Lizzie's Redemption

Chapter One

The Hogwarts Express pulled into Hogsmeade Station, blowing steam, and whistling as it came to a complete stop. The doors of the train swung open and the students, dressed in their black school robes flooded out of the train, and began to make their way along the train platform.

Lizzie Brooks took her time getting out of the train, holding onto the walls for support and slowly making her way down the train corridor.

Lizzie had long dark red hair that reached all the way down her waist, fair skin that was dotted with acne, and cerulean blue eyes. She wore square-framed glasses, stood five foot three inches tall and walked with a very pronounced limp, favoring her right leg which was a good inch or so shorter than her left as she walked. She wore braces on her legs made of heavy plastic, screws, and Velcro, that were partially obscured beneath the hem of her school robes, and she wore shoes that were two sizes larger than her natural shoe size.

Harry Potter offered his hand to her as he helped her onto the train platform, and Ron Weasley handed her walker to her. "Thanks, Ron," said Lizzie appreciatively as her legs began toa ache with fatigue from standing.

Ron nodded, smiling at her. Lizzie looked around, listening for the familiar call of "Firs' years over here, firs' years…"

But it didn't come. Instead, a quite different voice, a brisk female one, was calling, "First years line up over here, please! All first years to me!"

A lantern came swinging towards Harry, Ron, Hermione Granger, Lizzie, and Neville Longbottom, and by its light, Lizzie saw the prominent chin and severe haircut of Professor Grubbly-Plank, the witch who had taken over Hagrid's Care of Magical Creatures lessons for a while the previous year.

"Where's Hagrid?" Lizzie wondered aloud.

"Dunno," said Harry, "but we'd better get out of the way – we're blocking the door…"

"Oh, right…."

Harry, Ron, Hermione, Lizzie, and Neville moved along the platform and out through the station. Jostled by the crowd, Lizzie squinted through the darkness for a glimpse of Hagrid; seeing him again had been one of the things to which she had been looking the most forward to. But there was no sign of him at all.

He can't have left, Lizzie told herself as she shuffled slowly through a narrow doorway onto the road outside with the rest of the crowd.

He's just got a cold or something….

She looked around for Harry, Ron, and Hermione, wanting to know what they thought about the reappearance of Professor Grubbly-Plank, but they were nowhere near her, so she allowed herself to be shunted forward onto the dark rain-washed road outside Hogsmeade Station.

Here stood the hundred or so horseless stagecoaches that always took the students above first year up to the castle. Though, Lizzie discovered that they were not alone.

Over two hundred students that in the low visibility darkness, Lizzie first mistook for Hogwarts students, were clambering into the stagecoaches. But as Lizzie took a second glance, she discovered that their robes were navy blue. The boys wore polished shoes, grey trousers, grey V-neck pullover sweaters with burgundy and navy blue on the neckline, with a white collared shirt, and a navy blue and burgundy striped necktie. The girls wore grey knee-length pleated skirts, knee high grey stockings, and black Mary Jane shoes, as well as the same shirt, sweater, tie, and robes.

On the left side of their school robes was an embroidery patch of the Canadian flag with the large red maple leaf and two gold wands crossing each other emitting gold stars, and the letters T.I.W.W embroidered beneath it.

Lizzie glanced at this strange group of foreigners, before quickly turning away to keep a lookout for Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville, when her attention was diverted back to the carriages as she did a double take.

The coaches were no longer horseless. There were creatures standing between the carriage shafts; if she had to give them a name, she supposed she would have called them horses, though there was something reptilian about them too.

They were completely fleshless, their black coats clinging to their skeletons, of which every bone was visible. Their heads were dragonish, and their pupil-less eyes white and staring. Wings sprouted from each wither – vast, black leathery wings that looked as though they ought to belong to giant bats.

Standing still and quiet in the gloom, the creatures looked eerie and sinister. Lizzie could not understand why the coaches were being pulled by these horrible horses when they were quite capable of moving by themselves.

"Where do you reckon…..?" said Harry, coming up behind her, and slightly startling her.

"Hagrid is?" asked Lizzie, her attention momentarily diverted from the winged horse-like creatures that were pulling the carriages.

"I dunno," said Harry. "He'd better be okay…"

A short distance away, Draco Malfoy, followed by a small group of cronies, including Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy Parkinson, was pushing some timid-looking second years out of the way so they could get a coach to themselves, and Lizzie was very vividly reminded of when they had, and to an extent, still did, give her the exact same treatment – and all because she was the only student at Hogwarts with a disability.

Seconds later, Hermione and Ron emerged, panting from the crowd. "Malfoy was being absolutely foul to a first year back there! I swear, I'm going to report him! He's only had his prefect's badge three minutes and he's using it to bully people worse than ever!"

Lizzie couldn't figure out why this shocked Hermione. "You're surprised?" she asked. "No," said Hermione. "Come on," said Lizzie. "We'd better get a carriage before they all fill up…"

"Who are they, I reckon?" asked Ron, pointing at the group of students in navy blue robes, still waiting for a carriage.

"Dunno," said Harry.

"What are they?" asked Lizzie, nodding at the skeletal horses, pulling the carriages as the other students surged past them like they didn't exist.

Ron and Hermione turned toward the carriages and frowned. "What?" asked Ron. "Those!" said Lizzie, pointing. "She means those things pulling the carriages!" said Harry. Lizzie stared at him. Could Harry see them too?

"Nothing's pulling the carriages, Lizzie," said Hermione. "It's pulling itself; it always has."

Lizzie and Harry exchanged perplexed glances. Why were they the only ones that could see them?" It just didn't make sense…

"Look!" said Lizzie, pointing right at the horses. Ron, however, gave her a bemused look.

"What am I supposed to be looking at, Liz?" asked Ron. "That!" said Lizzie, pointing. "Can't you see it?"

"See what?" asked Ron.

"Can't you see what's pulling the carriages?" asked Lizzie.

Ron looked as though he may fear for her sanity.

"Are you feeling okay, Liz?"

"I….yeah….."

Now Lizzie felt utterly bewildered. The horse was there in front of her, gleaming solidly in the dim light issuing from the station window behind them, vapor rising from its nostrils in the chilly night air. Yet, unless Ron and Hermione were faking – and it was a very feeble joke if it was – neither of them could see them at all. Nor did it appear that anyone else could.

They walked past one of the carriages and saw someone already sitting there. She had long white blonde hair, and her face was obscured by a magazine which she was reading upside down. The cover read The Quibbler.

"You're not going mad," said the girl in a dreamy voice as Lizzie and Harry stopped. The girl lowered the magazine to reveal her face. "I can see them too," she said. "Can you?" asked Lizzie excitedly. The girl nodded. "You're just as sane as I am," she said.

Everyone clambered into the carriage beside the girl as she looked around pleasantly at everyone. "Everyone this is Loony Love….." said Hermione, momentarily stopping herself as the girl stared at her. "Luna Lovegood," said Hermione, avoiding Luna's gaze.

Luna smiled pleasantly at everyone until her eyes fell on Lizzie. She reached across and held Lizzie's hand, catching her off-guard, though she did not try to yank it away. "I'm sorry about Raven," she said kindly. "He was a good horse."

Lizzie felt her eyes sting with tears. Her horse, Raven had to be put down three months ago, and she was taking it rather hard.

She felt a lump in her throat as she swallowed hard. "Th-thank you," she said finally, forcing a smile. "He was. He-he was really…" She sighed as she hung her head, sniffling. Harry wrapped an arm around Lizzie's shoulder and hugged her close.

"Did everyone see that Grubbly-Plank woman?" asked Ron, changing the subject abruptly. "What's she doing back here? Hagrid can't have left, can he?" "I'll be quite glad if he has," said Luna. "He's not a very good teacher, is he?" Lizzie looked up and scowled. She had thought by all first impressions that Luna was nice enough by offering her condolences to her. "Yes, he is!" said Harry, Ron, and Hermione angrily.

"Well, we think he's a bit of a joke in Ravenclaw," said Luna, unfazed. "You've got a rubbish sense of humor then!" said Lizzie, feeling grateful that the Sorting Hat had decided not to put her in Ravenclaw, and the wheels of the carriage began to move.

Luna didn't seem perturbed by Lizzie's remark; on the contrary, she simply watched her for a while as though she were a mildly interesting television program.

Lizzie was used to people staring at her. She had been subjected to this kind of treatment by students from all four Houses from the moment she arrived at Hogwarts.

Because of her Cerebral Palsy – a neuromuscular condition that caused stiffness in her leg muscles and poor balance and coordination – she stuck out like a sore thumb, and thus made her a prime target for bullies.

Her friends did their best to stick up for her, but very little was done to actually make it stop.

Rattling and swaying, the carriages moved in convoy up the road. When they passed between the tall stone pillars, topped with winged boars on either side of the gates to the school grounds, Lizzie leaned forward to try and see whether there were any lights on in Hagrid's cabin by the Forbidden Forest, but the grounds were in complete darkness.

Hogwarts Castle, however loomed ever closer: a towering mass of turrets, jet black against the dark sky, here and there, a window blazed fiery bright above them.

The carriages jingled to a halt near the stone steps leading up to the oak front doors and Harry got out first to help Lizzie.

As she stepped out of the carriage, she turned again to look for a lit window down by the forest, but there was definitely no sign of life within Hagrid's cabin. Unwillingly, because she had half hoped they would have vanished, she turned her eyes instead upon the strange skeletal creatures standing quietly in the chill night air, their blank white eyes gleaming.

If Luna was to be believed, the beasts had always been there, but invisible; why, then, could only Lizzie and Harry see them, but no one else could?

"Hey, Liz, you coming or what?" asked Harry. "Hmm? Oh…yeah," said Lizzie as they joined the crowd hurrying up the stone steps to the castle.

The entrance hall was ablaze with torches and echoing with footsteps as the students crossed the flagged stone floor for the double doors to the right leading to the Great Hall and the start-of-term feast. Lizzie saw the same group of navy blue robed students as they walked into the Great Hall.

The four long House tables in the Great Hall were filling up under the starless black ceiling, which was just like the sky they could glimpse through the high windows. As the students in navy robes sat down at the Gryffindor table in between students, they were looking around in awe at the splendor of the hall, and looked fascinated at the ceiling overhead.

Candles floated in midair all along the tables, illuminating the silver ghosts who were dotted about the Hall and the faces of students talking eagerly to one another, exchanging summer news, shouting greetings at friends from other Houses, eyeing one another's new haircuts and robes.

Virtually everyone in the school knew that Raven had died, and some stopped by the Gryffindor table to offer condolences and words of sympathy to Lizzie, while others hurled insults and threats at her.

Lizzie sighed, fighting eback tears as she took her seat at the Gryffindor table.

Luna drifted away from them at the Ravenclaw table, and Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville took seats beside and across from Lizzie.

Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil cast scathing looks in Lizzie's direction as she stared down at her empty plate.

"Don't worry about it, Liz," said Harry gently. "Raven's been dead three months, and people already formed their own opinions and conclusions about what happened," said Lizzie. "But you know the truth!" said Harry. "That still won't bring him back," said Lizzie. Tears rolled down her face as she spoke.

She wiped her eyes as she looked up at the staff table that ran along the top wall of the Hall.

There was still no sign of Hagrid.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione scanned the staff table too, though there was no real need; Hagrid's size made him instantly obvious in any lineup.

"He can't've left," said Lizzie, sounding anxious.

"Of course he hasn't," said Harry firmly.

"You don't think he's….hurt or anything, do you?" asked Hermione uneasily.

"No," said Harry at once.

"But where is he, then?" asked Lizzie.

There was a pause, then Harry said very quietly, so that Neville, Parvati, and Lavender could not hear. "Maybe he's not back yet. You know – from his mission – you know, the thing he was doing over the summer for Dumbledore…"

"Yeah…..yeah, that'll be it," said Ron, sounding reassured, but Hermione bit her lip, looking up and down the staff table as th ough hoping for some conclusive explanation of Hagrid's absence.

"Who's that?" asked Lizzie sharply, pointing toward the middle of the staff table. Harry's eyes followed hers. They lit first upon Professor Dumbledore, sitting in his high-backed golden chair at the center of the long staff table, wearing deep-purple robes scattered with silvery stars and matching hat. Dumbledore's head was inclined toward the woman sitting next to him who was talking into his ear.

She looked, Lizzie thought, like somebody's maiden aunt; squat with short, curly mouse brown hair, in which she had placed a horrible pink Alice band that matched the fluffy pink cardigan she wore over her robes. Then she turned her face slightly to take a sip from her goblet, and Lizzie was slightly taken aback by this woman's expression; a pallid, toadlike face and pair of prominent, pouchy eyes.

"It's that Umbridge woman!" said Harry, staring at the toadlike woman.

"Who?" asked Lizzie, frowning.

"She was at my hearing! She works for Fudge!"

"Nice cardigan," said Ron, smirking. Lizzie cringed. Although pink was one of her favorite colors, the cardigan this woman was wearing was positively garish.

"She works for Fudge?" Hermione repeated, frowning. "What on earth is she doing here, then?"

"Dunno,"

Hermione scanned the staff table, her eyes narrowed. "No," she muttered, "no, surely not…."

"What?" asked Lizzie, not understanding what Hermione was talking about, but did not ask; her attention had just been caught by Professor Grubbly-Plank, who had just appeared behind the staff table; she worked her way along the very end and took the seat that ought to have been Hagrid's.

That meant that the first years must have crossed the lake and reached the castle, and sure enough, a few seconds later, the doors from the entrance hall opened. A long line of scared-looking first years entered, led by Professor McGonagall, who was carrying a stool on which sat an ancient wizard's hat, heavily patched and darned with a wide rip near the frayed brim.

The buzz of talk in the Great Hall faded away. Even the students in navy blue robes were either leaning forward or backward in their seats to get a better look at what was going on.

The first years lined up in the front of the staff table, facing the other students, and Professor McGonagall placed the stool carefully in front of them, then stood back.

The first years' faces glowed palely in the candlelight. A small boy right in the middle of the row looked like he was trembling. Lizzie recalled in vivid detail how terrified she had felt when she had stood there, waiting for the unknown test that would determine to which House she belonged.

The whole school waiting with bated breath as the Sorting began as Professor McGonagall lowered her eyes to a long piece of parchment in her hand and called out,

"Abercrombie, Euan."

The terrified boy Lizzie noticed earlier stumbled forward and put the hat on his head; it was only prevented from falling right down to his shoulders by his very prominent ears. The hat considered for a moment, the rip near the brim opened again and shouted.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Lizzie clapped loudly with the rest of Gryffindor House as Euan Abercrombie staggered to their table and sat down, looking as though he would like very much to sink through the floor and never be looked at again.

Slowly, the long line of first year s thinned; in the pauses between the name and the Sorting Hat's decisions, Lizzie's stomach growled. It had been hours since she had last eaten.

Finally, "Zeller, Rose" was sorted into Hufflepuff, and Professor McGonagall picked up the hat and stool and marched them away as Professor Dumbledore rose to his feet.

It was hard for Lizzie to believe that she had considered not returning to Hogwarts. Having to put Raven to sleep was a devastating loss, and she had fallen into a serious depression over the summer. And now between the absence of Hagrid, these mysterious new students, and the presence of those dragonish horses, she felt that her return to Hogwarts was almost worth it, and so full of unexpected surprises like jarring notes to a familiar song.

But this, at least, was how it was supposed to be; their headmaster rising to greet them all before the start of term feast.

"To our newcomers," said Dumbledore, in a ringing voice, his arms stretched wide and a beaming smile on his lips, "welcome! To our old hands – welcome back! There is a time for speech making, but this is not it. Tuck in!"

Lizzie laughed as Dumbledore sat down neatly and threw his long beard over his shoulder so as to keep it out of the way of his plate – for food had appeared out of nowhere, so that the five long tables were groaning under joints and pies and dishes of vegetables, bread, sauces, and flagons of pumpkin juice. Lizzie piled her plate with everything she could reach and began to eat, though she didn't engage in much conversation.

A lot of the other Gryffindors had started gazing down the table at the other students in navy blue robes, talking amongst themselves. Lavender and Parvati were gazing at one particular student with great interest.

He appeared to be about sixteen or seventeen with slightly long curly dark blonde or light brown hair, ocean blue eyes, and a handsome face. A burgundy prefect badge was pinned to his robes, gleaming in the light from the thousands of floating candles overhead.

"Doesn't he remind you of Anakin Skywalker?"

"I know! he's so cute!"

"D'you reckon he's seeing anyone?"

"Go talk to him!"

"No you go!"

"What are you looking at Lizzie?" asked Hermione. "Nothing," said Lizzie, tearing her eyes from the boy that Parvati and Lavender were drooling over.

When all the students had eaten their fill, and the noise level in the hall was starting to creep upward again, Dumbledore got to his feet once more. Talking ceased immediately as all turned to face the headmaster. Lizzie felt pleasantly drowsy now. Her four poster bed was waiting for her somewhere above, wonderfully warm, and soft…..

"Well, now that we have all digested another magnificent feast, I beg a few moments of your attention for the usual start-of-term notices," said Dumbledore. "First, I would like to give a warm welcome to the student ts from the Toronto Institute of Witchcraft and Wizardry, who have chosen to study a year abroad at our magnificent school."

Dumbledore began to applaud as the rest of the hall joined in. The students from the Toronto Institute of Witchcraft and Wizardry smiled appreciatively at this kind, warm welcome.

"How come we've never heard of that school?" asked Ron. "It's mentioned in Hogwarts; A History!" said Hermione. "It's the most prestigious school of magic in Canada! You have to possess exceptional magical abilities for them to accept you! They don't just take anyone!"

"Really?" asked Lizzie, looking back at the curly haired boy who was sitting not a few feet away from her.

Then suddenly, he looked up and their eyes met. Lizzie blushed as she hastily looked away. But the boy continued to gaze at Lizzie.

"Hayden, what are you staring at?" asked a girl with brown wavy hair sitting next to him. "Nothing," said Hayden, finally tearing his eyes away from Lizzie. After a few seconds, he gazed back at her again.

"First years ought to know," said Dumbledore, "that the forest in the grounds is out of bounds to students – except for those who participate in equestrian sports. Mr. Filch the caretaker has asked me, for what he tells me is the four hundred and sixty-second time, to remind you, as well as our guests, that magic is not permitted in the corridors between classes, nor are a number of other things all of which can be checked on the extensive list now fastened to Mr. Filch's office door.

"We have two new changes in staffing this year. We are very pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be taking Care of Magical Creatures lessons; we are also delighted to introduce Professor Dolores Umbridge, our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

There was a round of polite, but rather unenthusiastic applause during which Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Lizzie exchanged rather panicked looks. Dumbledore had not said for how long Grubbly-Plank would be teaching.

Dumbledore continued. "Tryouts for the House Quidditch and Equestrian teams will take place on the…"

He broke off, looking inquiringly at Professor Umbridge. As he was not much taller standing than sitting, there was a moment when no one understood why Dumbledore had stopped talking, but then Professor Umbridge said, "Hem, hem," and it became clear that she had gotten to her feet and was intending to make a speech.

Dumbledore only looked taken aback for a moment, then he sat back down smartly, and looked alertly at Professor Umbridge as though he desired nothing better than to listen to her talk.

Other members of staff were not as adept at hiding their surprise. Professor Sprout's eyebrows had disappeared into her flyaway hair and Professor McGonagall's mouth was as thin as Lizzie had ever seen it. No new teacher had ever interrupted Dumbledore before. Many of the students were smirking, while the Canadian students were exchanging baffled looks.

Lizzie heard Hayden whisper to the girl with wavy hair sitting next to him, "He's just gonna let her interrupt him like that?"

So much for a good first impression, Lizzie thought. This woman obviously did not know how things were done at Hogwarts.

"Thank you, Headmaster," Professor Umbridge simpered, "for those kind words of welcome."

Her voice was high-pitched, breathy, and little-girlish, and Lizzie instantly felt a powerful rush of dislike that she could not explain. All she knew was that she loathed everything about her, from her stupid voice, that was akin to Lizzie like nails running down a chalkboard, to her fluffy pink cardigan.

She gave another throat clearing cough ("Hem, hem") and continued. "Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say!" she smiled, revealing very pointed teeth that made Lizzie recoil.

"And to see such happy little faces looking back at me!"

Lizzie glanced around. None of the faces she could see looked happy; on the contrary, they all looked rather taken aback at being addressed like they were five years old.

"I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all, and I'm sure we'll be very good friends!"

Students exchanged looks at this; some of them were barely concealing grins. "I'll be her friend as long as I don't have to borrow that cardigan," Parvati whispered to Lavender, both of whom had momentarily taken their eyes off Hayden and lapsed into silent giggles.

Professor Umbridge had cleared her throat again, which by now to Lizzie, had become greatly irritating.

But when she continued, some of the breathiness had vanished from her voice. She sounded much more businesslike, and now her words had a dull, learned-by-heart sound to them.

"The Ministry has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. The rare gifts with which you were born may come to nothing if not nurtured and honed by careful instruction. The ancient skills unique to the Wizarding community must be passed down through the generations, lest we lose them forever. The treasure trove of magical knowledge amassed by our ancestors must be guarded, replenished, and polished by those who have been called to the noble profession of teaching."

Professor Umbridge paused here and made a little bow to her fellow staff members, none of whom bowed back. Professor McGonagall's dark eyebrows had contracted so that she looked positively hawklike, and Lizzie distinctly saw her exchange a significant glance with Professor Sprout as Umbridge gave another little "Hem, hem" and went on with her speech.

"Every headmaster and headmistress of Hogwarts has brought something new to the weighty task of governing this historic school and that is as it should be for without progress, there will be stagnation and decay. There again, progress for the sake of progress must be discouraged, for our tried and tested traditions often require no tinkering. A balance, then between old and new, between permanence and change, between tradition and innovation…"

Lizzie found her attention ebbing as though her brain was slipping in and out of tune. The quiet that had always filled the Hall when Dumbledore was speaking was breaking up as students put their heads together, whispering and giggling. Over at the Ravenclaw table, Cho Chang was chatting animatedly with her friends. A few seats along from Cho, Luna Lovegood had gotten out The Quibbler again.

Meanwhile, at the Hufflepuff table, Ernie Macmillan was one of the few still staring at Professor Umbridge, but he was glassy-eyed, and Lizzie was sure he was only pretending to listen in an attempt to live up to the new prefects badge gleaming on his chest.

Professor Umbridge did not seem to notice the restlessness of the audience. Lizzie had the impression that a full scale riot could have broken out under her nose, and she would have plowed on with her speech

The teachers, however, were still listening very attentively, and Hermione seemed to be drinking in every word Umbridge spoke.

Lizzie glanced over at Hayden, who was listening with as much attention as Hermione, though with a confused expression across his handsome face, like he was questioning the point of this tremendous monologue.

"…because some changes will be for the better while others will come, in the fullness of time, to be recognized as errors of judgement. Meanwhile, some habits will be retained, and rightly so, whereas others, outmoded and outworn, must be abandoned. Let us move forward, then, into a new era of openness, effectiveness, and accountability, intent on preserving what ought to be preserved, perfecting what needs to be perfected, and pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited."

She sat down, Dumbledore clapped, the staff followed his lead, though Lizzie noticed that several of them brought their hands together only once or twice before stopping. A few students joined in, including Hayden and his classmates, but most had been taken unawares by the end of the speech, not having listened to more than a few words of it, and before they could start applauding properly, Dumbledore had stood up again.

"Thank you very much, Professor Umbridge, that was most illuminating," he said, bowing his head to her. "Now – as I was saying, Quidditch and Equestrian team tryouts will be held…."

"Yes, it certainly was illuminating," said Hermione in a low voice, "you're not telling me you enjoyed it?" said Ron quietly, turning a glazed face upon Hermione. "That was about the dullest speech I've ever heard and I grew up with Percy."

"I said illuminating, not enjoyable," said Hermione. "It explained a lot." "Did it?" asked Harry in surprise. "Sounded like a load of waffle to me." "There was some important stuff hidden in that waffle," said Hermione grimly. "Was there?" asked Ron blankly. "How about 'progress for the sake of progress must be discouraged'? How about 'pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited'?"

"Aha!" said Lizzie, understanding. "What does it mean then?" asked Ron impatiently. "It means that the Ministry is interfering at Hogwarts," said Lizzie. "I didn't think you'd understand that, Liz!" said Harry, sounding impressed. "I'm autistic, not stupid," said Lizzie.

There was a great clattering and banging around them; Dumbledore had obviously just dismissed the school because everyone was standing up, ready to leave the Hall.

McGonagall had gotten up from the staff table and proceeded between the four House tables. "All students from the Toronto Institute of Witchcraft and Wizardry, follow me, please!" she called as all the students in their navy blue robes got up from their seats at the Gryffindor table and followed Professor McGonagall out of the Hall. Hermione jumped up looking flustered. "Ron, we're supposed to show the first years where to go!"

"Oh, yeah," said Ron, who had obviously forgotten. "Hey – hey you lot! Midgets!"

"Ron!"

"Well, they are, they're titchy…"

"I know, but you can't call them midgets…First years!" Hermione called commandingly along the table. "This way please!"

A group of new students walked shyly up the gap between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables, all of them trying hard not to lead the group, they did indeed look very small. Lizzie was sure she had not appeared that young when she arrived here. She smiled kindly at them. A blond boy next to Euan Abercrombie stared openmouthed at her like he hadn't seen anyone with a disability before.

"Oy! It's not polite to stare!" snapped Ron and the boy jumped and scurried away. "You didn't have to do that," said Lizzie. "He was staring at you!" said Ron. "You'd think he hadn't seen someone with a walker and leg braces before….." "I'm used to it," said Lizzie, which wasn't entirely true.

Lizzie was now in her fifth year, and the staring, taunts, teasing and being treated like a human punching bag continued. It was made even worse due to the fact that Lizzie was autistic, and everyone believe and myths and misconceptions about it, and no actual facts.

"See you later," said Lizzie as she and Harry made their way out of the Great Hall, Lizzie doing her best to ignore more whispering, staring, and pointing as she passed. She kept her eyes fixed ahead as she wove her way through the crowd in the entrance hall, watching students from the Toronto Institute of Witchcraft and Wizardry follow McGonagall up the marble staircase.

She and Harry took a couple concealed shortcuts and had soon left most of the crowds behind.

She had been stupid not to expect this, she thought glumly, as she and Harry walked through much emptier upstairs corridors. Of course, everyone was staring at her; Most of the school had watched her final horse show with Raven and had seen it go so horribly wrong on the final day during the showjumping….

Lizzie hadn't had the time afterward to give a proper explanation as to what really happened. People came to their own conclusions, and went home for the summer, even if she had felt up to giving the whole school a detail by detail account of what happened.

They had reached the end of the corridor to the Gryffindor common room, and had come to a halt in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady before Lizzie realized that neither she or Harry knew the new password.

"Er….." said Lizzie glumly, staring up at the Fat Lady who smoothed the folds of her pink satin dress and looked sternly back at her. "No password, no entrance," she said loftily. "Harry! Lizzie! I know it!" someone panted from behind them, and they turned to see Neville jogging toward them. "Guess what it is? I'm actually going to be able to remember it for once…" He waved a stunted little cactus up at them. "Mimbulus mimbletonia!"

"Correct," said the Fat Lady and her portrait swung open toward them like a door, revealing a circular hole in the wall behind. "Well done, Neville," said Lizzie happily, patting his shoulder as they climbed through.

The Gryffindor common room looked as welcoming as ever, a cozy circular tower room full of dilapidated squashy armchairs and rickety old tables. A fire was crackling merrily in the grate and a few people were warming their hands before going up to their dormitories; on the other side of the room, Fred and George Weasley were pinning something to the notice board. Harry hugged Lizzie goodnight as he headed straight for the door to the boys' dormitory, Lizzie, off to the right to the girls'.

Parvati and Lavender had reached the dormitory first and were in the process of covering the walls beside their beds with posters and photographs. They had been giggling and gossiping about Hayden as Lizzie pushed open the door, but stopped abruptly the moment they saw her.

Lizzie couldn't help but wonder if they had been talking about her, or whether she was just being paranoid.

"Hey," she said, moving across to her own trunk, and opening it. Neither of them said anything to her but exchanged glances.

"Good holiday?" asked Lizzie, feeling the uncomfortable silence. "All right," said Parvati stiffly.

"Why'd you do it?" asked Lavender. Lizzie turned to face her. "Do what?" asked Lizzie. "You know what," said Lavender.

Lizzie's heart sank. She was talking about the day Raven died. She knew that this would eventually come up.

Rather than giving her an answer, Lizzie turned her back and began to undress. She threw her robes angrily into her trunk, tears stinging her eyes. She was sick of it all; sick of being the person who was stared at and made fun of all the time, and now she was being accused of killing her own horse. If any of them knew what really happened…..If they had any idea…

"I hope you're proud of yourself," said Lavender. "You owned the most beautiful horse at Hogwarts and you threw his life away just so you could win a stupid show! Was it worth it? Was killing him worth it?"

"Shut up!" Lizzie shouted, suddenly aware she was holding her wand in her hand and pointing it straight at Lavender. "Shut your mouth!" Lizzie snarled. "You don't know…You don't know!" she gasped, tears streaming down her face. Lavender smirked sarcastically. "You can't even stand by yourself! How do you expect to jinx me?"

"Very carefully," said Lizzie. "I would love to see you try!" sneered Lavender as Parvati sniggered. "What happened to Raven…..It was an accident! I didn't mean for it to happen!" "You knew exactly what you were doing!" Lavender snapped. Lizzie raised her wand just as Hermione came into the room. "What's going on here?" she asked. "She's having a go at me because of what happened to Raven!" Lizzie shouted, her cheeks shining with tears. "Oh, Lizzie….." said Hermione sympathetically. "You know what?" said Lavender heatedly, casting Lizzie a venomous look. "I don't want to share a dormitory with her anymore, she's a murderer, and an animal abuser!"

"That's out of order, Lavender," said Hermione sternly. "Oh, really?" asked Lavender sarcastically. "Do you think what happened to Raven was an accident or what?" "Yeah, I do," said Hermione. "Then you're as mad as she is, and she's the one on medication!" "That's enough, Lavender!" Hermione snapped. "Unless you want detention, I suggest you watch your mouth!"

Lavender looked for a few seconds as though detention would be a reasonable price to pay to say what was going through her mind, but with a noise of contempt, she turned on her heel and vaulted into bed, before pulling the hangings shut with such force that they were ripped from the bed and fell in a dusty pile on the floor.

Hermione glared at Lavender, then looked at Parvati. "What about you?" she asked aggressively. "You got a problem with Lizzie too?"

Parvati shrugged and said nothing. "If there's one thing I know about Lizzie, it's that she would rather hurt herself than hurt another living creature. What happened to Raven was a tragic accident, a mistake. And she doesn't deserve to be crucified for it," said Hermione.

Lizzie felt a rush of gratitude toward Hermione. No one else said anything. Lavender got out her wand, repaired the bed hangings, and vanished behind them. Hermione got undressed, got into bed and fell silent.

Lizzie finished getting dressed in silence as she reached into her trunk, and pulled out a leather bound photo album, got into her four poster and opened it. Inside was a moving photograph of her atop Raven's back as they cantered across a sanded arena and flew over and oxer measuring three foot six….

A tear rolled down Lizzie's face and landed on the moving picture as she snapped the photo album shut, stuffed it under her pillow and lied down. She felt shaken by the argument she had with Lavender, whom she had always liked and regarded as a friend. How many more people were going to accuse her of killing Raven?