't been used for at least fifty years. "I'm about to let you in on a little secret of mine, Hanna. But first you have to swear on your life never to tell anyone."

"I promise," Hanna answered shakily, feeling slightly uneasy about what was to come, even if she didn't know what was going on yet.

"Good," the Slytherin girl took out a toothbrush from inside her robes. "Now here's what you do."

Hanna had no words for what happened next. The sensation of sticking the pointy toothbrush as far back into her throat until she felt like gagging was even more painful than she'd felt with the bullies in the Millard Prep schoolyard. Her blue eyes bulged out of their sockets as she barfed up the three muffins she'd eaten for breakfast, along with the two glasses of pumpkin juice she'd drank with it. It flowed out of her mouth in a orange-brownish mush like a waterfall in three rounds with specks of orange here and there. She clasped her stomach in an attempt to ease the process, but it was no use. With every round, she endured more pain, not just in her stomach, but in her head, too. She grabbed onto the rolls of toilet paper for support, trying not to fall over. She let out a few soft sobs as her blonde hair was now a tangled mess hanging in front of her face.

"You did good, sweetie," Alison smiled proudly. "Now do that one more time."

Hanna gazed up at her in horror. "Are you serious?"

Alison simply crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows, not answering her.

She sighed and took a deep breath and crouched over the toilet once more as she went through two more rounds, puking the chicken pot pies and orange juice she'd eaten for dinner the night before. Hanna squeezed her eyes shut, determined not to cry this time around. Right when she thought she was finished, a mushed-up, liquidy version of the fancy fruit tart she'd eaten for dessert came spurting out of her mouth for a good five seconds. She breathed a sigh of both relief and disgust as she fell backwards against the wall of the stall.

"So?" Alison looked at her new friend expectantly. "How do you feel?"

"Awful," Hanna croaked, grabbing some toilet paper and wiping her mouth from the puke.

Alison gave her a sympathetic smile. "The first time is always the worst. But it gets easier every time. I promise."

"How long will this take?" Hanna asked.

"A few weeks," she shrugged. "But you have to keep it up even when you're not Hefty Hanna anymore."

"Don't call me that!" Hanna screamed.

"Shut up, Hanna," Alison's tone suddenly turned venomous. "Do you want McGonagall to catch us?"

Hanna's shoulder slumped down as she shook her head.

"I didn't think so. Remember, nobody knows about this but us. Understand?"

She gulped and nodded, unable to say anything. Hanna had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach that this "secret" wouldn't end well, but the thought of no more Hefty Hanna was enough to appease her, and she pushed her other feelings aside for the time being.


So this chapter was definitely tough to write because of the emotional depth that goes with it. Sorry for not warning you all about the potentially graphic parts, but hopefully it wasn't too horrible. As you know, she does suffer from bulimia in the books (and it is also referenced in the show). Bulimia is something I haven't experienced, thank goodness, but with that said, I'm not sure if I got it entirely right. If any of you are struggling with it and are comfortable sharing your experiences privately with me, please send me a message so that I can better portray Hanna's storyline. But on a lighter note, there's only one girl left before the group is complete! Not gonna say anything about it, other than that it will definitely be lighter and (hopefully) a little more fun! Reviews and thoughts are very much appreciated. Thank you all so much for the love and support!