"What do you think we should do?" "Don't ask me." Alicia and Kayla were sitting on a bench, slurping lemonade that they had snuck in. "I cant help it if my 'brother' is discriminative." "So he really is your brother, then?" Alicia lowered her cup thoughtfully. "I suppose so, I mean, his friend Hermione Granger came up to me the yesterday and told me all clues pointed to us being siblings." "You're really going to listen to her?" "Why not, she's one of my brother's best friends." "Yes, but she's a." "A what?" "Well, a.a Gryffindor." Alicia rolled her eyes. "So?" "She's also a Muggle-born." "So?" Alicia repeated. "Do you really think she matters?" "of course she matters, why wouldn't she?" "One, she's a Gryffindor. Two, she's a Mudblood. Three, she's Harry Potter's friend." Alicia stared at her. "That's my brother you're talking about, you know." "Duh, Alicia." "So basically," said Alicia unbelievingly, "you're saying that I shouldn't listen to Hermione Granger because she's Muggle-born and a Gryffindor, right?" "Right." Alicia rolled her eyes and stood up. "You are exactly like your brother." "Who are you to make judgements? You've never really talked to Draco." "Likewise with Harry." Said Alicia, fuming inwardly. Kayla stopped drinking to glance at Alicia quickly. "So what are you saying?" "Kayla, you are 14!" Alicia exploded. "Its about time for you to start growing up! Stop following what everyone else says! Think for yourself! Stand up for your own opinions! Be mature, for one. Haven't you ever read 'Romeo and Juliet'?" "Alicia, that stuff's so old." "And yet so true! 'What's in a name? If a rose by which we call it was not, would it not smell as sweet?'. It doesn't matter what name you have! We don't need to divide now, not in the state which we are in! Don't you get it, Kayla? Grow up! Your vision of people is crowded by the one thing that has been pounded into your head since birth! That 'Muggle-borns are lowly'. Stand up for your thoughts, and control your actions!" She slammed her cup down and walked away, surprisingly calm, to go cool down.

Kayla wandered to the Slytherin common room and plopped down in a large chair. Draco walked in. "We've had a package," he said, throwing a package into her lap. "How come I never get anything for just me?" she whined. Draco shrugged. "Ask Father." "You ask him." "Kayla, you're the one who brought it up." "Fine." "Fine."

***

Hermione and Ron were sitting in the common room doing homework one night when Ginny bounded down the stairs. "Hello hello!" she chirped. "Well," said Hermione, giggling. "you sure are peppy tonight." She shrugged. "Colin gave me some potion I don't know what it is, all I can remember it was red and bubbly he named it something with a P and I know it ended with the word 'potion' he said it was homework and he wanted to test it on someone he said that he looked up the side effects and it was nausea and headaches, but I can deal with those because Mum always has something to cure every sickness all I have to do is send her an owl anyway what are you doing? Oh, Charms. I have a question, is fifth year hard? I mean I've heard Percy talk about it but you know, Fred always said not to really listen to Percy, so what-" "Ginny!" said Ron. "Take a breath!" *****

Harry woke up, and groggily looked at his clock. 4 o clock in the morning. He rolled his eyes and got up and went to the window for water. He turned at the sound of Ron's voice, which sounded sleepy. "Hermione, watch out for the holes, see, the forest animals, they make little holes in the ground and cover them with leaves. That's why you see people with sticks in the wood? They use it to test the holes.." Harry choked into his water. "Hermione, see the lake? This is the more clear part of America, we're in Colorado or something like that. If course you've read about Colorado! For Christmas someone should buy you the Oxford Library. And don't tell me you've already read through that, too." Harry started sniggering uncontrollably.but then Ron's tone changed. "Stop. Do you hear that?" Silence for a minute or two from Ron. "Shh, don't let him hear you." Ron was practically whispering now, Harry leaned forward to hear him properly. "Hermione, get down! Oh.no.please.not her." Ron was tossing back and forth in his bed, his face sweating. His tone was now pleading. "Please.not her, take me! Take me.take me.take me.take me.NOOOOOO!" Ron sat straight up in bed, his eyes bloodshot, sweating horribly, and looking wildly around, as though searching for a murderer.