A/n this has been HEAVILY edited from the previous version, I hope you like it. I beg for reviews!!!
"Nothing Endures but Change"
by marzoog
Part 1
"Not Quite Paradise"
Chapter 1
"Starting on the Wrong Foot"
Thirteen year-old Marissa Irvine woke up and looked out the window of her Ravenclaw dormitory. She heard groaning and assumed her friends were getting up. One reason Mari was glad to be in Sunset was that she didn't have to stand the sun rising filling the room with unwanted light. Chat often complained about it.
Marissa loved Hogwarts and everything about it, although she was muggle born. It was like home to her now. Almost more like home than her small, concrete block in London where her family lived.
A skinny medium height muggle girl with shoulder length brown hair and the biggest dark brown eyes you ever did see shot up from under her sheets.
"Mari, you up?" groaned Lauren Johnson.
"Yep, "she yawned, "We have to get up now, its 7:00. I hate getting up early."
"Me too," groaned Lauren, before she started laughing at Ellie Miller, a rather substantial girl with clear piercing blue eyes and brown hair with bangs, an American girl who had been raised by Witches and Wizards, was rolling over and saying "Go Away" to Tabitha Spain, who was tickling her feet to get her up. Tabitha was a very thin medium height girl who seemed to be all brown except the white around her eyes, she was so tan. She had the distinction of having a muggle mother and wizard father.
Anne Roberts was hovering in between sleep and waking before Mari got up, and tickled her so hard that her blonde head shot up from under the covers, and her gray eyes were suddenly alert.
Tabitha stood up and the four of them stared laughing as their other friends burst through the door.
Alexandria Musk (Alex, or Musky, for short) was a small, thin little girl with glasses, big blue watery eyes and very light brown hair, was howling at the sight of Ellie.
Emily Cosby, a rather tall, average weight, girl with almost black hair that went to the middle of her back and large brown eyes and who was a Muggle, was telling Ellie she should have gotten up if she didn't want that to happen.
Janice Cobra was the tallest of the group with short black hair and very dark brown eyes was laughing at Ellie and going over to tickle her more. Janice's eyes gleamed evilly as she did so.
Lastly Chat Fakes appeared in the doorway. She was also very tall and very skinny and had very long legs. She was Malaysian, but had lived in Britain most of her life. She had brown skin and black eyes, her face was somewhat rounded and her black hair fell over her shoulders in her usual half ponytail. Her cheeks went out very far as she laughed heartily at Ellie.
Alex was the first to speak up, "You guys better get ready or you'll be late to breakfast." Alex was the kind of person who was teased for telling those motherly, "good for you", kind of orders.
Lauren replied, "Yeah, I hate getting up."
To that everyone replied "Me too" and they all broke down laughing.
"First day of third year" said Mari philosophically as the laughter subsided. Mari was always the philosophical type.
"Yeah, who wants more school?" Janice said
Mari shrugged her shoulders, "Its better than home for me" she replied honestly.
"God Mari you're such a dork" said Alex sarcastically
Yeah, aren't I?" she did her cute smile that made her checks puff out to her glass. She was the shortest of the group, and anything but skinny. Mari was not skinny, but she was not "flat" in the least. She had brown hair with gold and copper highlights. She was also noted for loud laughing and a sarcastic tongue. Most of the boys hated her, but she didn't care. She had her friends. It had been awful when Voldemort had killed one of their friends last year.
T.Q., Tyrannical Queen. They had called her that because her real name was Ellie, so they wouldn't confuse her with the other Ellie. She had been very tall, very skinny, with the longest dark brown hair, and she had had a clear complexion with some freckles that were the bane of her existence.
She had been a "half-blood", and her parents were vehemently against the calling people by their "blood" and if they their family had been magical or Muggle. They had been very open about their views and were constantly expressing their outrage at people being called those things, so Voldemort killed them, T.Q. and T.Q.'s younger sister Anne at Easter break.
It had come as an owl from Voldemort to "The Second Year Ravenclaw Girls." They had thought it was from T.Q., so Tabitha had opened it and practically fainted. Mari had been the next to pick it up and had screamed and started to cry, but she had been able to tell them in a whisper full of tears and sobs.
Mari seemed to recall that moment as they sat together, thinking that one more of their number should have been there.
As they walked they walked into the Great Hall Mari saw two of her friends who were in second year, Jane Gal and Roberta, Bobbie or Bob for short, Headerson. She motioned to her other friends to go sit down by them at the Ravenclaw table.
Jane was extremely skinny and of a medium height with shoulder length light brown hair, that had streaks of gold in it, which was up in its usual bun, her light blue eyes were surrounded by her very long, dark black eyelashes and her face was dotted with light freckles. She had been rather disappointed when she had been put in Ravenclaw; she had wanted to be with the one friend she had had before the start of Hogwarts who was there, Marie Stylobuche. But Marie had been sorted into Hufflepuff and Jane into Ravenclaw. Eventually she became friends with Bobbie and was happy that she was in Ravenclaw. Mari regarded her as one of the "gang".
Bobbie was slightly taller than Jane, with blond hair down past her shoulders up in her usual ponytail. She was also skinny, but wore her clothes rather baggy. Her almost white eyes bulged out like her checks when she laughed, which she often did. Her family were Muggles but she and her two brothers were wizards.
Mari had seen two rather nervous first years in the library on the first day of school last year, so she went up and talked to them. She helped them with their work and they helped her with hers. They had become in the habit of studying after school in the library on most days. And in doing so were very good friends.
After breakfast the eleven Ravenclaws went back up to the common room and got their things. Mari's first class was her best, Charms. She had always reined top of the year at it, even above Lily Evans. She had it with all the Ravenclaws and Gryffindors, and although she knew she would have to work hard with all the best students in the year in that class, she would still be top of Charms if hard work could do it.
She wished Jane and Bobbie luck at having potions with Professor Comebien first. Then she went with her other friends down the corridor to the Charms classroom. She took a seat next to Janice and Tabitha and got out her parchment and quill.
Professor Dix (pronounced like the French for ten, DE-ISS), who was the Charms professor, welcomed them to a new year and started to explain what they'd be doing throughout the year.
As usual Sirius Black and his little "gang" of Marauders were making trouble, and as usual Lily Evans and her friends were laughing at them and taunting them. Mari liked Lily and she agreed that the Marauder's fooling around was not funny, but immature, so she joined along in yelling at them. This was much to the surprise of her friends. Mari was loud, but in class she usually didn't yell insults out like that.
Mari saw Lauren staring at Andrew Gewstone, as usual. Lauren was always staring at him. Mari knew she liked him; it was something she didn't need to be told to know. Personally Mari hated Andrew, Peter and his little gang of minion boy Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs who liked nothing better than to tease her, but she had to admit he was smart. He was right behind Sirius Black, James Potter and Lily Evans. She was right behind him, but she was still the best at Charms.
And she saw Janice and Chat staring at the Gryffindor boy Jon Brandon, like usual. She knew that all the girls, except her, considered him hot, but she wasn't too sure. He could be very aggravating. Well…on second thought with that face he is kinda cute… Maybe they're right. I could see him ending up with Janice easily. They would be good together.
Emily was arguing with Jason Dropper about something and Mari joined in. Mari took Emily's side, as usual, and helped her win the argument, as usual. Jason Dropper tended to have rather illogical arguments. He over estimated his own brainpower often and was really lazy.
But, by the taunting Mari usually gave him in class for it, Anne insisted she was in love with the prat. Mari's friends were always saying she was in love with someone or another. In First Year it had been Mc Greg, because he had actually made Mari become very loud compared to the small, shy First Year she had been. In Second Year it had been Gewstone, the only one who could sometimes top Mari in a debate and who she still constantly bickered with (Alex still insisted she was in love with him). Now it was on to Jason Dropper. This greatly annoyed Mari. Why her?
Finally Professor Dix dismissed them, only giving in them a small essay about what they did that summer and list of 5 charms and they had to write some practical situations where they could be used.
Next was History of Magic, one of Mari's most boring classes. Professor Binns (who was alive then, but a very gray old man) rattled on about Witch-hunts and why they were pointless for the whole class before they were released.
Ellie had almost fallen asleep and the girls had to shake her before she got up. Another round of "Fuck off' s and "Thank God"s that Professor Binns had not heard her or they would have lost points.
Next were Potions and Mari was not wild about that prospect at all. Professor Combien was very nice, but he could make a double feel like an eternity and after being five minutes in his class you longed to get out. Mari was very good at Potions and last year had nearly toped the class. Mari liked Potions enough, but she knew that Severus Snape would become a Potions Professor, not her. Chat sometimes insisted she should be.
Today he did a review of the main things they did from last year and it was very boring. They all longed to go to lunch and halfway though Mari could hear Ellie's stomach grumble. Mari couldn't help chuckling.
"Miss Irvine, what is so funny?" Professor Combien said rebuking.
"Yeah Mari, Huh, huh huh? What's so funny?' Said Hufflepuff Barry James, a very annoying blond kid. Janice's warning of him being a git were justified. He seemed to like picking on Mari especially.
'Oh, its just that we're all so hungry our stomachs are growling, and I could hear several people's stomachs from where I am."
"Yeah, and you find that funny? Hearing others suffering at not having food is funny to you?" Barry said in mock offence
"Mr. James, that's enough." Professor Comebien stopped him, much to the relief of Mari.
The Professor prattled on for the rest of the period on the importance of potions and for homework they had to write an essay on one of the reasons why it was so important.
"Finally, lunch!" exclaimed Lauren
"Really, I thought he would never stop!" Alex added
'It was so boring too, as if we wanted to know the importance of potions." Said Janice
"Its not like any of us, except Mari, listened anyway.' Chat teased
'Well, I like to get good grades, darlings (in Cha-Cha Gabor accent)" Mari protested
"Ok then" said Emily with her eyebrows raised.
They went down to lunch and Emily and Mari sat next to Jane and Bobbie so the group of Ravenclaws ate together at their table. Then the group of popular Marauder fan club girls came over. You couldn't really help liking them despite it all.
Pari (short of Parisien, the French term for anything from Paris) was very beautiful. With red streaked black hair, Indian brown skin, and dark eyelashes surrounding her black eyes.
Kate Glass was a very nice Hufflepuff with short, fluffy, whitish blond hair and light blue eyes. Mari liked her a lot and they chatted about what classes they had and how they hated them. She was very smart and was only in Hufflepuff due to the overflow of girls in Ravenclaw. The Ravenclaw counted her among their number often.
Kate, or Katie to distinguish her from the other Kate, Woody was a little short but with her very high platforms she was as tall as Pari. She also had bleached blond hair and clear sky blue eyes. She was likeable, or hateable, it depended on how you viewed her. Mari liked her. She was always nice, although sometimes a bit patronizing to Mari.
'Hey guys!" Pari greeted them.
"Hi!" replied Janice
Kate came over and sat across from Mari and next to Tabitha
"Hi Kate" Tabitha started
'How was your day so far?" inquired Mari
'Fine, muggle studies. You know who easy that is." Kate was a muggle, so she was always getting As in Muggle studies.
"Us muggles really should drop it, should we?" said Mari in jest
"Yeah, last year I got 110%!" complained Bobbie over Emily's shoulder.
"Really, I should drop it, but I don't want to do arithmancy!" complained Mari.
Everyone laughed as the marauders changed Severus Snape and Lucius Malfoy's hair pink and purple. Dumbledore himself laughed, but Mc Gonagall scowled, and as no one had proof it was the Marauders, although everyone knew it was them, they couldn't be punished. What else was new? Mari smiled at the seeming lack of change.
The Ravenclaw girls were laughing so hard Alex said
"Shit, I almost peed in my pants"
Everyone broke down laughing again at that. Alex had a notably active bladder. Every two hours, at least, she scurried off to the bathroom. They barely could finish their lunches, because their jaws hurt from laughing so hard. Soon lunch was over and the prospect of Transfiguration.
"Damn it! You know Mc Gonagall will give us a pile of homework or a test soon, even if her classes are fun.' Complained Ellie
'Damniful." said Lauren (a/n its Lauren's suffix ok? She says "Iful" at the end of a lot of words. One of my friends does that so I'm making her character do it too.)
'Well, I don't want a test!" exclaimed Ellie
"But Ellie, its your best subject! You don't have to complain!" Mari couldn't help telling Ellie off.
"So, I'm lazy, I hate tests!"
'Whatever." Said Mari, Ellie, she reflected could be rater odd sometimes.
They had Transfiguration with the Hufflepuffs and although Mari was glad she could talk to Kate, she didn't like having to be in the same room with Peter Mc Greg and Andrew Gewstone's complete gang of idiots. They always had it in for her.
When they got into the Transfiguration room they were greeted by Professor Mc Gonagall, a woman in her late thirties who's classes were always fun, even if you found yourself steeped in homework afterward. Mari liked Professor Mc Gonagall, though she gave too much homework in Mari's opinion.
They started talking about transfiguring objects and they got out their parchment and pens and took notes on how they used object transfiguration at the ministry and how it was important. Basic object Transfiguration, Mari found, was not very hard at all.
Mari was having to do the same thing every class, write how the class was important and useful in everyday life, and she was getting sick of it. But it didn't take long for her to write out the notes. She then picked up her favorite muggle novel: Anne of the Island (the 3rd Anne of Green Gables books). She laughed at how Gilbert had to walk around their town in an apron. Suddenly the book was snatched out of her hands and she was staring in the face of one Peter Mc Greg.
"Give it back!!" she exclaimed
"She will kill you." Was Tabitha's comment
"She will." Lauren added
"Fine, this book is garbage anyway."
'Well, then you obviously haven't read much" was Mari's retort
"Class settle down." Said McGonagall casually
"Sorry Professor, he stole my book."
"Mc Greg, don't do that again. Hear me?"
"Yes Professor." He said meek as a mouse
Class continued and it was almost done when Peter said
"You know Irvine, you really shouldn't have been reading in class."
"I like to read, and besides I was done with my assignment."
"Yeah, but it was rude to read in class don't you think?"
"Not if I was done with my assignment. It is better to read quietly then disrupt class by talking to others.' She returned to her assignment not wanting to continue the conversation.
'Irvine, Mc Greg, if I catch either of you 2 talking while you're supposed to be working, I'll…I'll…give the whole class a test on what you learned last year in detail and it will not be as easy as the exams you had last year."
Everyone paled; the end of year exam last year had been so hard that usually very smart people were left in the dark to the answers. Ellie herself had only managed a 92% and she was the best in the class. The highest score of the whole grade had been James Potter; he had managed, only god knows how, to get a 97%.
Mari kept her mouth shut until the last seconds of class. Peter whispered in her ear as he went by to show something to McGonagall,
"You really have problems. You're such a freak. Even your friends think you are."
That was it. Mari blew up.
"You…you…you asshole!!!!! How dare you say that about me!!!!!" She shrieked and sprung up and hit him on the head with her textbook, hard.
"Miss Irvine! Twenty points from Ravenclaw for this outburst! And next time you disrupt my class you will get a detention as well. You have also given the class a test on object transfiguration on Friday, which they will be very thankful to you for."
"But Professor, he said something very rude and provoking about me and my friends."
"What did he say? I don't have time for excuses, so if its nothing really bad I don't want to hear it."
"He said…he said I was a freak and my friends think so too." She said faintly and quietly. A tear almost leaked out of her steel gray eyes, but no, not in front of everyone, she wouldn't cry. What was that old muggle rhyme, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me." That was it: words would never harm her.
"Oh, I see…in that case twenty points for Mr. Mc Greg's misconduct, a detention for him, and a test in his honor. Miss Irvine, I am sorry you had to hear that. No points will be taken from you, however I suggest you not have any more outbursts in my class. Mc Greg, you will stay after class to arrange your detention."
Then the bell rang and the class was let out. Chat and Alex put their arms around Mari's shoulders and told her Peter Mc Greg was an asshole and she shouldn't listen to him. He was lying; Mari knew her friends never thought of her as a freak. Lauren and Emily suggested they go to the kitchens after diner and get some butter beer and popcorn and other sugary snacks. That made Mari feel better.
In Defense Against the Dark Arts they simply sat and listened to how each other's summer was. Mari drooped her head on her desk and just listened. She wouldn't cry. But the taunt rang in her head over and over. Finally she told herself, "That's it! I won't let him get the pleasure of seeing me upset! I will hold my head high and thank god that I am not a stupid prick like him who has to argue his way to get passing grades."
She held her head up high and did not give any signs as to show that she was hurt by his taunt. His opinion mattered for nothing anyway. And, Mari realized, it didn't.
After class everyone went back to the common room and did their homework. Hey, they were Ravenclaws. Then they all went down to diner, but Mari had to go to the bathroom, so she went there first. After she came out of the bathroom she saw Jane walking down the corridor.
"Hey J!" she said her usual greeting to the Second Year
"Hey Marissa, how are you?"
"Lousy as ever. Peter Mc Greg, that asshole, said that I was a freak. I hit him over the head with my text book."
"Good for you! Somebody had to do it!"
"Yeah, but…but… He had no right to say that about me!"
"True. Come on, we have to get to diner or it will be all gone."
They went into the Great Hall and sat down next to Tabitha and Lauren, who were in an argument about weather there was a point to existence.
"Tab, come on, I'm sorry to say, but its bullshit. Of course there is a point to existence." Taunted Ellie
"Really Tab, there is one."
"What is it then?"
"To make a better future for people." interjected Mari.
"Yeah, but why? Its not like you owe them anything."
"Well, what bad things have they done to you?"
"None, but what good things have they done to you?"
"Hey I hate to break up this conversation, but its kinda of pointless don't you think?" interposed Emily
"I guess. But I still think your theory is bull shit."
"Fine, we'll agree to disagree," laughed Tabitha.
Diner whizzed by and soon Mari found herself in bed. It had been wonderful to go back to Hogwarts, even if she had started on the wrong foot.
A/N I am hopeless towards getting any reviews for this fic….::sighs::
I have gone back and edited this, as well as have written a Prologue.
REVIEW!!!!
The Minnesotan in England
aka Les Mis Freak
aka Cinderella
aka IAMVALANCY
@@@gnome girl aka marzoog@@@