He was alone, the only two friends that he had left him because he was in Slytherin. That didn't make sense! It was only a house!
Why couldn't they be more…? It wasn't his fault!
He kept walking, his gaze on the floor, with the other first years of his house. It wasn't many; it should be around nine or ten, counting boys and girls. He didn't really look at them, though.
-Well, we used to have the privilege of not having to share rooms, but because of some… "incidents", with students of other houses and member of ours they decided to revoke those privileges.
-We did a great favor to our house and school-said a boy that should be in fifth year, Oswald thought- showing those mudbloods where they belonged to in this school.
-Yeah, in the trash with the squib, Filch-mocked another.
These people were really disgusting.
He entered into his room and chose a bed; he was the first to arrived, so he could choose any that he wanted.
He chose one that was next to the window and near to the door. Next to the bed was a trunk that belonged to some "E. Nygma.", but Oswald just exchanged his trunk with his.
"I doubt that E. Nygma would mind, anyway."
It. Wasn't. His. Fault.
"It kind of was, Eddie. I mean, nobody told you that you had to go to the bathroom."
-You can't really control that-whispered Ed, almost quietly- and you know it.
The prefect gazed down at him.
-Did you say something?-he asked, with a serious but at the same time creepy voice.
-… no.
The boy shrugged.
They walked until they arrived at the dungeons, and they stopped in front of a wall.
-Well, boy, here we are-said he- the password is "Sneaky snake", but we usually change it every two weeks, so you should be aware of the bulletin board.
"Bulletin board, check."
-Otherwise you'd finish sleeping out here, and in that case I highly recommend that you find a good coat. The dungeons are really cold at night.
Ed slowly nodded, he still didn't understand how they were supposed to enter to the common room, they were alone in a desert hallway.
-Thank you, and… sorry-said Ed.
-Yeah, never mind. It's one of my jobs as prefect, you know… look around the castle for lost first years-said he, casually, with a smile that supposed to be calming, but only made Ed more anxious.
-Oh. Ok-said Edward.
-I'm Victor Zsasz, by the way-said the boy- be careful here, Eddie boy, you're in Slytherin now and we play by different rules.
-How do you know my na…?
-Enjoy your evening, kiddo-he ruffled Ed's hair and left, humming some song.
"And I thought that we were the weirdos."
-We still are…- said he to his other self.
He said the password with doubt (What if they just left him in a dungeon? What if there was no common room for him?) , but surprisingly a door appeared in the wall, so he opened it and entered.
It was bigger than he thought it'd be, a little bit dark for Edward's taste, because that made it look a little scary. The decoration was vintage, with green lamps and sofas, it looked pretty elegant.
At first he didn't notice that there were people, because he was very focused on his thoughts while he was examining the details of the room.
-Oh, look who is here-said the voice of a girl, but he easily recognized to whom it belonged.
He blinked a little unsure, were they referring to him?
-Uhm… yeah… I get lost…
-And you should have just stayed like that-mocked a boy.
-You're right, Austin-said Fish, and then she added- it's a shame having you here, Nygma. After all… you're a mudblood.
"Ok, we have been insulted before, but nobody ever told us that our blood was dirty… this is new."
-I d-don't know if that's a type of insult, but I can assure all of you that my blood, certainly, isn't dirty.
Everyone started to laugh as if what he said was some sort of joke, they said things like "ooh, poor muggle born" "how do they let them study here?"
-So, this is just because my parents are muggles?
-Kind of-said Austin.
-But that isn't my fault!
-Being a muggle born? No, of course not. But you're here, stealing a culture that isn't yours… for us, you're just a muggle that had luck-said Fish.
"Ugh. I don't know who's worse: the muggles we had to deal before or these people. Do you think we'd have the chance to poison them? I mean, I don't think anyone will miss them anyway."
Ed went quickly to his room, not wanting to be victim of more mockery.
He entered and lay on the closest bed.
-Hey!
Ed looked up, focusing on the person who had just talked, and he recognized him.
-O-Oswald Cobblepot.
The dark haired guy stayed at the bathroom's door a little puzzled.
-Huh, how did you know my…? Whatever, I don't care. You're in my bed.
-Oh… oh. I'm sorry, I didn't know. I'm going to… yes… sorry.
Ed stood up from the bed, and stared at Oswald.
-Do you know which one could I use? I don't know which ones are taken.
Oswald shrugged, and lay in his bed.
-Did you know that only three percent of the population has green eyes?
Oswald looked at him and raised a brow.
-I'm Ed. Nygma. Edward Nygma, but you can call me Ed.
-Whatever-said Oswald, and then he covered himself with the blanket.
Ed sighed. "Making friends was so hard."
He lay in the bed closest to Oswald's, and closed his eyes, hoping that things'd get better the next day.
Oswald had problems getting to sleep that night, his thoughts were too noisy. He was so nervous, so scared and so angry... But at the same time, he was also excited. The next day his classes were going to start, that was a big deal.
"Magical classes, but I don't have any friend to share them with… "
He missed his mom so much; he knew that she'd know what to say to him; she'd know how to rid him of… loneliness.
He closed his eyes, ready to get some sleep.
"Was someone crying in his room…?"
"Ed! It's our first day! Our first day in our magical school! Can you believe that?"
-Yes, my first day in my magical school where all my magical classmates hate me.
"You're the negativity itself, did you know that? Huh? Now I understand why we don't have any friends."
Ed rolled his eyes and finished fixing his tie.
Green was his favorite color for all his life. But he didn't feel comfortable at all looking at himself in the mirror, it wasn't him… how could he be a member of a house with such horrible kinds of people? He wasn't like them, he couldn't be.
He threw some water to his face, foolishly trying to make his face look less…
"… as if you were crying all night, crybaby...?"
He jump with fright when the bathroom's door was abruptly opened, and Oswald entered, still using his pajamas and with a sleepy face.
-Good morning, huh… what are you doing… here?
-It's the bathroom, genius. And I need it-said Oswald.
Ed blinked: "Well, that makes sense."
-Yes, but I'm here-protested Ed.
-So?
-So…
Oswald started to brush his teeth without paying attention to Ed.
Ed didn't say anything and just stared at Oswald.
After a few minutes that made Oswald uncomfortable, and he turned to see Ed.
-Ok, I suppose we can share-said Oswald annoyed- does that work to you?
Ed nodded:-Yes! We can totally share, Oswald.
-Good.
Oswald was the first in leaving the common room, Ed tried to follow him, but somehow he lost sight of him , and then he got lost himself.
Just to complete his unlucky day, he found a group of older Slytherins, and they didn't have a precisely friendly look.
-Huh, but look, boys, it's the little mudblood, taking a walk using our house colors, what do you say? We just… forget the thing?
-No way-answered one of them.
-What?-said Ed, trying to show confidence in his voice, and in the moment that the words escaped from his lips he knew that it didn't work- you shouldn't be… attacking… one of your house.
-You? Of our house? I don't think so.
The last thing Ed saw before been knocked out was a purple sparkle flying to him.
-Hey! Nerdy boy, wake up!
-Don't call him that!
-It isn't like he can hear me, anyway, uhuh, so, what did you say his name was, Kristen?
-Edward. Ed, his name is Ed.
"Kristen?"
He started to slowly open his eyes, he felt so… achy.
"What do you prefer? Beatings or magic tricks?"
-Hello, sleepyhead-said a boy with brown hair, giggling.
-What…? What happened?
He still was in the dungeons, as he could tell by looking at the place, he was surrounded by red, yellow and blue ties. But he only recognized Kriste out of the people that were there.
-I couldn't really see them, but you were attacked by a group of older students…-the redhead started to say.
-Slytherins. You were attacked by evil snakes-interrupted the boy that was waking him up before, he looked like the oldest of the group- Which is weird…. Because you're a snake too, but I haven't decided if you're evil or not…
-Harvey! Ed isn't evil!-exclaimed Kristen beating Harvey's shoulder.
-Well, but he hasn't explained us why he was attacked yet, huuuh? Suspicious- said Harvey.
Ed didn't really understand what they were talking about, Harvey (was it Harvey? Yes. Harvey), he was accusing him of… something…
-Guys, enough. Give him a break-interrupted another boy, this was blonde, who looked around Ed's age, and he was wearing a red tie- Don't pay attention to them, Ed. My name is Jim Gordon, you already know Kristen, of course. This buffoon over here is Harvey…
-Hey, hey, who are you calling buffoon, you insolent boy scout…?!
-Leslie Thompkins and Lucius Fox, both from Ravenclaw-finished saying Jim.
The mentioned were at the back of the group, a little embarrassed because of Harvey's behavior, but they nodded in agreement when they were mentioned.
-I also saw what happened, Ed. It's terrible that you had to go through that–said Leslie.
-We won't let it pass, I already took the points and…-started to say Lucius.
-Isn't it bad for him? The points thing, I mea…
Kristen hit him again to shut him up.
-… and they'll receive detention-finished Lucius, glaring at Harvey.
"Wow. This is…. Wow."
Ed felt that his eyes were filling with tears.
"For Jesus Christ, Ed. Please, don't cry, don't…"
And he cried.
The arrival, his first night, and part of the first day were horrible. Terrible. Ed was capable of sleeping in the hallways (or even in Myrtle's bathroom!) if he could avoid being with his house partners. But there were people out of Slytherin that really cared about him, that wanted to be friends with him. Perhaps he wasn't alone as he thought he was.
Kristen, Jim and Lee were in his same year, but each one was from a different house.
Harvey was in fourth year, Gryffindor, and Lucius in fifth year, Ravenclaw.
Ed was completely sure that he wouldn't last a week without them.
After the incident in the dungeons, Lucius took Ed to the kitchens so he could eat something, he didn't eat dinner, and because of the incident he also hadn't eaten breakfast.
-It appeared with magic, so I couldn't know how they prepared it. How hygienic is the food made by magic? Oh, but, also the onion's smell. It made me sick. I don't know what's worst: ordinary onions or magical onions, but I hate both…
Lucius laughed, he really did. Ed was innocent.
-What?-asked he, confused.
-You can't create food with magic, Ed-explained Lucius- the food that you saw yesterday was made by the elves of the kitchens, and then transported by magic to the Great Hall. By the way, it's the kitchens where I'm taking you.
Ed blinked. Well, that made more sense.
-I didn't know that…
-You're a muggle born, right?
Ed tensed with that.
-I don't have a problem with that-added Lucius- don't think that I'm pretentious.
-No! Of course not! I mean, yes, I'm a muggle born-said Ed- it's just that… huh, I have noticed that here it's a… problem?
Lucius nodded.
-Well, just as the muggles, the wizards aren't precisely different when we are talking about been discriminative –said Lucius- I suppose you know about the Nazis.
-Of course-said Ed, he had read a lot of books about World War II.
"Any dumb monkey knows about them."
-Well, it's a similar ideology. But in this case, they preserve their magic blood pure, or in other words, keep their lineage clean, purely wizards. These purebloods, they think that because of the fact that they don't have muggles in their family trees they're superior….
-Is it true?-asked Ed.
-Of course not, though it is impossible to know for sure these days if your lineage is one hundred percent wizard, you'll always have some squibs, muggles or wizards in the middle. Anyway, what you come from doesn't define you as wizard; you're the one that decides the path you want to take, and the wizard you want to be.
-And you're… are you… a…?
-Pureblood? No, I'm a halfblood.
Ed nodded.
-I hope that you're hungry-said Lucius, stopping in front of a fruit's portrait- these elves won't stop until you need help to walk for yourself.
-What?
-I'm joking, I'm joking-quickly said Lucius, and then he touched a pear that was painted in the portrait.
The portrait moved aside and a passage was revealed. They could see some elves working in the kitchens.
-Wow…
His first class was Potions with the Gryffindors.
"Great. I'll have to see that jerk, Jim Gordon."
They could have been friends. But Jim screwed it up.
Oswald entered to the classroom and sat down far away from anyone with a red tie.
-Hello, can I sit with you?
-No-answered Oswald.
-Why?-inquired the voice again.
-Because- said Oswald with an annoyed smile, turning to see the person that was bothering him.
It was a girl. Not too tall, green eyes and redheaded, she was from his house apparently.
-Ohh,please-said the girl- don't be mean, this is a partner class, and I don't know anyone.
-Neither do I, and as you can see I'm not looking for partners.
-My, you're so grumpy-said she giggling- I think we're going to be good friends.
She sat down next to him without any invitation.
-Ivy Pepper.
Oswald rolled his eyes; he really couldn't get rid of her.
-Pleasure-said he, without really meaning it- Oswald Cobblepot.
Ivy smiled.
-Has anybody told you that you look like a penguin?
Oswald opened his mouth to reply (it wasn't something nice though). But in that moment the professor entered to the classroom.
-Enough talking, young men-said he, taking his seat in front of the class- My name… is Hugo Strange, and I'll be your Potions' professor for the next seven years. So I expect that you'll act as grown up wizards and not like children. That, of course, if you want to avoid… trouble.
He paused and looked at them.
-Shall we begin?
That stupid Jim Gordon was Nygma's partner.
"Oh, yeah, I'm sorry, Oswald. I can't be your friend because you're in Slytherin, and the Slytherins are all full of shit. But, oh! I'll be the partner of a Slytherin, because I talk with so much sense."
"Ha. Hypocrite."
-Is everything alright?-asked Ivy.
-Of course, yes. Everything is just…-James was laughing with Ed-… ok.
