Notebook: Chapter Two

September Twenty-Fifth -- Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Slytherin Common Room

'09/05/91

Dearest notebook,

Oh, Hogwarts is so wonderful! I can't believe how I begged Mother and Father to send me to Durmstrang now. I'm so glad they decided that I should go to Hogwarts instead. Eight generations of Parkinsons have gone to Hogwarts, you see, so they didn't want to break the tradition. I usually hate these stuffy traditions that my family seems to have so many of, but I'm pleased about this one, at least.

There is so much to say about Hogwarts, I don't know where to start. Oh, yes I do -- I'm in Slytherin. I'm so relieved, I was worried that I was going to be put in Ravenclaw. But no, almost straight away the hat yelled out 'SLYTHERIN'. I suppose I am ambitious, after all. I was so surprised when I heard the hat's voice inside my head -- I was absolutely sure that I had finally gone mad with the stress of starting school.

Draco was put in Slytherin, too, of course, as were Crabbe and Goyle. Harry Potter and his disgusting Weasley of a friend were put into Gryffindor -- I can't say I'm surprised. Goodness, I hate those Gryffindors. There's one who'd especially awful -- A Mudblood named Hermione Granger. She's such a bookworm, and a teacher's pet.. Oh! I really can't stand her.

Neither can I stand Harry Potter. He's just as bad as I thought he'd be. Oh well -- Today, during out Flying Lesson, the teacher had to leave the class to attend to a another stupid Gryffindor. She told us we weren't, under any circumstances, to fly our broomsticks before she got back. But oh, Draco did! I was so worried. And that dreadful Potter boy followed him. Draco got down on the ground before the teacher saw, but Harry didn't! And now we're just sure he's going to be expelled.

Anyway. The ground of Hogwarts are lovely -- They're so large. And they're well-kept, like the Parkinson Estate. With one difference, though -- Hogwarts doesn't have the same 'Touch that hedge and you'll be sorry' feeling to it... Everything is much more relaxed, thank goodness!

The girls here are so different from me. They talk about things I don't quite understand, and use words that would make Mother faint if she heard them. They giggle when boys come near them, and they sometimes even paint their nails like Muggles do. And they --'

"Pansy, hurry up!" Draco called from the entrance to Slytherin Common Room, "It's almost time for dinner."

"Sorry, sorry," Pansy replied, stuffing her notebook into her shoulderbag and hurrying to catch up to her friend, "God forbid something should keep you from getting fed on time.", she joked.

The pair walked quickly to the Great Hall, talking over the events of the day's Flying lesson.

"I can't believe our luck, Potter getting caught flying a broomstick without permission -- He'll be expelled, I'm sure of it," Draco said smugly, a smile on his coming over his pale features.

"I can't wait," Pansy said, grinning maliciously. She didn't really know this Potter boy very well at all, but she hated him for what he'd done to her family. She just loved the idea of him being expelled.

The two children were soon joined by Crabbe and Goyle, who walked with them into the Great Hall.

"I'm going to go and wish our wee little Potter farewell, care to join me?" Draco asked his three friends. Crabbe and Goyle grunted an affirmative, but Pansy shook her head slowly.

"No, I think I'll go to our table. I need to finish something, anyway."

They parted ways, and Pansy walked to the Slytherin table. She slid onto a empty bench and got herself a plate of mashed potatoes, dropping her bag onto the floor next to her feet. Chewing quietly and politely, as she had been taught to do by her mother, she pulled her notebook out and began to write again.

'-- And they sometimes even flirt with the boys in our class. It's awful! Mother would be shocked at girls my age behaving like that.'

Draco, Crabbe and Goyle arrived at the table and sat down around Pansy. Was it just her imagination, or didn't they look as excited as she thought they'd be over Potter getting kicked out of school?

"What happened? Is he expelled?" she asked. Draco scowled and Crabbe shook his head.

"No," he said. It was one of the first times Pansy had ever heard Vincent Crabbe talk.

"What? What on earth do you mean?"

Draco scowled, if it were possible, even harder than before. He snarled like Celestina when she was in a bad mood when he replied.

"He means," he said annoyedly, "That Potter is not going to be expelled. I should've known that senile old Albus Dumbledore would never expell him -- After all, he's The Boy Who Bloody Well Had To Live!" Pansy didn't think she had ever seen Draco so annoyed -- And that was really saying something, as she had once accidently spilled an entire bottle of black ink on a pair of his brand-new robes.

"Well... I'm sure Professor Dumbledore had a better reason than that for not expelling him," Pansy said doubtfully. What other reason would that old man have? Draco, who obviously thought the same, snorted sceptically.

"Oh well, It doesn't really matter," He said, a slight smile appearing on his face, "He'll have another chance to get himself expelled tonight, won't he? I've challenged him to a Wizards Duel,"

"What?!" Pansy almost shrieked, causing a nearby group of second-years to scowl at her. Crabbe and Goyle, however, ignored them both and started tucking in to the delicious Hogwart's food.

"You can't, Draco -- You'll get expelled, too," She put her hand on his arm as if that could somehow convince him not to participate in this wizards duel.

Draco momentarily looked uncomfortable, and shrugged her hand off, his face slightly flushed.He then regained his composure and sneered and rolled his eyes at his friend.

"Of course I'm not going, Pansy. Don't be an idiot. I'm just doing this to trick him into going out-of-bounds at night. I'll warn Filch that someone is out of their bed, and then Potter'll get caught. It's the perfect plan!"

Feeling slightly offended at being talked to so sharply, Pansy turned away from Draco. It was a good plan, but how dare Draco speak to her like that? She sniffed and pulled one of her textbooks out of her bag, opened it and pretended to read.

"Oh, stop it. You're acting like that Gryffindor mudblood Hermione Granger," Draco said, sounding bored. The second-years, overhearing them again, laughed and raised their glasses to him, amused by the use of the word 'Mudblood'. Draco's smile widened, and he smoothed his hair with his palm, trying to look casual. Pansy tried not to laugh -- Draco was so very arrogant!

"Oh, come on, Pansy," Draco said suddenly, "Don't ignore me. I was only joking, after all. Truce?" He held out his hand, still slightly greasy from his hair.

Pansy sighed and closed 'One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi' and smiled reluctantly at the boy.

"All right. Truce."