Chapter 7: So Different

Two weeks before the end of term, Padma sat on the floor of the Common Room playing wizard chess with Terry in front of the fireplace. She wasn't very good though, and Terry seemed to be enjoying beating her a little too much. Padma winced as his queen knocked one of her bishops off the board.

"I can't believe that Harry Potter and that other boy…" Terry started.

"Ron Weasley," Padma finished, sending one of her pawns across the board.

"Yeah, him," Terry said. "I can't believe they went after that troll!"

After the fiasco with the troll at Halloween, it soon became apparent to the rest of Hogwarts that Harry and Ron had gone after the troll. Well, that's what it sounded like to most of the school, but Parvati told Padma that they'd just gone looking for Hermione Granger who'd been crying in the girls' toilets, and had happened to bump into it.

"I can't believe they weren't killed," Padma said. "And that you're still talking about this!"

"I can't believe they weren't expelled for being so stupid!" Terry said sharply. "I would've thought they'd have been out for sure! And they were given house points for doing it! It was just good luck, that's all," he added.

Padma nodded. It seemed like Harry had another stroke of luck; first You-Know-Who and now a fully grown mountain troll! Terry was concentrating hard on the board, but he still seemed to be annoyed about the house points the Gryffindors had received. Padma looked up as she heard the fluttering of wings to her left.

Rama swooped down through the partially opened window, perching on the back of a chair. He hooted importantly and dropped a letter onto the chair. Padma glanced back to the game of chess as Terry's remaining knight struck out at her king.

"Checkmate," he said triumphantly.

He set about clearing the remaining pieces off the board. Padma got up from the floor and took the letter from the chair, stroking her eagle owl. He nipped her finger gently and took off with a flutter of wings, flying out of the window. Padma sat down on the floor and turned the envelope over in her hands, recognising the writing as her mother's. She opened it and unfolded the letter.

Dearest Padma,

From your last letter, I gather that you are enjoying your time at Hogwarts so far. I know I've said it before, but your father and I are immensely proud of you getting into such a prestigious school.

Your father has just returned from working in China for a week. He was dealing with some tricky trade delegations. I think it was something to do with the trading of spell ingredients and their classifications. He brought back some interesting trinkets.

Aunt Nisha and her family are coming to stay over the Christmas period. I would like you to come home for Christmas, but I fully understand if you want to stay at Hogwarts as your cousins take up a lot of room in the house. Please write back as soon as possible to tell me your plans.

All my love,

Mum.

Padma lent back on the sofa behind her. She thought carefully; she knew that the house would be crowded and chaotic with her aunt, uncle and five children, and it was always impossible to get any privacy. Also, her aunt and uncle loved to ask her and Parvati countless questions about their lives because they very rarely saw them. Padma carefully folded up the letter and headed over to the table, taking a spare piece of parchment and writing a reply.

Dear Mum,

I hope Dad had a nice time in China and that you and grandmother are well. My lessons have been going really well and I've made plenty of friends.

I would really like to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas. I don't mean to be selfish in any way, but I know that I'll probably enjoy myself much more this way, and I want to see what Hogwarts is like at Christmas. Our cousins will be running riot and being really loud, and Aunt Nisha will ask me all sorts of questions. I hope that this is fine with you.

Love from,

Padma.

She let the ink dry and folded the letter, finding a spare envelope on the table and sealing it before writing the address. Terry walked over to her, carrying his box of chessmen under one arm.

"Who're you writing to?" he asked.

"My mum," Padma said. "She wanted to know if I was going home for Christmas."

"And are you?"

"I'm staying," she explained. "My little cousins will be everywhere and they drive me crazy."

Terry nodded, sitting down on a chair opposite her.

"My mum and dad are going on holiday to Amsterdam," he said, "so you won't be all alone. We'll have a good time."

"I'm sure we will," Padma said, smiling. "I'm going to take this up to the Owlery," she added, "so I'll see you in the Great Hall for lunch."

She headed out of the Common Room. After a long walk up many staircases, Padma eventually reached the Owlery very out of breath. It was a circular room with perches running around the edge, and the stone floor was covered with droppings. There were several windows and the icy wind blew inside. Padma looked around for Rama.

The eagle owl was perched next to tawny, sleeping. Padma prodded him gently until he woke up, hooting in a disgruntled way.

"I want you to take this home," she said as she attached the letter to Rama's leg.

Rama hooted and swooped through the window and out of sight. Padma turned at the sound of footsteps and found Parvati standing in the doorway, a letter clutched in her hand.

"Did you get a letter from mum?" she asked Padma. Her twin nodded. "Well, are you coming home for Christmas with me?"

Padma shook her head.

"No," she said. "I don't think it's a good idea."

"Why not?" Parvati asked. She looked hurt.

Padma walked over to one of the windows, leaning back against the ledge.

"Because I know that everyone will ask questions and judge me!" she snapped, surprised at the anger in her voice. "They're always like that because they're from India. Aunt Nisha is always asking if I'm learning to read the leaves yet. She's definitely grandmother's daughter."

She glared at her twin sister. Parvati seemed to be confused and stepped forwards.

"Don't be so stupid," she said. "Just because they're from India it doesn't mean they'll be like grandmother. They're family. They love us."

Padma felt a mixture of sorrow and anger swell in her chest and she looked at her twin sister evenly.

"They love you," she said, "not us."

The twins stood in silence for a moment. Parvati seemed deep in thought and she stared at the floor.

"That's not true."

Padma felt as though she wanted to laugh. How could her sister be so blind? How couldn't she see it when it was right in front of her face?

"It's the same with all of them on dad's side, the older ones that is," Padma snapped. "Don't say to me that you haven't seen how they look at me or heard how they talk to me?" She paused, her anger building. "They think that just because I don't want to learn any of their traditional practices I'm worth less in some way! Don't you see it?"

Parvati bit her bottom lip. Padma walked over to her, put her hands on Parvati's shoulders.

"You know that it's true."

Parvati nodded and hugged her sister.

"I'm so sorry, Padma," she said, sniffing back tears. "I never noticed it before because," she paused, "because they're never like that to me."

"It's not your fault," Padma said. "We're just different, that's all. I think they find it difficult to believe when we look so alike."

The twin sisters clung onto one another, eventually pulling apart to find that both of them had tears in their eyes. Padma wiped her eyes on the back of her hand.

"Have a good time," she said. "And make sure that our cousins can't get into our room. Last time they came, I remember the younger ones having a pillow fight and getting feathers all over the place!"

Parvati laughed.

"I'll try," she said shortly. "Do you want your present when I leave?"

"Sure," Padma said. "I was going to send Rama with yours, but this will save him another trip."

Parvati smiled and called Shiva over from the perch. The tawny owl fluttered down onto her arm, allowing her to attach the letter to his leg before he flew out of the window. Padma and Parvati walked down to the Great Hall together, stopping at the door.

"I'll see you on the 23rd," they said at the same time.

Padma laughed and walked over to the Ravenclaw table, leaving Parvati to head over to join the Gryffindors. Suddenly, Padma felt as though a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Most of the resentment that she felt towards her twin because of how she was treated by her family had disappeared. She knew that Parvati didn't do it on purpose. It was like the Sorting Hat had shown by placing them in two separate houses; they were two very different people.

"Did you send your letter?" Terry asked as Padma sat down opposite him.

She nodded, sitting down beside Anthony and a second year Chinese girl who had long black hair. Padma took a piece of pie as Lisa hurried into the Great Hall, her bag crammed with books slung over her shoulder. She flopped down on the bench next to Mandy, looking exhausted.

"Where've you been?" Padma asked.

"Library," Lisa said briefly, gulping down a goblet of pumpkin juice. "I've been trying to do my History of Magic homework for Binns, but I'm nowhere near finished. I bet you have," she added to Padma with a wry smile.

Padma blushed and hid her face behind her goblet.

"I have," she said shortly. Suddenly she remembered something. "I haven't done my Charms homework yet," she said, feeling panicky. "We have to practice the Mobilus Charm before next lesson. Will you give me a hand practising, Lisa?"

Lisa shook her head.

"Sorry," she said, "I really have to finish my History of Magic homework first."

She was eating a fast as she possibly could in order to get back to the library quickly. Padma looked around her friends. Terry looked as if he was about to say something.

"I'll help you," Mandy said suddenly. "We should get started now if we want to get enough practice done. Come on, grab something to eat!"

Padma stood up and took a small pile of sandwiches.

"Hurry up, Padma!" Mandy said shrilly, snatching the sandwiches from her hands.

"See you later Lisa," Padma said. "Bye Terry."

Terry looked up and mumbled something into his goblet of juice. Padma looked over at Lisa who shrugged. Mandy grabbed hold of Padma's arm and half steered, half dragged her up to the Common Room.

They stood outside the entrance to the Ravenclaw Common Room. Padma glanced out of the window closest to her. Outside, the sky was a clear, cool blue. She shivered slightly as a cool wind passed by her, turning to find the Grey Lady, the Ravenclaw ghost, floating in front of her.

"Good afternoon," Padma said politely, inclining her head.

The Grey Lady said nothing. She merely looked at Padma, her eyes seemingly searching for something in her face or within her. Padma had been told by Penelope that the Grey Lady never uttered a word but that she always watched over those in her house. Suddenly, the ghostly woman smiled warmly and Padma felt reassured, though she didn't know what about. The Grey Lady turned and drifted down the staircase. Padma watched her go.

"Canis lupus," Mandy said to the statue. The entrance to the Common Room swung open. "Come on, Padma! Get a move on!"

Padma followed Mandy inside. The Common Room only contained a handful of Ravenclaws. As Mandy disappeared upstairs to find her Charms notes and copies ofthe Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) and Magical Theory, Padma sat down on a chair by the fireplace and looked around the Common Room. A couple of fourth years were gathered around the table doing homework, a sixth year stood halfway up one of the ladders trying to retrieve a book as thick as her fist, and in another corner, three second years were playing Exploding Snap.

Noticing Terry, Anthony and Michael coming through the entrance, Padma waved at them. The three boys waved back and headed upstairs to their dormitory as Mandy hurried down the girls' staircase, clutching her books and parchment in her arms.

"We'd better start on something simple," she said, flicking through her notes. She pulled an apple from her robes. "Go on; make it move across the floor."

Padma nodded and pulled out her wand.

"Mobilus!"

She smiled broadly as the apple went tumbling across the rug. She and Mandy spent the next couple of hours sending different objects rolling across the rug, seeing who could get them to go the furthest. As Padma sent Mandy's stuffed griffin across the mantelpiece, Professor Flitwick came into the Common Room, dragging a long piece of parchment along the floor behind him.

"I'll take the names of anyone who is staying here for Christmas!" he shouted squeakily.

Padma left Mandy working and went over to sign her name on the parchment. Terry, who'd come back down from his dormitory a couple of minutes before, wrote his name after hers.

"How's your Mobilus Charm going?" he asked.

Padma glanced over to the fireside where Anthony and Michael were setting up a game of Gobstones.

"I'll show you," she smiled, pulling out her wand. "Mobilus!"

The Gobstones rolled out of Michael's fingers and under the sofa. Michael yelled and scrambled after them on his hands and knees as they moved underneath the long table, winding about the chair legs. Terry laughed silently, stuffing his fist into his mouth, as Michael retrieved them from underneath a chair that was occupied by a very confused third year girl.

Padma put her wand away. She and Terry sat down on the sofa before the fire to watch Anthony and Michael play Gobstones, a game which she'd never liked because the pieces spat black liquid at the opposition. It was a very close match; Anthony was about to take one of Michael's pieces when he was hit in the eye, and Padma was very nearly sprayed when Michael ducked out of the way. Instead, she hid behind Terry who got a face full of the smelly black liquid.

"Thanks," he said irritably, wiping his face on his sleeve. "I'll get you back for this, Padma."

"Sure you will," Padma said, smiling.

Lisa collapsed on the floor in front of Mandy, dumping her bag on the rug. Spare quills and rolls of parchment spilled onto the floor.

"Finished at last!" she said. "Binns is a cruel man."

"You mean ghost," Michael corrected, silencing as Lisa glared at him.

"You only have your Potions and Transfiguration homework to do now," Terry added helpfully.

Lisa buried her head in her hands, moaning. Padma dug Terry in the ribs.

"Don't be so cruel!" she said, digging in her pocket and pulling out a handkerchief. "And clean your face properly! You look a mess!"

Terry took it grudgingly as Padma sat back in her chair. She looked into the fire, thinking of how much she was looking forward to Christmas. She'd never been this excited about it before.

Michael cried out in annoyance as Mandy used the Mobilus Charm on a Chocolate Frog that he was about to unwrap. Lisa rubbed her eyes and stretched out while Terry, who had managed to remove all of the liquid from his face, was reading a book titled Goblin Rebellions of the 12th Century.

Sitting cross-legged on the sofa, Padma pulled out her wand and saying the incantation to the Mobilus Charm, flicking her wand in Mandy's direction. She laughed as the Chocolate Frog escaped from Mandy's hand and rolled over into her lap. Padma unwrapped the Chocolate Frog and popped it into her mouth before either Michael or Mandy could protest.