"Mess with the best, die with the rest." –Forget who said it
Chapter 10
I woke up at five twenty the next morning, wide-awake and ready to go. I tried not to stare at the clock as I waited. That's the funny thing with time; it always does the opposite of what you say, reminding me of a hyperactive kid at a supermarket. Stay still! The kid runs off. Don't touch that! The kid stuffs it in his mouth. Be quiet! The kid starts screaming.
This morning it seemed to slow down until every minute dragged by as if it were an hour. The rest of the time I spent lying on the floor rug, getting a feel for my new wand by shooting down flies and other insects that had infiltrated into my room via the window.
After the first spell I knew that a new wand had been in order a long time ago. That I had made it through O.W.L's with my old wand was amazing.
"Gotcha!" I said under my breath as a particularly large fly fell out of the air and landed with a soft plink on the seriously scuffed hardwood floor.
The wand was supple and precise, the weight comfortable in my hands. Compared to wandless magic I didn't have to concentrate at all, just aim and shoot. Plink.
"And another one bites the dust." My spells were also more potent. I had to relearn how much energy and effort I had to put behind my spells. The first fly I'd shot was still splattered all over the far wall.
"Scourgify." I said, point my index finger at the offending mess. The messed vanished and I sat up, proceeding to banish the rest of the bug carcasses.
Working with wandless magic was almost like a mind exercise. I was training my mind to focus completely and entirely on accomplishing one thing. I could do a few spells without much effort but other than that…it still took a lot outta me. I knew my Occlumency skills were wanting but I was satisfied with being able to keep up a basic block.
"Dumbledore could plow right through it without even trying." I guessed, getting to my feet. I walked over to the window and sat on the sill. I could see into the backyard and watch people come and go from Diagon Alley.
"Meerrrooowwww." Prince leapt up next to me, his blue eyes demanding attention. I smiled at him and pulled him into my lap.
"Oof! Damn you're getting heavy. Want to go into town with me today? I still need those books." I smoothed back his hair, gently preening his feathers with my fingers. Prince flicked his tail lazily, eyes half closed. I took that as a no.
Or…I could break those copyright charms. I could borrow someone's and duplicate it.
I smirked. That's what I'd do. I'd done it for money once at the Institute. I normally preferred to buy my own books but I didn't really have a choice here. The texts would be expensive and I didn't have that kind of money.
I glanced down at my watch again and decided I'd wait one more hour before heading down to the station. It was only eight thirty but I figured I'd have to get there early if I wanted my own compartment.
As I sat in the window I thought about Hogwarts. This morning I hadn't been able to go back to sleep, and instead had went down stairs and ordered a cup of coffee. The cup was still resting near the foot of my bed where I'd practiced breaking it and repairing it for a half hour after bringing it upstairs.
What did the castle look like? I had rarely encouraged Tonks to talk about Hogwarts but what she had told me was amazing. Moving staircases, walking suits of armor, fake doors, a poltergeist…
"And boys." I said out loud. The last time I'd gone to a boys' and girls' school I'd been twelve, having missed the Institute's age dead line by a handful of days. My thoughts jumped to Mike Sarlow and I frowned.
"It's going to be difficult to restrain myself from hexing people this year. You'll have to help me. Ah, that reminds me. Dumbledore said you'd have to stay with the Magical Creatures teacher." Prince opened his eyes and tipped his head back to look at me.
"I know. He didn't say you had to stay there. I'm sure you could sneak into the castle whenever. But you must promise me something." I looked down to make sure he was listening. His deep blue eyes stared unblinkingly into mine.
The bizarre idea that I was the pet here and he the owner swept through me. I remembered the look he gave me the first time we'd met. It'd been as if he'd bought me and not the other way around. I shook my head at the notion. The mind is a funny thing.
"Prince, you must never, ever attack a student. What happened to Ron cannot ever happen at Hogwarts. If the ministry...it wouldn't matter if the student was trying to kill me, we would still be blamed. Do you understand?
"With everyone sitting on pins and needles over the Dark Lord a thing like that would send them into overdrive and we'd be screwed. I know that being dark doesn't make a thing evil. It just makes it cautious. But most people don't understand that." I thought of Molly and pursed my lips.
"They don't understand that at all. They see only what they want to see, never looking past the surface. And even if they do, they can never quite shake off their fear or resentment." I said bitterly. I sighed and rested my head back against the windowsill, rubbing the area in between Prince's shoulder blades, brooding. Prince eventually closed his eyes and was fast asleep by the time the owl came.
It landed heavily on the windowsill next to me and stuck out its leg. The owl was a healthy brown color with bright yellow eyes. I united the letter and recognized the squat capital letters immediately. I didn't know Tonks had an owl, must be the Ministry's.
"Thanks. I'd offer you something but—" I shrugged my shoulders apologetically. The owl hooted disdainfully at me before hoping back out the window as if to say, 'Even if you did I wouldn't take anything from the likes of you'.
"Stuck up pigeon." I muttered, haphazardly tearing open the letter. The whole thing was a whole whopping three sentences long. She wasn't going to be in owl reach for the next couple of weeks.
"Always Order business." She couldn't tell me anymore than that; however, I was to be terrible to my teachers and beat the shit out of a boy named Malfoy. I wasn't to get caught.
Refolding the letter I slipped it into my back pocket, smirking. The boy must have done something unforgivable if Tonks encouraged violent encounters with him. How immature yet utterly delightful. I'd heard about Malfoy from Ron, who whined constantly about 'the bouncing ferret'. And Snape. They never seemed to tire of bad-mouthing the man. They'd dubbed him 'greasy bastard', or 'THE Greasy Bastard'; so original of them.
I often times thought that there must be some secret traditional dress for Potion Mistresses and Masters. All of them seemed to have lank, greasy hair, sallow skin, and a broom shoved up their arse.
I checked the time and I was startled to see that it was half past nine. How long had I been sitting there before the letter came?
"Long enough apparently..."
"Platform nine…platform ten." I cocked an eyebrow and eyed the space between the two platforms. The entrance couldn't be too hard to find since they expected first year muggle-borns to find it. I myself have never ridden a train before in my life.
I'd apparated here making sure to appear in the parking lot so the unmistakable crack might be mistaken for the bang of an exhaust pipe. I'd had to leave Prince with the trunk while I searched for a baggage cart, it being too heavy for me to even budge physically. Once I'd gotten the cart I'd cheated, using magic to levitate the truck while I pretended to heave it onto the trolley.
The trolley was cumbersome and hard to steer, one of the wheels having a tendency to veer right. Departing tourists and returning citizens packed the train station also provided difficult obstacles to maneuver the trolley around.
"Prince, is the barrier our platform?" I asked, not expecting an answer. The barrier was the simple and most obvious entrance. But why did they call it three quarters?
Without my prompting he headed straight for the barrier and then leaned through it, disappearing from sight.
"Well, I guess that answers that." I waited till I could slip through the barrier behind a particularly boisterous group of muggles. As they were passing I pushed my trolley forward and then took the barrier at a run. Unfortunately I hadn't taken into consideration the fact that someone could be exiting the magical platform while I entered.
A little boy who couldn't be older than four came scampering out of the barrier followed closely by a frazzled looking girl wearing school robes. My eyes widened and in the split second I had before I ran them both over I flung out a hand and banished them back through the barrier.
I followed behind them closely, bursting through the barrier and onto the slowly filling platform. In my haste to get the kids out of my way I'd placed too much energy into the charm, sending them flying through the air.
Not totally thinking clearly and pumped with adrenaline I let go of my trolley. With my arms fully extended I split my concentration and fired off two very different spells in two very different directions.
"Wingardium Leviosa! Immobulus!" The levitation spell caught the boy and his sister before they slammed into the platform; the trolley froze inches from another unsuspecting family saying their goodbyes. The older girl's frantic screams had caught the attention of several people on the platform, eliciting shocked gasps from the on lookers. The boy was giggling wildly as they were lowered gently on the ground.
The people who had almost been hit by the trolley were oblivious to their predicament. Their attention had been on the catapulting children.
"Caleb! Katherine!" A horrified mother rushed towards the pair, enveloping them in a suffocating hug. I immediately put down my arms and hurried toward my trolley, avoiding the questioning glances cast in my general direction. Prince appeared at my side and trotted behind me as I quickly walked toward the scarlet steam engine.
I wrestled with the trolley, forcing it to move in a straight line towards the farthest carriage. Fortunately not a soul seemed to have realized I'd been responsible for the kids' screaming or that my wand had been in my robe pocket when I'd cast those spells.
No, instead a few took to looking for the culprit near the wrought iron gates that had replaced the barrier. I stopped before the last carriage and withdrew my wand.
"Locomotor Trunk." It rose easily into the air and I guided it onto the train. There was no one in here. Breathing a sigh of relief I entered the first compartment, knowing it would make getting off easier if I didn't have to shove my way through the drove of students that was sure to fill the small corridor.
I slid back the compartment doors and deposited my trunk below the window. I plopped down on the plush seats that faced either side of the wall, my back to the window. The compartment was nice and comfortable; the air was fresh and everything had a clean shine about it.
"Something Tonks would quickly remedy." I said, my lips twitching. Prince curled up on the opposite bench, feigning sleep. I rolled my eyes and withdrew my wand from the inside of my robes. I usually didn't bother removing them around muggles as they didn't stick out like the normal, floor length robes. I might look odd, but I passed it off as a new punk fad.
"Just trouble waiting to happen." I said mockingly, twirling my wand in between my fingers. My gaze landed on the door handle and I grinned wolfishly.
"Just waiting…"
When the warning whistle had finally blown I'd successfully hexed what might have been six girls and four boys, though some of the girls might have indeed been boys screaming. Door handles were dangerous things.
By the time the third intruder had rolled around I'd tapped the compartment windows black with my wand, a sure sign that whoever was behind them did not want to be disturbed. I hadn't bothered locking the door handle, rather enjoying myself by hexing it for those particularly nosey students.
I was looking out over the patchwork of green and yellow fields through the window when someone tried the door handle again. I waited for the tell tale yelp and smiled when I heard the culprit comply. Definitely a boy.
"BLOODY HELL!"
I chuckled, still staring out the window. England sure was a beautiful place. It was actually a lot like home: it never seemed to stop raining.
"What's going on here?" The familiar, high, bossy tone of the new visitor inquired. I grimaced upon recognizing the owner.
"Excuse me, I asked you a question. What is going on here?" My victim went on to describe his affliction quite liberally, spitting out curses right and left. I laughed out loud when Granger threatened him with her wand if he didn't watch his mouth.
"Well then FIX ME!" He roared. I heard her direct him to the onboard nurse, having no idea how to cure this particular case of boils as it was continuing to spread to certain regions of his body that he'd rather were left alone.
"Hello, is there anyone in here?" She began knocking insistently on the door, raising her voice until I was sure people in the next carriage could hear her. I sighed irritably my and got up from my seat.
"I am a school prefect and I will be forced to report—!" I opened the door mid knock, a bored expression on my face.
"Can I help you with something?" Her eyes went wide and she was incapable of speech for a moment, evidently surprised to see me.
"H-hello Astrid." I didn't say anything, waiting for her to collect herself. Sure enough, she cleared her throat and automatically fell into Lecture Mode.
"I'm afraid I will have to give you a verbal warning for using magic on another student. It is against the rules for Hogwarts students…" I let her go on, not wanting to interrupt what must have been a direct passage right out of the rule book. It was really quite impressive.
She must have been used to people ignoring her though because it didn't take her long to notice that I was looking at a spot just to the right of her shoulder and not paying any attention to her at all.
"Astrid, are you listening?" She huffed, fits on hips. I recognized that gesture as Molly's and suddenly discovered I didn't like Granger, or her lectures.
"What? I'm sorry I don't speak bullshit. Perhaps you ought to try the next compartment over." With that I slammed the door in her face, locking it for good measure.
I heard her stomp away, incensed. I shook my head and returned my attention to the window after I reclaimed my seat.
The afternoon sun had sunk low behind the surrounding mountains and forests by the time someone else tried the door again. I must have been dreaming that I was watching the countryside race by because the rattle of the doorknob awoke me. My eyes snapped open and I started a little when only an inky blackness through the windowpane was visible.
I yawned, rising gingerly to my feet after removing Prince from my lap. He must have climbed up after I'd zonked out. I briefly thought about just casting a heating hex on it but decided against it. It might just be Granger checking to make sure I'd taken her verbal warning seriously. I didn't want to give her the pleasure of writing me up for detention. I shook my head, that girl was a menace.
"Yeah?" I asked, unlocking the door and cracking it open. No one was there.
My eyebrows drew together and I opened the door wider, glancing down the length of the lamp lit corridor. Doorbell ditch?
"Have you seen my kitten?" I flinched as a young girl with big brown eyes and freckles popped the question on me. She had been standing off to the side, just next to the door. I looked down at her and guessed she couldn't be tall enough to touch the tip of my nose.
"No." Her hopeful face crumpled and I realized that she'd been crying. The little girl's hair was a sloppy mess of light brown curls and her sleeves were damp. Her round little face was the epitome of childish woe as she looked down at her small black shoes that peaked out from beneath an oversized school robe.
"I can't find Dusa anywhere." She revealed, her voice nearly inaudible. I tilted my head to the side, biting the inside of my cheek. I really didn't want to deal with this. I looked around and sighed resignedly when no one appeared in the corridor. Typical.
"Have you asked a prefect?" I inquired carefully. Ishifted uncomfortablyas her lower lip began to tremble. She raised her hands, hidden by her long sleeves, to wipe her face.
"N-no." She said wretchedly, still not looking at me. She sniffled and I foresaw the impending emotional eruption that was sure to transpire if I didn't do something quick.
"Uhh…" I chewed my bottom lip and looked over my shoulder into the compartment. An idea in the form of Prince presented itself to me and I jumped on it instantly.
"Prince, find the girl's cat and bring it to me. It has to be around here somewhere." He glared at me from his place on the cushioned bench and took his sweet time stretching and flapping his wings before coolly walking past me.
"Felines." I grumbled as he regally stalked down the hall. A small hiccup reminded me of the girl and I made a sour face. Turning around I was relieved to see that the flood had abated, at least for now.
"Tha-thank you for helping me. My name's Leslie, my aunt's a professor at Hogwarts. She sent me Dusa when she found out I'd finally gotten my letter." She said, coughing a little.
"I'm Astrid…would you like to wait in here with me?" I suggested reluctantly, indicating the compartment. Leslie nodded, giving me a wobbly smile. I turned away from her and sighed inwardly, tapping the windows back to normal. How I hated children, especially those that cried.
Being unable to see anything other than the velvety black sky out the window, I stared absently at the wall and waited. Every now and then I'd hear a small sniffle or a distracting shift of clothing. Once I even heard her begin to hum what sounded suspiciously like 'This land is my land, this land is your land'. Each time I'd significantly look over at her, clearly discouraging anymore noises.
"Sorry." She whispered when I narrowed my eyes one last time at her for humming. Not acknowledging the admission of guilt I returned my gaze to my chosen spot on the door, willing Prince to scratch at it. Seconds turned to minutes and minutes to what could have been centuries or merely a couple more minutes.
"Shouldn't we be there by now?" The girl asked, curiously. I had been wondering the same thing. The train hadn't slowed its pace or gave any other indication of stopping however. Then, as if our joined thoughts had summoned it, the same serene disembodied voice I recognized from the ministry echoed throughout the train. We would arrive at Hogwarts in five minutes time. Our luggage would be brought in separately so if we would leave it here…
The girl swallowed nervously, seemingly having forgotten all about her kitten. She twisted the overly large sleeves of her robe nervously. I heard other compartments begin to bang open and stood to join the thronging students in the corridor.
"Shouldn't you put on your robes?" Leslie asked, her eyes now bright with excitement instead of tears. Not having had nor heard any authority figure demand that I change, I curtly told her no. I highly doubted anyone would don his or her school robes until tomorrow; mine were black anyway.
"Oh." She said in a small hurt voice. I closed my eyes in annoyance. I hadn't meant to hurt her feelings. Why did people have to be so sensitive? Refusing to apologize for something I shouldn't have to apologize for, I led the way out of the compartment.
I eventually squeezed my way off the train and onto a pathetically small platform where a lumbering giant of a man was beckoning with a brightly glowing lantern as he gathered up the first years; the older students were congregating a few yards away from the platform as they waited to climb into a thestral-drawn carriages.
The first time I'd seen a thestral I'd been twelve, barely into my first year at the Institute. I didn't understand why I could see it; I still don't understand. I've never, in my entire life, actually been a witness to someone's death. I knew for a fact that only those that had seen death could see these winged, black, scaly, sinister horses.
"Um, Astrid?" Leslie called from behind me. I turned around to look at her.
"D'you think—could you please bring Dusa to me when you find her?" She asked more confidently and much more calmly than I'd expected (a crybaby to a mildly intelligent youth in an instant). I nodded, my mind still processing the unexpected presence of the Thestrals.
"Thanks!" She said brightly, running off to join the anxious and rather pale looking first years huddling together for both warmth and security. Wrapping my hemmed robe closer to me in acknowledgement to the sharp, biting wind that had crept up, I cautiously headed for the carriages. Everything was wet, suggesting that it'd been raining for the better part of the day. As I drew closer to the black sea of robes and pointed hats, I sighed; they were all wearing their school robes.
"Oy! Watch where you're going." A hard-faced girl spat, shoving me forcefully to the side. Not having any traction on the rain-slicked grass, I tripped and fell face first into a mud puddle posing as a small pond.
Drenched, I swore violently as I picked myself up, spitting out brown, gritty, water. The laughter of several nearby students drew my attention. In the center of the snickering group was a vicious looking, toothpick thin chit with a smirk on her face. I narrowed my eyes and slowly drew the sleeves of my robe across my mud-streaked face. I knew she was the one that had pushed me and she knew I knew. The bitch sneered at me before leading her entourage of giggling females toward an open carriage.
Hell would freeze over before I left some short, bulimic, pug-faced, blond haired British bitch walk away from me like this. It wasn't even the first day of school and already I was making friends.
A heartbeat later found me halfway through a very potent curse aimed at the girl's back. With one last abrupt twist of my hand a jet of sickly yellow light flecked with black shot towards her. Warning shouts alerted her, but it was too late. Her eyes widened in fear as the spell nailed her in the chest as she'd turned around. The girl screamed, falling to her knees as she beat wildly at herself as if thousands of bees were stinging her. I smiled grimly before casually striding towards a discarded carriage, its almost-occupants temporarily distracted by the terrorized shrikes coming from the frantically jerking chit I'd hit with the Swarm Curse.
The thestral snorted violently and eyed me distrustfully. Ignoring it I jumped in. It took off at a trot up the sloping drive as soon as I closed the door. Out the window I could see two adult figures sprinting towards the ring of curious spectators that surrounded the now swelling girl.
"Ouch. I almost feel sorry for her. Almost." I leaned back in my seat, frowning. My feet were swimming in my waterlogged boots and my hair, like my clothes, was soaking wet. I sighed yet again and spent the rest of the short ride blasting hot air at my head and robe after vanishing most of the rainwater out of my boots.
Fifteen minutes later the carriage came to a swaying halt and I stepped out for my first view of Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It was—beautiful. I spent more than a few minutes just standing there, awed. The school was set high up on a mountain over looking a vast lake that gradually stopped on the outskirts of an immense black forest; the indistinct, shadowy forms of mountains could be seen in the distance. Thousands upon thousands of stars winked down at me from a velvety black sky rife with clouds, providing a staggering backdrop.
I inhaled deeply, the sharp sent of wet soil and clean mountain air magically stilling the anxiety I didn't know I'd had until it was gone. Simply standing here made me feel calm, secure.
The wind was still blowing the clouds across the sky and I was still dripping wet despite my attempts to dry myself. I reluctantly started up the front steps of the castle with the other students. I passed through the giant oak front doors and a cavernous entrance hall that housed a magnificent marble staircase that led up to the upper floors.
Flickering torches lined the walls above polished suits of armor. Paintings of every size and color adorned the walls, serving as balconies for life-like forms of witches and wizards as they leaned into neighboring frames to talk. Off to the right a door stood open leading into the Great Hall where four long tables were situated under their respective banners. The banners rustled in an imaginary wind that reflected the one outside.
I looked up at the ceiling and shook my head. Tonight's sky had replaced the ceiling, no doubt the work of an enchantment. A cluster of steely gray clouds rolled by and unveiled the moon; a light drizzle seemed to fall down into the hall only to disappear before it exceeded the thousand floating candlesticks stationed in the air to provide light. One would think that the wax would drop onto the shinny, warn tables, yet it didn't.
The hall was buzzing with anticipation and impatience as the students took their seats. Having a suspicion that I wasn't supposed to sit down yet I leaned against the back wall. I was mud encrusted and damp still from the headlong tumble I'd taken earlier, but there was little I could do about it except ask for directions to the showers.
A few curious glances were directed my way but I ignored them. I'd gotten my revenge and frankly I didn't give a shit about my appearance at the moment. I eyed the long tables and the golden silverware. My stomach growled and I folded my arms across my chest. I hadn't had anything to eat all day. I shifted irritably as my mood began to reflect my stomach.
Several minutes went by before the last of the stragglers slunk in. The door closed behind them and the talk lessened. At the very back of the hall was an impressive table set on a landing elevated slightly so that its occupants could over look the candle lit hall. Before I could begin to study my teachers the doors leading to the entrance hall opened to omit an awed mass of small first year students led by no other than Professor McGonagall.
In front of her she carried a scuffed stool where the oldest wizard hat I'd ever seen had been placed. The apprehensive first years filed in ad lined up before the four house tables, a few of them visibly shaking. My lips twitched when Leslie stuck out chin.
"Thatta girl." I murmured softly. No one likes a whiner. Suck it up and stick it out.
Professor McGonagall stood back from the tattered hat and looked at it expectantly, so did the rest of the school. I fixed a curious stare on it and narrowed my eyes when it twitched. A wide rip near the brim opened up and the mangy old hat burst into a song. I grimaced as the gravelly tenor told a rather sad tale of the school founders and their four houses.
When it finished I clapped slowly along with everyone else, frowning. I didn't like the idea of letting that thing take a gander at the contents of my mind. My business was my own.
Professor McGonagall had taken out a roll of parchment and the clapping ceased under her warning gaze. It was time to sort the students. Finally.
"Ainsworth, Deborah!" She called out. A girl with enormous blue eyes stepped out of line and picked up the hat before hesitantly taking a seat.
"HUFFLEPUFF!" The hat shouted. The table underneath the black and yellow banners clapped, welcoming their newest member.
"Bailey, Gregory!"
"GRYFINNDOR!" The source of the cheering came from the table beneath red and gold banners. Two fiery red heads caught my eye and I shifted slightly. Weasleys.
"Cornell, Lewis!" A boy with ears so large I imagined it was hard for him to walk through doors also joined the noisy Gryfindors.
McGonagall continued on down the list, pausing every now and then to allow the new first year sit down at their table. King, Alexander became the first Ravenclaw. McGonagall, Leslie soon joined him.
When the last of the first years had been sorted Professor McGonagall switched lists, the new one being dramatically shorter. A few of the older students shifted restlessly in their seats and groaned. The professor glared at them balefully and they quieted.
"Due to certain events, the Ministry of Magic has requested that all schools allow students willing to transfer to schools closer to home be permitted to do so. As many of you may have noticed, these students are not first years. Despite that fact they are still going to be sorted. Please come up as your name is called."
"Allman, Valentine!" A broad shouldered, shaggy haired youth wearing a smirk strolled up to the stool from the Slytherin table. The female student body sighed collectively. I rolled my eyes and watched as the hat re-seated him at the Slytherin table, which cheered.
"Engstrom, John!" The boy looked like a third year with his round face and small stature. He'd come from the Gryffindor table but was sorted into Hufflepuff.
"Lowe, Robin!" A freckled second year girl with pigtails walked up and joined the Ravenclaws as did Madras, Spencer.
I wondered how long the list was. Not many students willingly left behind friends for family, especially when the Headmaster was a known enemy of Voldemort. I also couldn't help noticing that the Sorting Hat took its sweet time deciding where to put the older students. My stomach growled with impatience.
"McVeigh, Maureen!"
"SLYTHERIN!" The hat bellowed after a minute of contemplation.
"Sharp, Brenton!" There was a long pause before he took his seat at the Gryffindor table.
"Trone, Erica!" A full two minutes ticked by before the hat decided she was a Hufflepuff.
"Vanderhorn, Astrid!"
Outwardly calm, I silently left the wall and submitted myself to the rather humiliating feat of crossing the Great Hall to take a seat on the stool. Many people snickered or hid smiles behind their hands as I passed them. A girl my age laughed outright as I passed her. Without looking at her I snapped my fingers. A yelp brought a smile to my lips and apprehensive stares from the girl's friends.
I knew I was muddy, but I really didn't look that ridiculous.
Looking up at the teachers' table, I saw the Headmaster smile benignly at me over his spectacles. I glanced away and turned my attention on McGonagall, who was pursing her lips. When I reached the stool I perched on the edge of it and faced the whole of Hogwarts, damp, muddy, tired, and hungry. McGonagall lifted the hat over my head.
I hope that pushy bitch learned her lesson, I thought vindictively as I flicked some encrusted mud off my robes.
"SLYTHERIN!" I blinked. I wasn't wearing the hat. I twisted around and saw that it was barely hovering over my head.
"Told you Harry. Murderers belong with murderers. The hat didn't even wait till it touched her head." Ron said snidely, making sure I could hear him as I walked towards the clapping Slytherin table. The applause quickly died as Ron continued to open his mouth.
I'd stopped walking. Stupid as he was he should've realize that he was forcing a confrontation. I couldn't rightly ignore him if he continued to publicly slander my name.
Just keep digging. Give me a real reason to come after you later dumbshit.
If I didn't kick his sorry ass people would come to the wrong conclusions. I couldn't do it right under the teachers' noses however. Besides he might miss and hurt a bystander.
Moron.
I could feel everyone's shocked gaze as they darted between me and Ron. The Teachers were all looking at Dumbledore who was watching me carefully.
"Always knew you were a traitor. Good thing Mum threw you out when she did." Ginny had a horrified look on her face and was trying to shut him up. He shook her off and stood up, his face red.
McGonagall had left the hall after I'd been sorted. Having just returned and taken stock of the situation, she was furious. She ordered Ron to take his seat. He was too caught up in his own actions to listen.
"Mum said you were an untrustworthy murderer. She could hardly blame your parents for leaving such a hateful child behind." I visibly stiffened and he stuck out his chin belligerently though I saw his eyes flicker to his sister in uncertainty.
You little bastard.
He'd gone too far. I knew it, she knew it, and so did everybody else. My eyes narrowed and I felt my emotions begin to work themselves up into a fury. Any thoughts I may have had about waiting till later disappeared. I heard several people gasp and then felt sharp claws grasp my leg.
I didn't remember closing my eyes but now they snapped open. Prince's tail was lashing from side to side as he gazed penetratingly up at me. I took a deep breath and forced myself to calm down, shoving the anger away. I unclenched my hands, my palms bleeding where my nails had dug in. Only knowing that I need to get as far away from Ron as possible, I stalked out of the hall.
(A/N)
Well here is the long awaited Chapter 10. I may or may not continue to fix it up. If anyone finds mistakes please review, my printer broke so I can't scan it in plain text like I usually do. If any of you would like to comment on the story so far or have minute suggestions I'd be glad to read them.
School sucks, the author
PS: I just updated it and fixed some of the errors. (Thank you paprika90! I'm glad to hear it!)