CHAPTER 2

Tulip was small girl. Small for her age much like her family. Her family wasn't gifted in heights. She had taken most of her looks after her father's side. She had almond shaped, bright hazel eyes that were shining with curiosity. A round face with freckled cheeks that made people think she had pinch-able cheeks. A round nouse and full lips. Her hair was way too thick, frizzy and filled with uneven chocolate waves. Only interesting about her was the dark red birthmark on her right wrist. Which she forgot about it most of the time.

She was screaming and running around the house when she got her letter. She only stopped because her brother tripped her and made her fall. But that didn't dampened her mood at all. She was excited about everything. She was exited about her books, her new robes, her wand.

Her mother let her buy extra books but she had to relent to boring old styled witch shoes. She huffed but quickly forget her resentment when she entered Olivander's. Mr. Ollivander had the most peculiar shade of blue eyes. Tulip thought they were so pale if she squinted, his irises might blend with the white of his eyes. Shop owner greeted her mother and then looked down on Tulip.

"Hello dear, give me your wand arm."

Tulip streched her right arm forward.

"Little Tulip Ulster, time flies very quickly. I remember when your brother bought his wand here and you begged your mother to buy you a wand too."

Tulip's cheeks reddened with embarrassment.

" Now your time has come. Let's see... ash wood, dragon hearth string."

As soon as Tulip touch the wand Olivander snatched it back. "No..no..hmm. Maybe this holy and unicorn hair" He snatched it back just the same. "Hmm.. let's see"

Olivander wouldn't let her even hold the wands properly, how would he know if it suited her. He kept this up until her seventh wand. " Try this young lady; Dogwood, phœnix feather core, 12 and 3/4 inches."

Just as her finger touched the wand she felt this rush of emotions in her, she smiled. Her mother smiled at her and opened her wallet to pay.

" It's a bit funny" her mother said to the shop owner.

"What's that Mrs. Ulster ?" Olivander asked.

" I don't know, most of our family uses dragon-heart string core wands. Me, my husband, our son , my parents and so on. They are the best. Are you sure it's not a dragon heart string wand? " her mother asked looking at the wand cases.

" Mom" Tulip wailed embarrassed and frustrated.

" Wand choses the wizard Mrs. Ulster. There isn't something I can do. The wand chose her. It's an excellent wand. It's excellent for transfigurations and charms. Powerful wand that one, makes the chooser quite a smart witch" Olivander said smiling down on Tulip. Tulip smiled back halfheartedly. She was a bit upset now that she didn't get a unicorn hair wand. Her mood healed when they reached home to read her new books.

Rest of her summer days went quickly. She read her books, practised a few spells. She rode her brother's broom when he let her. She had convinced her mother to allow her to ride a broom 2 years ago. Her brother showed her the basics and then Tulip picked up on her own. There was a lot of falling and brusing but she didn't let her mother see. They weren't suppose to get very high because muggles might have saw them. Sometimes her cousins would come over and they would play quidditch but they wouldn't let her play. Instead they would make her keep the score.

All was good except the fights her parents would have. It was mostly about her father's drinking. Her mother, Auva held the power in their household. Her father, Maverick wasn't a bad man but he didn't get involved much. He would go to work and after he would often go to have drinks. When he came home he would like to listen to Wizarding Wireless by himself. Tulip thought if given a choice between their family or limitless fire whiskey, her father would choose the latter.

Because Maverick's attention was only on the fire whiskey he drank, Auva had taken the rails on her hand. She kept the house going, made sure all of their money didn't got drunken away and she raised her children best way she can. Auva was a strict woman because of that, perfectionist on nearly everything and Tulip wasn't.

Her mother like to keep the house clean and tidy but Tulip wasn't like that. Her wardrobe was a mess and so was her room. Since she got the letter her mother's warnings were getting more annoying by the day.

" If you keep being this dirty and untidy at hogwarts your head of house will make an example of you!"

"All the other girls will make fun of you when they see your bed!"

She would say lots of thing like that. Her brother already told her they were house elves in hogwarts so she didn't put much thought into her mothers threats. They didn't have a house elf of their own. Tulip thought it was because her mother would never be satisfied with the makings of house elves. She like to do everything according to her way.

Summer went away like that. Soon come the day Tulip would leave her house. The most exciting day in Tulip's life. She felt like the day would never come. But here it came, September first, 1991. The day she was finally attending hogwarts. The day where she would leave her boring home, boring parents and her boring life. She would get to have new friends who weren't be approved by her mother. She would get to be away and free. She would get to learn magic.

The morning passed in a blur. Tulip was too excited for her own good. She was pulling her mother behind her. She felt like her parents were walking so slow. Her brother on the other hand kept saying "calm down and don't embarrass me."

" How about you don't embarrass me, I don't want people to know I am related to a git" she said back.

When they entered the King Cross it was filled with families. Her mother came to her height and straightened her robes and hair.

" You be good now, Tulip. Listen to your brother and teachers. Keep to your studies and I don't want to hear complaints. " she said and hugged her daughter.

" I know mom."

Her dad hugged her as well " Listen to you teachers" he repeated. " Be careful, alright" and pinched her cheeks annoying her. Tulip hated when people pinched her cheeks.

Her brother put an arm around her and walked her to the train. " Do you want to sit with me? " he asked once they were on the train.

" No, I can find a compartment" she said.

" Alright, If something goes wrong I'm here. I'll see you at the sorting" he said and went in.

Suddenly Tulip filled with anxiety. She was always exited about making new friends but what If she never makes one. Everywhere was full and after a while she decided to pull up her courage and enter a compartment.

"H-hi. Do you mind if I come in? I couldn't find an empty compartment." She asked. There was a girl her age in there. She had very bushy hair, more than her own, and big front teeth.

"Sure" she said exitedly. "My name is Hermione Granger" she said.

"I'm Tulip Ulster." Tulip said. She felt awkward all of a sudden. She didn't know what to say.

"Are you exited?" Tulip asked after seeing Hermione fidgeting.

" Very. I have been excited since I received the letter. I had no idea that I was a witch. I am muggleborn you see. It came as a shock but my parents were proud in the end. I read all my book over the summer to not miss anything." She said excitedly. Her face faltered a bit then she added. " Does it make a difference being muggleborn?" Hermione asked her.

Tulip was at lost of words for a few seconds. If her mother were here she would be so angry with her talking to a muggleborn. Her mother was not found of muggleborns. Actually her family wasn't found of them. She told Tulip that muggle kids were ignorant and dirty. Tulip once played with muggle kids and they weren't really dirty or ignorant, they were like her. But her mother was very angry with her and she wasn't allowed out of house for days.

Her mother claimed that muggleborns corrupted their way of living and she had warned Tulip to not to associate with them. But Tulip never met a muggleborn before and she was curious.

" No" she said" It doesn't make a difference. All my family is magic but I don't know anything really. My mom never lets me near her wand" she said. At this Hermione relaxed.

" What's it like, muggles I mean. We live near a muggle town but I was never allowed to go there. There were kids on wheels, do you know that?" Tulip asked excitedly.

That made hermione giggle. " That is bicycle, it's a two wheeled vehicle. You can ride it and travel on it. I have one at home" She explained.

Tulip's eye shined. " My brother and I convinced our mother to buy us toy carpets once but they don't really fly high and after a while they just float above the surface." This time Hermione's eye shined and they went on until compartment door opened.

"Anything from the trolley dears?" A plump old woman asked.

They went up to her excitedly. "I have never seen candy like these."Hermione said looking throughout the candies.

" You must try these then" Tulip said and bought a bunch different sweets . While they were eating Bertie Butt's Tulip asked " Which house do you think you'll be?"

" I am not really sure but Gryffindor seems like the best house but I feel like Ravenclaw is good too. What about you?"

" You are wrong Slytherin is the best, I guess Ravenclaw is alright too." Tulip answered.

"Slytherin... from what I read it seems a bit...different." Hermione said unsurely.

" Well... maybe but most of my family was in Slytherin, my brother is there too. Mom says it's the best there is. I do hope we'll be in the same house though." Tulip said

" Me too." Hermione agreed with her. "What happened to your wrist?" Hermione changed the subject nodding towards Tulip's wrist. Tulip was confused a little before remembering her birth mark.

" Oh that's my birthmark. It's in this weird shape so it doesn't look like anything."

It was true. Her birthmark was in two parks the top could be closer to a triangle but the bottom looked like a sideways eight with small bird legs. It was dark red/ purple colour and in total it was the size of sickle. They continued to talk until their compartment door opened again to reveal a plump faced boy.

"Ha-have you seen a toad" he asked them.

"No, we haven't." Tulip answered. The boy's shoulders fell at that. His already watery eyes became filled with tears.

" We can help you look for it if you want." Hermione said smiling reassuringly at him.

"Really?"

"Sure, I'm Tulip by the way and this is Hermione."

"I'm Neville. If I can't find that toad my grandma would kill me"

"We'll find it don't worry" Hermione assured him and Tulip nodded. They went through the train to find the toad. They seperated to look faster.

Walking around the train and meeting different people was making it hard for her the close her mind. She had become aware of her talent a few years ago. If she let herself she was able hear other people's thoughts and opinions. Soon after she realised she didn't like hearing other people's opinions. So she didn't use it much but being around and meeting so many people was giving her a slight headache.

When she went back to her own compartment empty handed, Hermione was there and apparently Harry Potter was on the train and she had met him. Neville on the other hand was looking very sad. So Tulip gave him some of her sweets to cheer him. She started to ask about him to ease his mind. Train ride ended quickly after that.


In a excited blur she found herself waiting in the Great Hall for her sorting. Waiting her name to be called felt like ages. Hermione was already at the Gryffindor table smiling at her even Harry Potter was in that table.

She turned her head towards the Slytherin table and saw Draco. She knew Draco because they were related like all pure bloods were. His mother was actually her cousin. I have old cousin, Tulip thought. She didn't particularly like him, he was arrogant. Her mother didn't let them spend much time either, Auva didn't like that his father was an ex death eater. At this thought a distain towards Slytherin grew in her.

She wanted to be with Hermione but she also wanted Slytherin. All her family was in Slytherin. Looking towards her brother made her feel better. He pointed at the seat beside him. Then she saw her other cousin sitting across from her brother. Belen was aunt Nichelle's eldest daughter and she was in her last year at Hogwarts. Slytherin table seemed much better now. Why did her last name started with U. She felt like she would be the last but she wasn't. Finally it was her turn.

"Ulster, Tulip" Professor McGonagall called her.

She walked up to the stand with uneasy steps and professor put the hat on her head. Nothing happened for a few seconds then she heard it.

" Hmm.. Very bright and clever. Not hard working but you have ambition in you. Hmm. Very brave and chivalrous too. Gryffindor would suit you well but you have ravenclaw in you too. You are quiet imaginative. Where to put you, Gryffindor or Ravenclaw?" The hat asked.

"No, no no no. Neither, I want Slytherin. I am not a Gryffindor. I am not brave." Tulip thought.

" But you are child you wear your courage at your sleeve. You would do well in there" hat said.

" I don't want to be in there my whole family is in Slytherin, I want to be in Slytherin." Tulip thought sternly.

"Hmm..You are very cunning and ambitious. hmm." The hat continued mumbling.

Tulip was becaming anxious and she wasn't the only one. People were starting to whisper and even McGonagall crouched down the look at her. After what felt like a eternity of waiting and arguing with the hat, it finally concluded its decision. Tulip's threat to burn the hat with dragon fire may have affected it too.

"Slytherin " it yelled and she felt relief. Slytherin table erupted with claps and her brother's whistles. McGonagall took the hat and Tulip hopped to the Slytherin table near her brother. He hugged her and introduced her to his classmates.

She looked towards Hermione, she seemed a bit disappointed but smiled nonetheless. She waved at her and turned towards her table.

" I'm Theodore." said a boy with dark hair.

"Hi, I'm Tulip" she said smiling at him.

"I'm Tracey Davis" a girl with light brown hair said next to her.

"Tulip"

Last of the sorting was to a Slytherin house , Blaise Zabini. He sat across from her.

And suddenly food appeared in front of them. It was like nothing she ever saw. There were so much food. Even more then they had at family gatherings. Tulip thought Tracey and Blaise was nice. She kept talking to other first years through the diner. Soon her brother came to showed them to the common room.


The Slytherin common room was magnificent. It was elegant, sleek and beautiful. Tulip was in a awe. View of the lake and its green hue was beautiful. Their dorms was very much like the common room. Fourposter beds were covered with green silk and silver threads.

There were 4 other girls other then her in her years in Slytherin. Daphne Greengrass, Tracey Davis, Pansy Parkinson, Millicent Bulstrode. Girls seemed nice enough, she liked Trace and Daphne more though. Her bed was between Tracey and Daphne too. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep, she was very tired and tomorrow was going to be a another long day.