Chapter 2- The Push
In my second year, 1969, I started to verify my group of friends and class work, which in the first year I spent ignoring the sneers of 'fellow' Slytherin's, though towards the end of that previous year they seemed to have forgotten about me and wondered on to other targets, mainly the new first years who got beatings and their own share of name calling, because of this I began to walk much more freely without fear of being stopped.
On one such day I passed a room on the fourth floor, I stopped in my tracks and walking backwards to find it to be one of the largest libraries I had ever seen, it seemed very strange that I had never seen this room before, even when I had walked this hallway many times before, let's just say it was an odd coincidence.
After that day I found myself spending more and more time in one of the remote corners, reading all kinds of books, the comfy space and no annoying sisters to bully me into admission was some of the most relaxing and happiest time I had spent. This also opened me up to talking with less aggressive students, Ravenclaw's were the majority of the people who would sit and read near me, though Hufflepuff's at the beginning were scared to talk boy called Ted, a scrawny third year with shaggy light hair, was the first to approach asking "so then what's your name." to which I replied "Andromeda, but you can call me Ann for short."
That seemed to give the whole house of Hufflepuff reason to crowd around me asking all sorts of questions, though it was nice to have attention that's not pointing negatives out, it still overwhelmed me rapidly.
Other the next month of November I'd been introduced to students left, right and centre mainly because my best friend Ted has an overly large group of friends, for example Berta, Dvina, Trod and Beany are the Hufflepuff Quidich team yet are one year up from me so I'm always a little intimidated by them, But who I still haven't learned the names and faces of yet, let alone the people who are outside of the house of Hufflepuff.
On the other end of the stick, whenever I went to the slytherin common room I'd always find that no less than 5 people at a time would stare at me viciously and whisper among themselves, I'd sometimes get a snippet of what they were saying, this would usually contain quotes like:
"Why is the blood traitor here?"
"Doesn't she know Hufflepuff's are stupid?"
"She's dead to us now!"
This would go on until the next month when I was approached by my older sister, Bellatrix, who, in my right mind I would do my best to avoid, but on this particular day she colt me in the middle of a conversation with Ted. She pulled me off to the side "what the hell do you think you are talking to these mudbloods!" she was madder than normal today, I could tell she would not let me go till I had answered.
"Being someone you'll never be, kind." I said this with one of the calmest and collected faces I'd ever made, but I could tell my voice didn't match when Bellatrix gave an evil smirk.
"won't be so kind if I did this then," she raised her wand and gave it an all mighty swoosh screaming the word "crucio!" one of the Hufflepuffs in the direction of the lighting flickering from her wand started to scream and holler with pain slowly collapsing to the floor holding her head, sobs followed as I saw her friends kneeling next to her.
"you are never to even look at one of these low bloods or treat the equally again, because if you do I will condemn them to a living hell full of pain and misery, I'll burn their beloved house down and use the cruciatus curse on any and every student who wears that dammed black and yellow tie!" her face was turning purple through the amount of rage imminent in her face. I saw the terrified face of ted and know what would be the best course of action, I began to walk.
After a rather gloomy Christmas Hufflepuffs still tried to talk to me, but I usually blocked out the sound to stage my dislike and disgust for them, even when inside I only really wanted to call them my friends. I had to go to extreme lengths to avoid any contact with them, 'why can't I swap sisters with a Hufflepuff?' I thought to myself 'then my life wouldn't be as painstaking!'
The next month was one of the worst times since 1963, at the age of 6, when I had brought home a group of friends, muggle friends, and was grounded for a year, as well as watch the lives and memories of the children drain away.
Sitting in my room without anything to do, apart from being tormented by my family, when one day I had an epiphany that my family was wrong, in every way imaginable, this is when I decided that I needed to leave that house and all its dark and basis meanings, even if it meant giving up dreams, which for me meant exams and school where I know I'd be able to go to stay away from them for seven years, around the same time my cousin younger by 3 years came across the hallway to see me, I still remember the face he gave that made me believe that I wasn't alone anymore on my traitorous path in the blood line, I had hope.
Back in Hogwarts, I'd got to braking point where I was, all alone, no one even glimpsed at me anymore, but still I never moved or said a word.