The Tragedy of a Hero
Year One: Tragic Curiosity
Chapter Four: The Tragedy of Slytherin
The welcome feast had been amazing. Skylar had enjoyed meeting some of her fellow housemates (though she felt a ting of sadness when Ginny Weasley was sorted into Gryffindor). She particularly enjoyed talking with a second year named Tracey Davis and a first year named Astoria Greengrass. However, there were members of Slytherin that she didn't like so much already… four names came to mind as she remembered the posh blonde who sat next to her sister. Draco Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy Parkinson all seemed rather rude as they informed Skylar and Claire of who to talk to and who not to talk to. The Weasley family was on the top of the 'who not to talk to' list. Skylar ignored them and focused on the amazing food while Claire seemed to take what they were saying to heart… probably because Mrs. Darlington had made several of the same suggestions to the girls.
When Skylar and Claire saw the Slytherin common room for the first time they couldn't help but be amazed by the fact that it was under the lake and sometimes they could see the giant squid through the windows. (The password was Pure-Blood which Skylar thought a bit offensive. Even though she did take pride in her blood heritage she didn't think it was fair to those students who had Muggle-blood.)
Skylar was thankful that she only had to share a dorm room with one other girl and that other girl was her sister. She wasn't too comfortable with sharing a room with someone she didn't know… although Astoria and a bushy haired girl shared the room next to them and across the hall was Tracey and Astoria's older sister Daphne.
The first day of classes went by quickly. First thing in the morning they had Charms taught by Professor Flitwick with Ravenclaw followed by Double Potions taught by Professor Snape (head of Slytherin house) with Gryffindor. Ginny was in that class and had a nice conversation with Skylar. Next was lunch where Skylar got to know Tracey a bit more and met her friend Theodore Knott. And finally, there was Double Herbology taught by Professor Sprout with Hufflepuff.
Both girls had a great deal of fun in Charms as Professor Flitwick was teaching them some simple wand movements and Astoria's wand caught her textbook on fire. Skylar looked through the book and found several spells that could be useful.
Double Potions seemed to drag on forever. Professor Snape spent the class laying down the ground rules of his class. Skylar thought she might enjoy the class better when they actually got to making potions as the most enjoyable part of the first day was her chat with Ginny Weasley before the professor walked in.
Double Herbology… Skylar could tell that she wasn't going to like that class from the second she saw where class was going to be held. In a greenhouse. Skylar had learned from helping her mother in their garden that she hated working with plants. Claire on the other hand, had inherited their mother's green thumb.
The next morning started off just like any other morning. Skylar woke up just before dawn, showered, and dressed all while her sister stayed in dream land waiting for Skylar to wake her up.
"I'm going to the common room." Skylar told her brown eyed sister once she was out of bed and groggily getting her things for the day.
"Mmmhmm." Was her reply as the green eyed sister slid from the room and made her way down the hallway to the large common room.
Skylar was shocked to discover that there was no one in the common room, but shook it off and took a seat by the fire where she started reading Voyages with Vampires to prepare for her first lesson of Defense Against the Dark Arts later that day. Though she found it hard to focus as she kept thinking about the class that came first. Flying. Skylar had been up on a broom with her father a few times, but she had never flown on her own… this would be a first for her and she hoped that she wouldn't make a fool of herself and fall of her broom.
She was imagining what it would be like to be the first girl allowed on the Slytherin Quidditch team when she realized that Claire was standing over her with a rather impatient look. "What?" Skylar asked as she shoved Voyages with Vampires back into her bag.
Claire rolled her eyes, "What do you mean 'What?'? I've been standing here for two minutes already!" She snapped. "Honestly Sky, if you weren't my sister I would have left without you."
"Why didn't you just say something?" Skylar asked as she got to her feet, slinging her bag over her shoulder.
Before either girl got the chance to answer, Pansy Parkinson and a group of girls came giggling out of the dorms. They fell silent when they caught sight of the Darlington Twins. "Claire," Pansy started as the group made their way closer, "are you going to eat breakfast with us or with her?" she asked giving Skylar a pug-faced scowl.
"Why can't Sky eat with us too?" Claire asked curiously.
The girls behind Pansy started giggling while Pansy crossed her arms. "A little birdie told us that she was seen talking to that Blood-Traitor Ginny Weasley before her Potions class yesterday. You do remember what Draco said at the feast? Don't talk to Blood-Traitors like the Weasley family and don't talk to anyone with dirty blood like Tracey Davis. She's done both."
Claire looked between the group of girls and her sister before Skylar finally rolled her eyes. "Sit with them if you want." She said, trying to hide her disappointment that her sister would even consider sitting with those girls.
Much to Skylar's surprise, Claire linked arms with the green eyed girl. "I'm sitting with my sister." She said sternly before leading Skylar out of the common room and into the dungeon corridor.
The walk to the great hall was short and mostly silent as Skylar thought on the flying class. Once they got there they found the room was mostly full of students buzzing with laughter and talking as they continued to catch up on the events of summer. Both girls took seats somewhere in the middle of the Slytherin table and went straight for the waffles.
"What class do we have first?" Claire asked as she put a hazelnut spread on her waffles.
"Flying, then Defense Against the Dark Arts." Skylar replied before taking a bite of bacon.
"F-flying?" Claire asked with a grave expression as she let her forkful of waffle drop back into her plate with a clatter.
"What's the matter Darlington, scared to get on a broom?" A posh voice said from next to the green eyed twin and for the first time Skylar realized she had sat down next to Draco Malfoy. "Don't worry, I'm sure you won't break your arm after your first time up."
Claire turned scarlet as she pushed her plate away, clearly not hungry anymore. Skylar sighed, she had forgotten that her sister was afraid of heights… and Malfoy wasn't making matters better as he and his friends laughed and mimicked falling off of brooms.
Suddenly though, a loud piercing voice rang through the great hall and everyone else fell silent. "- STEALING THE CAR, I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN SURPRISED IF THEY'D EXPELLED YOU, YOU WAIT TILL I GET A HOLD OF YOU, I DON'T SUPPOSE YOU STOPPED TO THINK WHAT YOUR FATHER AND I WENT THROUGH WHEN WE SAW IT WAS GONE –"
Everyone turned their head and stood to try and see who got the howler. All Skylar could see was a head of red hair poking out from over the Gryffindor table and a boy with messy black hair sitting next to him.
"- LETTER FROM DUMBLEDORE LAST NIGHT, I THOUGHT YOUR FATHER WOULD DIE OF SHAME, WE DIDN'T BRING YOU UP TO BEHAVE LIKE THIS, YOU AND HARRY COULD BOTH HAVE DIED –"
Skylar swallowed. So that's who it was. Harry Potter and his friend… Ginny's older brother.
"-ABSOLUTELY DISGUTED – YOUR FATHER IS FACING AN INQUIARY AT WORK, IT'S ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT AND IF YOU PUT ANOTHER TOE OUT OF LINE WE'LL BRING YOU STRAIGHT BACK HOME."
With that the howler busted into flame. It was silent for a moment before everyone returned to what they were doing. Malfoy laughed relentlessly. "It's about time that Blood-Traitor Weasley got what he deserved! I hope they sack him for it!"
Skylar ignored the urge to say something nasty to Malfoy and went back to eating… though she wasn't eating much due to the excitement of flying in just a few minutes time.
Flying was held out in the courtyard where there were two rows of brooms lined up. While everyone waited for the instructor they stood about and talked amongst themselves. Since Slytherin had the class with Gryffindor, Skylar found herself wondering over to Ginny Weasley while Claire spoke with Astoria.
"Hi Ginny." Skylar said as she stood before the red haired girl and another Gryffindor girl with blonde hair.
Both went silent and Ginny gave a small smile. "What do you want?" The blonde girl asked with a wrinkled nose.
Skylar looked at her, shocked, but before she could say anything Ginny grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the crowd. "What's going on?" She asked as the red head glanced back at her house members who had oddly gone silent and were watching the duo closely.
Ginny looked grim, "Listen Skylar, I… I think you're a nice person… really I do, but well… it's just… you're Slytherin… and… I mean you got put there for a reason right?" She said, her face steadily growing a darker shade of crimson with each word. "I just think it would be better if we didn't talk anymore… you understand?" Before Skylar got the chance to reply, Ginny turned on her heel and went back to talk with the blonde girl.
Skylar sighed and walked back to the group of students. Just what was that all about? Yeah, Skylar was a Slytherin. So what? She was only in Slytherin because she had asked the Sorting Hat not to separate her and Claire…
"What was that about?" Claire asked as Skylar rejoined her sister.
"Nothing." The green eyed girl answered as Madam Hooch came gliding over to the group of first years.
Madam Hooch was an elder witch with short, grey hair and yellow eyes that reminded Skylar of a hawk. She wore a white shirt with a black tie (The Hogwarts Crest decorating it) under a cloak. She had a pair of goggles hanging loosely around her neck.
"Alright children!" she said, calling the class to order. I want you all to line up next to the brooms." She commanded and the students rushed to do so. Skylar found herself standing on the end with Claire next to her. She was glad to be on the end too, since it would have caused conflict for her to be near anyone on her left side as she was left handed where most people were right.
"Now, I want you to hold your hand over your broom and say 'Up'." Madam Hooch instructed and all of the students set about doing just that.
When Skylar held her hand over her broom, she only barely muttered the word when it flew into her hand. Claire's broom did just the same which was no surprise considering both girls had practiced this with their father's broom.
"Very good," Madam Hooch started once everyone had their brooms in hand. "Now, I want you all to mount your brooms. When I blow my whistle I want to kick off and hover for a moment before leaning forward and landing."
She blew her whistle and while most students, including Claire, barely made it off of the ground, Skylar found herself hovering about two feet in the air. Astoria Greengrass and the blonde girl that Ginny had been with before class were the only others who hovered just as high.
Claire was the first to land, followed by everyone else… though no one looked quite as pale or sick as Claire did. Skylar pitied her sister's fear of heights but didn't dwell on it since she was still reeling with excitement from being on a broom by herself for the first time.
The rest of class was spent with Madam Hooch explaining the safety rules of flying and Defense Against the Dark Arts was spent sitting bored since the professor didn't even bother showing up. Lunch came too quickly and Skylar found herself reeling with anger as she laid eyes on Ginny sitting at the Gryffindor table laughing with the blonde girl from Flying who gave her a dirty look.
Skylar rolled her eyes and took her seat at the Slytherin table across from her sister and next to a brute of a boy who appeared to have a permanent scowl on his face. Skylar ate in silence while thinking about what the Muggle Studies class would be like and only seemed to notice what was going on around her when the boy next to her flung his arm into her chest, knocking her to the floor.
"Hey! What's your prob- Merlin!" Skylar started to tell the boy off, but as she looked at his face she realized just what his problem was. Boils had risen over every visible part of his skin and he seemed to have lost control of his limbs.
Laughter came from the nearby Gryffindor table while Professor Snape swept over to the boy and picked up his goblet of pumpkin juice. "Boil potion." Said the professor with a dark look pointed at the Gryffindor table. "Come on Flint, I've got an antidote in my office." He said before grabbing the boy's arm and dragging him from the Great Hall.
"Bloody Slytherin got what he deserved." Skylar heard someone say as she got to her feet and retook her seat, eyeing her pumpkin juice closely, but not daring to take a drink.
"Who do you think would have done that?" Claire asked as she cautiously smelled her pumpkin juice.
"Those Weasley's will pay for that." Malfoy's angry and superior voice said from down the table and Skylar found him glaring at the twin boys sitting at the Gryffindor table.
Claire snorted, "No wonder mum told us to stay away from them." She said simply as Tracey took the open seat next to Skylar looking just as disgusted as Malfoy.
"Those two… they'll do anything to anyone as long as it's a Slytherin." She said grimly. "It's a wonder they haven't been expelled."
Skylar bit her bottom lip and simply nodded. She couldn't admit that if she knew how to make a boil potion she would have found it a nice prank… She looked back at the Gryffindor table and, not for the first time, she was silently wishing that she had taken the Sorting Hat up on its offer to put her in Gryffindor.
Author's Note: Well that was sort of a filler chapter wasn't it? Not much really happened did it? It's also quite short... oh well, the next chapter will be better and have more relevance :) As always, reviews are welcome!