Just because three Gryffindors had accepted her, that didn't mean the others had.
They were well into their game of exploding snap, when a first year girl Hydra recognized as Lillian Holgate came over and tossed her ginger plait over her shoulder as she glared angrily at the boys.
"First you trick her, now your acting like best friends," she huffed, spitting out every word "What traitors. Next you'll be acting all chummy towards the Slytherins themselves!"
Charles stood up angrily.
"Not bloody likely!" he growled.
Lillian arched an eyebrow. "Are you sure?" she asked "since Valente is basically a Slytherin herself. Maybe you're regretting your actions this morning. In which case, you're just as bad as her." She turned to the frozen Hydra, and managed to spit out "Coward. Trying to hide behind the teachers. I saw you in flying lesson. You're just a stuck up, whiner who needs to get the heck back to your Slytherin common room before things get nasty."
Hydra forced herself to look Lillian in the eye.
"You forget," she said, half smiling "the hat's a mind reader."
"It's also a thousand years old," Lillian snapped "It must've gotten something wrong in its old age."
"Yeah," Hydra agreed "its first mistake was allowing you into Hogwarts." She turned away from the spluttering Lillian and placed one of her cards down.
"Snap!" cried Felix and Edmund at the same time. The deck of cards suddenly exploded, showering a stunned Lillian with bits of card and flakes of charcoal. Laughing at her expression, the boys and Hydra continued with their game, shrieking loudly whenever there was a match, and generally annoying the whole of Gryffindor house. After numerous rounds, they went downstairs to have dinner in the Great Hall, and a vast majority of the school were shocked to see the four acting like the best of friends. Over at the Slytherin table, almost every face was set in a look of deepest loathing, except Andromeda, who smiled and gave Hydra an enthusiastic wave. Lolita returned it with just as much gusto, feeling the happiest she had felt since arriving at Hogwarts. Over at the staff table, Professor McGonagall suppressed a smile. Hydra was so happy to be accepted, that she fell asleep in her four-poster bed that night with no fretting over Slytherin, and woke the next morning in much the same way.
She hummed to herself as she brushed her hair that next morning, purposely ignoring the glares most of her roommates were giving her. She pulled the front parts of her hair back and secured it with a ribbon. After a sweeping glance of herself in the mirror, she wandered down into the common, bag slung across her shoulder, and made her way down to breakfast.
Something was blocking her way to the Great Hall. Something tall, Slytherin and haughty.
She recognized Bellatrix Black with a sinking feeling of dread.
"Well well well," Bellatrix cackled "seems our little Slytherin runaway made some ickle Gryffindor friends."
"Leave her alone, Bella." Sighed Andromeda, stepping out from behind a group of fourth years. Bellatrix snorted.
"Sticking up for the filthy traitor?" Bellatrix asked, pointed nails on hips "You need to sort out your alliances. Slytherins don't like Gryffindors and-"she paused and looked at Hydra "Slytherins do not become Gryffindors. Ever. That should be a basic unsaid rule. Seems like someone crossed that line. Still, my guess is Miss Hydra Valente will be asking for a transfer very very soon. Today, even, I'll wager!"And with a very nasty grin, she turned and flounced off, nose at a ridiculous angle in the air.
"She knows something." Hydra muttered. Andromeda looked worried.
"Bella always means everything she says. This doesn't look good."She mused, eyes adjusted to the distance. Hydra shrugged. She was hungry, and there was a lovely waffle smell coming from the Great Hall. As she entered, the conversation noise diminished, and then suddenly became very loud and fake. Ignoring this, she went over to the Gryffindor table and helped herself to some waffles. Soon the boys came in and plonked themselves opposite to her.
"So how did you cast that speeding spell?" Hydra asked, grabbing another waffle.
Charles shrugged. "It was easy. We looked it up in Felix's Quidditch book under fouls in a match, and the school brooms are rubbish. It took us a while to get it right though."
Hydra thought for a moment.
"It must have taken a good deal of practise to perfect that spell." She mused, thinking out loud more than directly talking to them.
"Exactly," said Felix "we didn't perfect it. You were supposed to shoot forward a few meters, not right into the air. Honestly, when we saw how high you were, we thought you were going to fall off and die!"
"Lucky you've had so much practise with a broom before," said Edmund "otherwise your really would have fallen off, and then where would we be?"
Hydra looked at the boys faces with confusion. "But that's not true! That was the first time I ever rode a broom!" she explained, blinking in surprised at their awed faces.
"No kidding!" cried Charles "we thought you were a master!"
A flap of wings alerted them to the post arriving. Hydra turned just in time to see an owl with feathers as black as coal swoop down and land in front. Shakily, she unhooked the red envelope from its claws. The people around her suddenly shrunk back in suspense.
"Uh oh," said Felix "looks like someone got a howler."
Smoke was already forming at the edges of the envelope. Filled with dread, she took a deep breath and opened the letter.
"HYDRA VALENTE, SCUM OF THE EARTH, YOU HAVE BROGHT THE UTMOST SHAME ON YOUR FAMILY IN GETTING SORTED INTO GRYFFINDOR. YOUR FATHER AND I ARE ABSOLOUTLY LIVID, AND YOU HAVE SET THE MOST APALLING EXAMPLE TO YOUR SISTER. THE THING THAT SHOCKED ME THE MOST WAS WHEN YOUR COUSIN LUCIUS WROTE AND INFORMED US THAT YOU HAVE NOT EVEN TRIED TO CHANGE. I INSIST YOU GO STRAIGHT TO PROFESSOR DUMBLEDORE AND ASK FOR A TRANSFER THIS INSTANT OR YOU WILL BE VERY VERY SORRY MY GIRL. WHEN I SEE YOU NEXT YOU WILL BE SORRY YOU WERE EVEN BORN IF YOU ARE STILL IN GRYFFINDOR, MARK MY WORDS, FILTHY TRAITOR." And with that the envelope exploded and something yellow and wet slapped onto Hydra. She screamed in pain as undiluted stinksap burned her flesh, causes very painful blisters. It burned through her hands and face, as nearby students screamed in shock. Hydra fell to the floor in pain, as Professor McGonagall rushed over and cried "Scrougify!" The stinksap immediately disappeared, leaving a red, blistered girl on the floor in agony. Hydra struggled to her feet, and rushed out the Great Hall in agony. Tears streamed down her burnt face as she skidded across the polished floor on the way to the Hospital Wing. She got there just in time to gasp out what had happened to Madame Higginson, before collapsing in dead faint.
She woke up an hour later, face and arms thickly wrapped in strips of white sheet. The bandages seemed to have been soaked in some liquid that felt cool and soothing against her skin. Looking round the hospital wing from where she lay, she could see it was empty. Not even Madame Higginson was around. She shut her eyes and drifted back to sleep.
When she woke again, it was mid-afternoon. Her bandages had been removed, leaving red, but definitely better, skin. She brought her hands up and touched her face. Her cheeks and nose was still sore and painful to touch, but no longer blistering. Her mouth had become chapped and dry, but other than that fine. It was fortunate none had gotten into her eyes.
Madame Higginson came bustling out from the other room. She nodded at Hydra and came over to the side of her bed.
"Can I go?" Hydra croaked.
"Good heavens no!" cried Madame Higginson, "You're going to have to stay the night at the very least. That was a nasty burn you got, but your skin should be back to normal by tomorrow. Oh, and Professor Dumbledore is here to see you." She went to the hospital wind doors and opened them to let the headmaster in.
Professor Dumbledore walked in, blue robes swirling around in. He exchanged pleasantries with the matron, and smiled at Hydra.
"Miss Valente," he said, coming over to the end of her bed, "I'm afraid I couldn't help but overhear the, ah, forgive me, rather rude howler you received this morning."
Hydra snorted. She couldn't believe she was hearing this.
"I just wanted to let you know, that if you really wanted to move to Slytherin, you could. Your friends, Mr Bridgeman, Mr Laurel and Mr Madsen have asked me to let you know that if you do, they will bear the smallest amount of grudge physically possible for them. However, I'm not sure if that is much comfort to you." She smiled and shook her head.
Move to Slytherin. She could do it. It would mean her family would no longer hate her. She and Andromeda could be friends. There would be no more painful Howlers.
She looked at Professor Dumbledore, and suddenly a vision came into her mind. It was her and the boys, in the common room playing exploding snap.
"No thanks," she said "I think I'll stay in Gryffindor."
The Professor smiled. "I thought you might say that, "he said, before turning to leave.
Hydra lay back and looked at the ceiling. Part of her was confused at what she just did. Why didn't she move to Slytherin? It was what she always thought would happen before she got to Hogwarts. It had been drilled into her head since she was a baby. So...
...why? Why did she feel like a Gryffindor? Why, when so many others thought different?
The hat's a mind reader, whispered a small voice at the back of her head. She turned over, trying to sort through her thoughts. It was rather scary how it seemed a hat knew her better than she did. It felt as though she was trying to puzzle out a stranger, instead of herself.
"Who is this person?" she said out loud, staring at her red raw hands. A single tear fell down her face, and dripped onto the pillow. Then it was followed by another, and soon she was quietly sobbing into the sheets. Madame Higginson came in, saw the girl and silently passed her some chocolate. Lolita broke off chunks and popped them into her mouth, shaking with sorrow. Madame Higginson looked at her pitifully.
"Don't worry dear," she said, somewhat patronizingly, "It may never happen." She turned round and went back into her office.
Hydra was a little unsure of Madame Higginson's mental capacity.
That night, she tossed and turned, questions running in and out of her head in a flurry of motion. The one thought that popped up the most was had she done the right thing? Eventually, she lapsed into an uneasy sleep, dreams flickering in and out of her mind and thoughts still swirling everywhere. Sunlight streamed into the Hospital Wing in the morning, shining light on a sleeping girl. Her eyes slowly opened, and a quick look in the bedside mirror confirmed her skin was back to its pale, normal self. An hour later, and she was in the Great Hall, yawning loudly and eating toast.
Charles plonked down on the bench next to her.
"Hey," he said, not quite looking at her.
"Hi," she replied, drizzling honey on her toast. Edmund and Felix sat down opposite her.
"So," said Edmund "did Professor Dumbledore give you our message?"
"Yeah," said Hydra, biting down onto her toast "but it wasn't needed. I'm staying in Gryffindor.
Charles looked impressed. "Aren't you worried you'll get another Howler?"
She shrugged. To be honest, she hadn't thought about that when she made her decision. The Howler seemed vague and in the past, like a distant memory or dream.
"How was detention with Madam Stone?" she asked.
Charles shrugged. "Not too bad. Was a bit worried when she mentioned writing to my parents."
Meanwhile, Felix was busy checking his timetable.
"We've got our first potions lesson today," he said, then groaned, "it's with the Slytherins! Then Defence against the Dark Arts with both Slytherins and Hufflepuffs. Should be interesting."
Edmund rolled his eyes. "How can a lesson be interesting if we're supposed to be actually learning something? Defence yesterday was so boring! All we did was copy from the book!" he explained to Hydra.
"I like Professor Ymladd," Felix protested "he really knows his stuff! Anyway, he said today would be a practical lesson."
Ten minutes later, and they were standing outside the dungeons, waiting for Professor Slughorn. A stout man in emerald green robes came out of the classroom and smiled at the Gryffindors and Slytherins.
"First years right?" he asked, clapping his hands together "Good good, let's go in then. I want you to sit at desks in pairs with your cauldron and books. Wait; let's spice things up a bit. I want you to sit next to someone of the opposite house. Don't worry, it's not permanent, just so you can't get to know each other." The class grumbled in annoyance. Hydra met Andromeda's eye and smiled.
They entered the classroom, lit by five oil lamps in the middle of the desks that cast a pale glow on the glass bottles of swirling liquid lining the walls. Hydra and Andromeda chose a desk and got their stuff out. Professor Slughorn swept to the front of the class and flicked his wand. A book on one of his shelves zoomed into his hand and opened on the right page.
"Today, I want you to make a simple potion, the Elixir of Enhanced Wonderment. It causes the drinker to 'wonder' at everything they see for ten minutes. Ridiculously easy to make, but dangerous in the wrong circumstances. That's why the ministry of magic has put a ban on the use of it in job interviews or exams, where the interviewee or examinee may attempt to make the person they are trying to impress 'wonder' at whatever the person in question may say. Now I want you to work on your own, but you are welcome to help the person you are next to. Ready, begin!" at this, he waved his wand and a stream of potion ingredients soared through the air and onto the tables.
Hydra opened Potions for Beginners and ran her finger down the index. Finding the right page, she flipped through the book until the recipe was staring at her on the table. Reaching for a vial labelled Prima Ceiso, she began.
An hour later, and the only cauldron that matched Hydra's potion's perfect golden sheen was Felix. When Professor Slughorn came over to see hers, his face cracked into a bright beam.
"This potion is perfect! I daresay I could do hardly better myself! Well done, Miss Valente, and ten points of Gryffindor." He sniffed hopefully at Andromeda's yellow slick, before turning away and addressing another Slytherin.
Hydra smiled, and then looked at her potion. The gold seemed to swirl around in dancing patterns that lit up under the shallow glow of the lamps.
It seemed she was going to like potions.