Chapter 3: Getting Used to This Life
Disclaimer: I'm JKR in disguise. See, I knew no one would believe that. Well, I guess I don't own HP. sniff
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She had been walking towards the Transfiguration classroom one day when she noticed it. There were these four boys that everyone seemed to know and look up to.
Girls swooned when they passed. Boys grinned mischievously or glared. Teachers either were amused or horrified.
The Marauders they were called. Artemis saw nothing special in them, merely viewing them as rather popular boys who everyone admired or envied. She suspected nothing. Until she saw it with her own eyes.
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I had been strolling along the corridor near the Black Lake when I heard the excited cheering, shouting and clamoring of a large crowd of students. I adjusted my course towards them and subconsciously decided to find out what had roused such a rambunctious bunch.
Pushing violently here and there through the thriving crowd, I finally managed to get a clear view of what was happening. And what I saw was absolutely appalling in every possible way.
The four popular Gryffindor boys known as the Marauders were obviously tormenting a poor boy from my own house. They had taken his wand, and were cursing him mercilessly.
Making a strangled sound of disbelief, I immediately pushed through to the boy's aid, ignoring the angry protests behind me.
"Back off, idiots!" I screamed at them in Japanese, ferocity clawing its way into my throat.
My sudden outburst caused them to stop.
The barbarian-like, overgrown Neanderthals had their mouths open, like fish out of water. One boy was hiding himself behind a book, another was shivering, cowering behind the bigger two. They, in turn, were so surprised that they had dropped their previously raised wands, the smirks sliding off their faces like melting butter.
I knelt down and surveyed the damage that had been done. The boy was unconscious, concussed, most likely, and he had several curses on him. I raised my eyes to look at the boy's tormentors.
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"What are you doing to him? What has he ever done to you to deserve this?" Artemis asked earnestly, this time in English, a tinge of a Japanese accent emerging.
The tallest of the four, a silky, black-haired aristocratic male, stepped forward, recovering his pompous, arrogant air. He replied in an amiable voice,
"Why, you must be a new student here. Everyone here knows that Snivellus is the problem and not us."
The boy lying next to Artemis opened his eyes and glared murderously at the other.
Artemis stood up, and folded her arms, the expression on her face skeptical.
"As true as that may be, you have failed to answer my question. And if you do not give a legitimate reason within a minute, I will be forced to hex you."
Apparently, to those around her, she had said something rather strange, because there several derisive snorts and scoffs among the crowd, and a perfectly-sculpted eyebrow raised itself on the face of the boy in front of me.
So distracted was she, Artemis did not notice that the boy next to her had begun to stir.
"I don't need your stupid help, you filthy Mudblood!"
The boy in front of me grinned widely.
"Yeah, listen to Snape and buzz off. He doesn't need your help!"
The boy and his entourage began to laugh uproariously, save the boy with his nose in a book.
Ignoring the raucous laughter, Artemis turned in the direction of Snape, her mouth already smoothly forming words.
"My poor, dear, misguided Housemate, I believe you are gravely mistaken. I am not born from Muggles like you so naïvely suggest, rather, I am of one of the purest Wizarding bloodlines currently existing."
Artemis paused. Should she continue, or should she just curse the whole lot of them and be over with it? She sighed inwardly.
"As for your other point, I believe you are less than capable of taking these morons by yourself, and am merely offering help, not pity. And as such, I think it would be a wiser decision on your part if you just accepted my help and be done with it."
With these eloquent finishing words, Artemis raised her wand, cursed the lot of them, pulled Snape to his feet and ran.
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"What in the bloody hell did you do that for?"
That was the question posed to me after Snape and I had safely escaped to a secluded part of the castle.
I rolled my eyes. These foreigners were forever ungrateful. I turned to face the person I had just saved.
"Well, there are many reasons actually," I started, my voice dripping with sarcasm.
"First of all," I continued, "I'm not the heartless lump of stupidity that you seem to take me for."
"Second, what sensible and rational person with feelings can watch another person being tormented? Certainly not me. Third, you're in my house. I'm supposed to help you, aren't I?
Lastly," I hesitated, "because I know what it feels like to be treated differently."
This last statement had a bitter edge to it, the old memories of my school days in Fukuyama overcoming my emotions, filling me with resentment. I myself was surprised at the venom that had entered my voice.
Snape looked pretty taken aback as well at my bitter tone, though there was understanding in the dark depths of his eyes. He held out his hand.
"Severus Snape," he introduced himself. I stared at it awhile before taking it and shaking his hand warmly. A genuine smile graced my lips for the first time in a long time.
"Artemis Shimomura," I answered.
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I was walking towards Charms, the last lesson of the day, positively dreading the horrible class. The professor that taught the class, Flitwick I believe, was pleasant enough but I absolutely could not perform a simple charm for the life of me.
I had just left the Great Hall when those terrible Gryffindor boys came round the corner. I quickly side-stepped, hoping to get to class quickly with no interruptions. But alas, it was not to be.
An arm shot out and caught my shoulder, turning me to face the grinning maniacs that were the Marauders.
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A/N: I'm sorry I haven't updated in so long. I had writer's block. I had NO idea what to write, honestly. Well I hope this chapter was long enough to make up for the long wait. Review!
Seth