I am Seth – Part Two

The Friend

As Seth sat, looking out the window, he saw a bird fly past, dipping and diving in the wind. "I wish I was free. Free like the bird. It's free to dip and dive, free to live it's life the way it wants to." It was the first day back, after the holidays, and he was already wishing he was else where. The holidays were good, simple and nice. He stayed with his mother, his father died when he was nine. His mother was a sweet lady, poor and always helping people. She knew nothing of what went on at school; she thought that she was sending her son to a place that was safe. Seth didn't want his mum to worry. He knew that it was easier, him being on a scholarship. This saved his mother a bit of money, which could be used on more important issues.

Seth wished right now that he could be in his mothers arms. There was a slight breeze, making the trees shake, leaves falling. The leaves tumbled down and down, dancing this way and that, red and yellow in the autumn sun. Down below, on the footpath, a short girl, with dark brown hair walked, looking up at the leaves. She watched as the leaves drifted down, some landing on her shoulders and bags, others on the ground. Seth saw the girl laugh as a leaf landed on her nose. "Her laugh is a nice laugh, unlike some of the other girls around here." Seth thought, shuddering at the high pitched "tinkle" he heard from coming out of most girls mouths at Drashkov. He sat, looking at the window for some time longer, before realizing the sky was darkening, and it was time to go eat dinner.

When Seth entered the dining room, his eyes widened as he saw the same, dark haired girl sat. She sat right next to where he normally sat. It wasn't like anyone owned a seat, but tradition was that the "outcasts"/ "mudbloods" and other people whom they didn't like, sat in those few seats, away from the others. Didn't anybody tell her that? Seth thought bitterly, angry even, at having been named an "outcast". He headed over towards her, about to sit down in his seat, waiting for someone to tell the girl not to sit next to him, when she turned around and smiled. "Hi." She said, the smile not reaching her eyes. There was something wrong, Seth realised, as she sat there, uncertainly, waiting for a reply. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything…" She said, looking down at her food.

"No! I mean, you can talk, if you want to." Seth felt like a dickhead. There was a pink tinge appearing on his cheeks.

"Really?"

"Yeah… why shouldn't you?"

"Because I am not a pure blooded witch." Her voice faltered, and Seth could see wetness in her eyes.

"Neither am I."

"I'm not the only one, then?"

"Nope! Me as well." Seth said, trying to lighten the mood by smiling and talking happily. "I am Seth." Seth added, extending his hand. It was received in a small, dainty one.

"I am Alanna."

"Why, hello, Alanna. Welcome to Drashkov Institute in the art of Magic!" Seth said formally, doing a half bow in his seat. Alanna giggled, then, trying to sound formal and posh, replied.

"Thank you, kind sir." The ice was broken between the two, and they talked and laughed through out lunch. When it was time to leave, they both stood up, Seth asking where she was staying.

"Um, the room is called the "Carronades". Do all rooms have names? It seems odd. At my old school, we were in groups, depending on your skill. There were three. Vince, Yamane and Sanyo. It's so different here."

"Where did you go, before you came here?" Seth asked.

"Greenland School for Witches. It was an all girl's school… I went there for four years, and then I got a scholar ship to come here, so here I am!" Seth and Alanna walked on for some time, stoping now and then for Seth to explain a portrait or statue. Finally, they came upon the room with the name about it reading Carronades.

"Well, here we are." Seth said, stopping out front of the room. "It's really close to mine. Just go down the hall, and it's the one saying "Primsons".

"Cool. Do you wanna come in?" Without waiting for an answer, Alanna opened the door and walked into the dark room. Seth sighed and followed her in. He whistled, when he saw the surrounding furniture. On her desk (which was a mahogany wood, polished and a glass top) was a photo of two adults, presumable her mother and father, in a gold frame. There was a antique looking jewellery box, which had one of the drawers open, showing a pearl necklace. There was thick velvet curtains, with gold tassels strung up over the window. The bad was a large, soft looking king size double bed. The was four large, fluffy pillows and the doona was warm and nice to touch. The fire place was large and grand looking, a neat pile of wood to one side, with a poker and a marble mantle.

Seth felt like he was walking into the grandest room he had ever seen. The room that he stayed in was not shabby, for at Drashkov School, nothing was shabby, but it was nothing compared to what this room was. The students were allowed to bring in furniture from home, if they wished to, but Seth didn't, knowing the furniture here would be more comfortable. It seemed that Alanna had brought furniture from home, and that "home" must be a large, and the inhabitants must be rich. Seth felt suddenly uncomfortable. Alanna sat down in one of the chairs in front of the fires, beckoning Seth into the other.

"What's the go with people and blood?" Alanna asked, starring at the flames. "I mean, I was shocked when I fist came. When I first sat down, some girl asked me where I came from, and everything, and when I told her that my parents were muggles she stopped talking to me, and told me to move when her friend came over!" Alanna turned and looked at Seth in the eyes. "I've only been here, what, five hours, and I've been labelled as an outcast already!"

"Don't worry. You wouldn't want to be friends with them anyways. They are cruel, stuck up and mean. We are better off alone."

"How long have you been here?"

"Since the start of last year. I got a scholarship, the same as you."

"What was it like, when you first started?" Alanna asked, curious to what the answer would be.

"Well, when I first came, I was introduced to the class, and someone was assigned to look after me for the week, you know, to show me classes. Um, that someone happened to be Yolande, who is part of a Purities group. When he found out I was half and half, he refused to talk to me, or have anything to do. We ended up getting into a fight, and both ended up in the infirmary. It wasn't pretty. I guess that's why they didn't get anybody to show you around. They thought that there might be some friction between you and you guide."

"Why do they bother letting people in here, if the students hate them?"

"Professor Wentworth is a pretty decent head master. He is trying to get the students to accept people of different blood, as "mudbloods" and "half-muggles" are becoming more and more common. The guy before him though, Professor Schkin, practically supported Grindelwald, making it worse." They sat in silence, Seth, thinking about what it must have been like before Professor Wentworth was head master, Alanna thinking about the years to come. Seth looked sideways at her, watching a crystalline tear run down the smooth skin of her cheek, leaving a shiny trail. He didn't say anything, just sat, hating the people. Hating the people and the blood.