Rosabell Writing

Remus Writing

Summer break turned out to be a little different than usual. Natalie was still jumpy around me, Kevin loved me like annoying little brothers do, and Brandon did his best to awkwardly show me his support about being magical. Those all stayed the same, but the relationship between Brandon and Natalie seemed… strained.

Arguments broke out between them over the smallest of things. They grew until the two of them were in a yelling match with the topic eventually shifting to be about me and magic. Before that point happened I always made sure to get Kevin and herd him into either my room or his.

It was during one of these moments that Kevin brought it up. He was on the floor watching some cartoons while I sat on his bed with the journal Remus gave me. I confessed to the Gryffindor the recent development between Natalie and Brandon. Remus told me his parents also argued over him being a werewolf. His Muggle mother wasn't fond of having a feral wolf for a son. We think divorce is in both our parents' future.

"Rosabell?"

Humming distractedly I finished writing my reply to Remus before looking up from the journal. "What?"

"Why do mum and dad always fight?"

"I'm not sure," I lied. "I guess they just don't agree with each other most of the time."

"But they're always yellin' 'bout you! Why?"

I sighed tiredly. "You know how I go to that private school way out in Scotland?"

Kevin nodded, suddenly enthusiastic. "Yeah! I'm gonna go there too!"

"We'll see about that," I laughed amusedly. He had yet to show any magical abilities, and at 7 years old I didn't think he ever would. "Unfortunately, mum doesn't like me going to that school. She thinks it's for weirdos, so she fights with dad about it." While I don't enjoy calling Natalie and Brandon mum or dad I do it while in front of other people. Except for Remus since he understood.

"You're not a weirdo!" Kevin looked vexed at the very thought.

My lips twitched. "I don't know, Kev, I'm pretty strange."

"Nu uh!"

"Yu huh!"

He childishly stuck out his tongue, and I stuck out mine in retaliation. Kevin started giggling uncontrollably, and I watched the six year old with a fond smile. His innocence always made me feel better.

With the constant fighting I did my best to stay out of sight. My presence never helped with the arguments. I wouldn't have worried so much about it if it wasn't for Kevin. Brandon at least tried to keep from fighting while the two of us were in the room, but Natalie always forgot we were there.

In mid-July a school owl came to my bedroom window with an envelope addressed to me. It had my grades and a list of electives. I checked the box for Care of Magical Creatures, Ancient Runes, and Arithmancy. Folding it back up I gave the list to the owl and it flew away to return it to Professor McGonagall.

The next owl I received had my school supplies list. Brandon jumped at the chance to take me; probably wanting to use the trip as an excuse to put some distance between himself and Natalie.

Before shopping Brandon decided to stop at Gringotts. Over the past year he saved up a couple hundred pounds to put into my Gringotts account. I knew he would be doing it, but I didn't realize it would be so much at once. He ignored my raised eyebrow and the two of us left the bank to start shopping.

Since I grew about two inches all of my old clothes didn't fit. Even the Muggle ones. Already in Diagon Alley we shopped for magical things first.

Five standard black school robes, five Slytherin colored ties, as well as a scarf, along with a few cloaks in black, grey, and dark blue. Then we moved to Flourish and Blotts to buy books. Grade 3 Transfiguration, Charms, Defense, and Potions. Then beginner books on Care of Magical Creatures, Arithmancy, and Ancient Runes. After buying the books I got one journal for each class and a new inkwell. With the special quill pen Brandon got me last year I didn't need new quills.

Brandon and I shoved the bags into the trunk of his car then left for the nearest strip mall. Coming from the future to the 1970's, the fashion was something to get used to. I passed all of the trendy things and dove straight for the sweats. Brandon found some jeans that flared out at the calves, and no amount of begging would change his mind. In the end I resigned myself to the pants. He would be getting my the t-shirts and sweats anyway.

Poor Brandon also had to buy me new pairs of bras and underwear. He looked decidedly uncomfortable while the lady behind the desk looked as amused as I felt.

We bought the clothes, and a toy for Kevin, before finally heading home. I spent the rest of the night locked up in my room with the radio playing as background noise, while I organized my trunk. I couldn't keep shoving my old stuff into the secret compartment, so I took my old books and shoved them under my bed with my old homework assignments. All of my robes and First-year ties were hung in the back of my closet. I needed to get rid of those eventually, and I hoped Diagon Alley had a thrift shop I could donate them to.

September 1st came quickly. Brandon drove me to Kings Cross Station with quiet words of encouragement, and I quietly wished him a good year while I would be away. Back in first-year they would have made me feel warm with affection, but the words were only ever spoken when Natalie wasn't nearby.

I sent him a small wave goodbye before pushing my trolley through the barrier. Even being half an hour early there were quite a few people on the platform. The noise level managed to hurt my newly sensitive ears. My senses heightened after my Animagus transformation. Not to the same point as if I were actually in my leopard form, but I could definitely hear better and see better in the dark.

During the summer I never had the chance to shift forms because of two reasons. The first being I would need to do it in my room, and anybody at home could have found me. Secondly I didn't know if the Ministry would have sensed it as underaged magic. The trace was supposedly on the wand, but I wouldn't risk it.

What the Ministry apparently couldn't detect were Remus' charmed journals. I thanked God for the small miracle. Neither of us had an owl so we wouldn't have been able to message one another the entire summer. Remus definitely helped keep my mind off of Natalie and Brandon's arguments.

Last time we wrote we agreed to meet on the platform. I scanned my eyes over the crowd, but I couldn't see the thirteen-year-old. Keeping my eyes peeled I slowly made my way onto the train to find a compartment. I made sure to get one on the side of the train facing the platform so I could continue my search.

After five minutes of searching I contemplated going up and down the train to look for him. I checked the journal to see if maybe he'd written anything, and I found his familiar handwriting on the bottom of the page.

Turns out mum is going to be taking me to the station instead of dad. It was last minute, and now we're running late, so I won't make it on time to meet you. I'll be lucky if we make it on time for the train at all. I'm sorry.

Searching through my trunk I grabbed a nearly empty inkwell and the steel quill. Don't worry about it. I'll still see you during classes. Maybe we'll have the same free period. If not we can do the same thing as last year and meet in the library before dinner.

Blowing lightly across the page I waited till the ink dried before closing the journal. I put the items back into my trunk and pulled out my Muggle book "The Exorcist". I was surprised to discover it had been published only two years before. I wasn't going to complain though.

My silence was interrupted by the compartment door pushing open. Two Hufflepuff girls shuffled in the doorway while a first-year boy scrutinized me. The girl with brown hair cleared her throat. "Can we sit here?"

Shrugging my shoulders I propped my trunk against the edge of my seat to make more room. "Sure."

The two girls beamed while the boy just smiled cordially. The three of them entered and the girls helped each other lift their trunks onto the rack. I turned down their offer to put my trunk up there since I knew I had to change clothes later. The girl who asked me looked at the boy and became embarrassed. "Sorry, what was your name again?"

He sniffed, a little disdainfully, and replied. "Bartemius Crouch Junior."

The name caused my brain to short-circuit. I barely noticed the girls pushing his trunk onto the rack before taking the bench across from me, leaving the seat beside me open for a future Death Eater to take.

My peace now completely ruined I picked up my book to try and hide behind the pages. I hoped it would be enough to keep them from talking to me, but I was wrong.

"My name's Harriet Osweld." The blonde haired girl gestured towards her friend. "This is Margareta Catchglove."

The lighter blonde grimaced. "Just Greta is fine."

Harriet looked at me expectantly. "Are you a transfer student?"

My eyebrows flew up in surprise. "I'm sorry?"

She looked at me confused. "Are you a transfer? I haven't seen you in Hogwarts before."

Greta narrowed her eyes at me. "I think I might have. You're very familiar."

"Rosabell King." I looked between them to see if they recognized me. My surprise grew when they didn't. "I'm in Slytherin."

That got their attention, but not in a positive way. Harriet shifted uneasily while Greta grew defensive. Bartemius looked interested, and that did nothing to make me feel better.

"A Slytherin." Greta stated in a hard voice.

I narrowed my eyes at her. "What of it?" I may not have been a welcome member of the house, but I still considered myself a part of it.

Bartemius straightened in his seat. "What's wrong with Slytherins?"

The girls looked at him aghast. "They're dark!" Harriet shouted. "Not to mention they hate Muggle-borns."

"So because I'm Slytherin that automatically means I hate muggleborns?"

They suddenly looked unsure of themselves and Bartemius looked speculative. "I've never heard of a Slytherin that likes Muggle-borns," Greta admitted cautiously.

Harriet shook her head. "That Snape boy is friends with Lily Evans. She's a Muggle-born and a Gryffindor."

A scoff came from beside me. "That won't last."

The two Hufflepuffs glared at Bartemius while I grimaced. Memories of the Harry Potter series came to the forefront of my mind. Severus will call Lily a mudblood at some point during fifth-year, effectively ending their friendship.

"Of course it will last," Greta defended. "Rumor says they've been friends since before Hogwarts."

"That doesn't mean they will remain friends." I wished I could have said something positive, but knowing otherwise made it much more difficult.

Harriet scoffed. "You're only saying that because you're a Slytherin."

I nodded. "And that is absolutely true. You know why?" Bartemius looked expectant, and the girls just seemed surprised I wanted to give a reason. "Because I know how Slytherins treat Muggle-borns. What they think about 'filthy mudbloods'." Harriet and Greta gasped at the derogatory term. "None of the Slytherins like the friendship between Severus and Lily. Being a Gryffindor only makes it worse."

"But," Harriet scrambled for words, "but they're friends. They can't let prejudices get between that!"

I scoffed. "Do either of you have Slytherin friends?" Their mouths opened to respond, but when they couldn't think of a Slytherin they knew their jaws snapped shut. "Exactly. The amount of prejudice against Slytherins is ridiculously high. Some of it is true, I'll be the first to admit, but that's because nobody is brave enough to go against it."

Silence followed my short tirade. I felt surprised and proud of myself for talking to somebody for so long. Remus would probably be proud too.

"Well then I guess we'll just have to give them that chance," Greta had determination in her eyes while Harriet looked terrified at the thought. "How would you like to be friends?"

I surprised everybody in the compartment when I laughed. It wasn't a pleasant sound. Instead of amusement it was coated in bitterness. "I'm not the Slytherin you should befriend."

They all looked perplexed and Bartemius was the first to ask, "Why?"

I idly traced the cover of my book. "Because I'm a mudblood. Befriending me would only cause you trouble." Not to mention the Hell I would receive for befriending two Hufflepuffs. Slytherins seemed to only accept an outside acquaintanceship with Ravenclaws.

Greta suddenly gasped. "Merlin, I do recognize you!" Harriet seemed to be thinking hard, while Bartemius seemed to be changing his entire opinion about me. "Everybody was shocked when the Sorting Hat put you in Slytherin. King isn't a name anybody recognized, so for you to become a snake wasn't even thought of."

"Oh, yeah, I remember that!" Harriet exclaimed. "I didn't understand why nobody clapped for you at first, but then everybody talked about how a Muggle-born just got put into the Slytherin house. Nobody could believe it."

I snorted derisively. "Yes, well, believe it."

"You don't like the house?" Bartemius' tone was carefully neutral.

Taking a deep breath I let it out slowly before responding. "It's not that I don't like being a Slytherin. It's the fact the other Slytherins make it a point to remind me I'm mudblood filth that doesn't belong in their house, and how I don't deserve to lick the dirt off their boots."

"That's horrible." Greta sat up straighter, and looked me in the eye. "You should do something about it."

"Like what?" I asked sassily. "Tell one of the Professors? Like that would help. I can't talk to anybody because as soon as they see what color tie I'm wearing they do everything in their power to keep they're distance. You guys only came in because of my clothes, and I know you wouldn't have even asked if I had been wearing my uniform, because as soon as I said I was a Slytherin you two looked ready to bolt."

Harriet and Greta shifted uncomfortably because they knew I was right. Bartemius was staring at the floor, so I didn't know what he thought of what my spiel.

"I'm actually upset to say that that's true." Greta grimaced. "I think you're pretty cool. You must be tough to get through the day when your surrounded by people who hate you."

I thought of the two scars decorating my arm and nodded. "It's certainly not easy being a mudblood in Slytherin."

"Hey!" Harriet snapped. "Don't use that word. You're not a… a mudblood."

I made a so-so gesture with my hand. "Maybe a little."

Greta shook her head. "No. You are a Muggle-born."

"Mudbloods are Muggle-borns." I didn't know why I felt like arguing this point. "It would be like calling a kid with no parents a bastard. Sure it's horrible to say but technically it's true."

The Hufflepuffs were horrified. "You actually believe that? That's horrible!" Harriet shouted.

"Yes!" My voice rose. "Horrible and yet nobody in here denied it!"

"Look," Greta's magenta magic flowed quickly throughout her body, telling me how much the topic affected her, "just because it's a 'technical term' doesn't mean somebody should be called that. Can we agree on that?"

Sighing sadly I opened my book to the page I dogeared. "My life would be a lot easier if the rest of Slytherin house thought the same thing."

Neither of them had anything to say against that. I wasn't bothered for the rest of the trip. One of the girls would occasionally try asking me a question, but I only hummed in response. When we only had five minutes left I stood up to put away my book and put on my school cloak over my clothes. The other three eyed me oddly while I lazily tied my tie.

"You aren't going to put on your entire uniform?" Harriet asked confusedly.

I shrugged. "It's only the welcoming feast. Not like anybody is really going to care."

Bartemius scoffed. "And you wonder why the Slytherins don't like you."

The girls glared at him for bringing up what they thought would be a touchy subject, but I laughed. "The last thing I want to do is endear myself to them."

Our words were only proven true when I sat at the very end of the Slytherin table near the double doors. The seventh years two seats over glared hatefully at me, and eyed my Muggle clothes with disdain. In return I smiled blandly.

I suffered through the Welcoming Feast the same way I did the first two years. Things only got interesting when Bartemius took his turn under the hat. I assumed he would be put in Slytherin because of his future Death Eater status. Instead he was sorted into Ravenclaw.

Either something about our conversation had him second guessing the merits of being a Slytherin, or I was being prejudice thinking he should have been in Slytherin because he'd be a Death Eater.

I quickly glanced at the Gryffindor table where The Marauders sat messing around with one another. My eyes zeroed in on Peter and my lips thinned. Death Eaters aren't restricted to only one house after all.