The next day, nothing much happens. We have regular classes. There's no Muggle Studies or Defense Against the Dark Arts-really just Dark Arts, now-today, thank gods.
Wednesday, however, is a different story.
A boy walks up to me as I head to Charms, my first class today. "Look, I just want to apologize," he says.
I turn around, startled. "Me? What for?"
"My brother." Seeing my puzzled expression, he adds, "perhaps I should explain. My name is Ralph." He grimaces, like it's a bad name or something. "Ralph Crabbe."
"YOU'RE HIS BROTHER!" I shout. Heads turn. I lower my voice. If looks could kill, Ralph would be long gone. I finally notice is green-and-black striped necktie. "But then, why are you apologizing?"
"Look, the Sorting Hat made a mistake. I'm not evil, I swear. Or ambitious, or whatever Slytherins are supposed to be."
"How do I know you're not lying?" I ask.
"There's an easy way to tell. You know the spell, don't you?" he asks.
I'm surprised. "Well, yeah. Do you?"
"Yeah, I'm a bit of a nerd."
A nerd? Isn't that a Muggle term?
"Fine." I whisper the spell, so I don't attract attention. His face blanks. "What are your values?" I ask, choosing my words carefully.
"Kindness, intelligence, honesty, and courage," he says immediately. Then he blinks, hard, like he has dust in his eyes. "Wow, where did you learn how to do that?"
"Not important. Okay. Wow. Um, I'd better get to Muggle Studies." I dash off.
"Don't you know who you were just talking to?" Juliana exclaims, popping up next to me. "His brother is-"
"Relax, Ralph's cool," I explain. "And you know how mistrusting I am."
Today we have Muggle Studies with the Hufflepuffs. We "learn" about how "idiotic" electricity is. Not to the Muggles, it isn't, I think.
The hour drags on and on until finally we have Charms, which zooms by all too quickly, as do lunch and the first half of double Potions with the Slytherins. We're still learning about potion ingredients and their properties. I am apparently the only student who knows what a bezoar is. Andrea Davis whispers, "Know-it-all." I shoot her one of my death glares. She's just jealous.
Detention is awful, as usual. In addition to Neville, though, a kid named Seamus refuses to curse Jenny. I close my eyes this time. Today my tormentor is Goyle. I think I'd rather have him than someone who doesn't want to do it. I wonder how long it'll be before Carrow realizes that Beth and I are sisters.
The rest of the week is all the same, and soon even detention becomes routine. even the rest of the month is okay. A lot of people give me odd glances when they see me talking to Ralph. I ignore them. I can only imagine how horrible it must be for him.
It's October when it happens. It's Friday the thirteenth. I try to tell myself that bad luck is just an old Muggle superstition. But then things start happening. Mrs. Norris, the caretaker's cat crosses in front of me. Thirteen times. Then, I walk under the ladder that Filch is using to fix a painting of several men getting drunk. Thirteen, to be exact.
It's not just bad luck.
It's a sign.
Some of the Slytherins get to go twice a week during their class. They love it. It must be Pansy Parkinson's third time by now. I still absorb the pain for the others, and I still scream louder than anyone else, but at least I know what to expect now.
Today, Larry is first, then Bobby. Both are paired with trembling, innocent Hufflepuff girls who are praying for forgiveness-I can literally hear their thoughts, that's how sorry they are-as they whisper the word that has changed the lives of everyone it's spoken to.
Carrow calls my name before announcing the seventh-year. He hesitates, just for a second, before he reads the name. Then he smirks. I feel time slow down as he continues, and on a wild impulse I check for a monster but I realize it's just my nerves.
"Anderson," he says. He can't hide his grin. "Elizabeth Anderson."
The whole room gasps, realizing who we are.
"No!"