Chapter4 - Anger
Aaeriel didn't go for lunch or dinner that day. Though, Pansy and Draco insisted her to forget what happened in the dungeon, nothing helped her. Her fear was James. She didn't want her father to know anything.
While returning to the common room from the library, the next morning, Harry came to her. They were standing near the marble staircases. Aaeriel thought that Harry would thank her for taking his side in Potions.
"Who asked you to defend me there ?" he asked angrily.
Aaeriel was disgusted and disappointed with Harry's words.
"But he was scolding you unnecessarily-" she said.
"But now everyone is teasing me. They all are saying that I need you as my bodyguard and stuff..." he said.
"You didn't notice that I am in a great trouble defending you, Harry Potter," she said furiously. "You are more concerned about your classmates than your sister."
"No, I didn't mean that," said Harry calmly. "I don't want you to be in trouble either."
"Cut it, Harry," she said irritably. "Don't clarify now."
She departed. She did it all for her brother but how ungrateful he was.
Enough...she thought she will overcome her fear and the anger towards James would also demolish but no, it was affecting her in the same way.
"You better have the breakfast properly," said Pansy in the Great Hall. "You skipped two meals yesterday."
She was expecting a letter from James in which he would put down all his hatred but to her relief and surprise, no letters arrived for her. But she noticed that Harry did receive a letter.
They headed towards their classes. First lesson was Herbology with the Hufflepuffs. Then Charms with the Ravenclaws. Then they had lunch. While they were heading towards Potions in the dungeon, for a second she thought that maybe Snape didn't send a letter to her father but she was mistaken.
While having their Portions, an owl arrived with a red colour envelope, it was a howler.
The owl dropped the howler on Aaeriel's desk. She could hear other students chuckling and discussing about the howler in amusement. It was from her father, James Potter.
"Open it or it will automatically explode," said Crabbe.
Snape looked quite happy about the howler. But the question was that why does James send it in class and not during their breakfast ? The answer popped up at once. 'To humiliate her even more. If the howler will be heard in a silent class, people will be able to hear it even more clearly as compared to the noisy Great Hall.'
"Please excuse me, Professor," she said so as to take the letter outside and listen to it lonely. But before she could leave, it exploded.
" You little exasperating, ill-mannered, filthy girl," came James' voice. "You are simply bringing shame to our family. What do you think of yourself ? It is proven how wicked you are as you are sorted into Slytherin. You are good for nothing. I don't care in whichever house you are sorted into, but I don't want you to affect Harry in any way. No need to poke your nose in his matters. He is capable of handling them himself. I don't want any more complaints about you to bother me from next time or you will regret it. Do you understand me ?"
"Yes, Father," she blabbed out in reflex. Her voice was brittle and scared. She was abashed but more than anything, she was terrified.
Every eye was on her. People were chuckling, whispering and giggling. Harry was staring at her with pity in his eyes. But unlike before, Snape doesn't seem to be amused at all. Instead, he looked shocked. As if he was ashamed of his decision to send a letter to James.
Tears filled her eyes. It was supposed to be her new life but in the beginning only, she got so embarrassed. She was a piece of joke now and nothing else...
"The show is over," said Snape trying to distract them. "Pay attention to your books."
"She will regret it..." taunted a brown hair guy, Dean Thomas.
"You will regret as well, Mr. Thomas, if you don't learn to keep your tongue in control," said Snape angrily.
Aaeriel wanted to leave the class. She wanted to hide somewhere. She could not meet anyone's eye.
Pansy was patting her back to comfort her. Her head was hanging down in shame.
Eventually, the pathetic lesson was over. Aaeriel tried to ran away from all the others but was stopped by her friends. As they left the dungeon, a black hair Gryffindor girl, Parvati Patil commented, "Poor girl, daddy doesn't love her..." A group of boys started laughing on Parvati's comment.
"Better mind your own business, fools," yelled Draco. "Don't dare to mess up with us, GET LOST..."
Fear, anger and embarrassment, the three emotions filled her. Her life can just be described in a single word- 'MISERABLE'.
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