Earlier that year:

Cerise

May was a cold month, but the unforeseen snow made it perfect for playing outside. I wrapped up warm, and decided to roam the streets. Children laughed and screamed with fear of oncoming snowballs, and raced around the carless street without a care. I wandered towards an empty seat, and plonked down onto it, watching the carnage that was my street. In the corner of my eye, I saw some older boys walking towards my quiet corner. I thought nothing of it, so I shut my eyes, and fell asleep on the icy seat.

In my dream, I was in a jewellery store, trying on a pretty emerald necklace. It was a nice snug fit, and it was the perfect shade of green to match my eyes. The store attendant tightened the necklace further. "No, stop, it's already too tight" I tried to tell him. I began gasping for air, but the necklace was excruciatingly tight now. I struggled against the chain, hoping I would awaken from this terrible nightmare.

A child's scream of panic brought me to my senses. The tight feeling around my neck hadn't gone away, and I still couldn't breathe. It was then that I realised my nightmare was also reality. The bullies circled around me, one standing behind and holding the chain around my neck. I tried to breathe, to no avail. "C'mon, you're a witch, right?" The gaunt ringleader sneered at me. "Show us some magic, you bitch!" One of his lackeys spat at me. I kept struggling against the iron, trying to get some air into my lungs. "A little birdy told us about your so called "magic," but us boys here think that you, ya little runt, were telling porkies for a reputation." The ringleader eyeballed me, and didn't give any sign of getting his lackey to stop choking me. "We don't like it when some fresh runt thinks they can steal our rep."

So this was how I was going to die.

I could barely hold my eyes open, and that horrendous chain was the only thing holding my head up. A force inside of me struggled, and broke loose. Magic. I already knew I was a witch, but I always believed you needed a wand for magic to work.

The chain loosened. I was now in control of the chain. It ripped itself out of the choker's hands, and moved, almost snakelike, to curl around the leader's neck. I was angry, infuriated, that these imbeciles tried to take my life for no real reason. I clenched my fist, and the chain tightened around the gaunt boy's neck. Standing up from the seat, I glared at the others, daring them to stop me.

"She…she…it's a witch!" They screamed, and they ran down the street, hopefully never to be seen again. I focused my glare on the one who squirmed next to me. He gasped, out of fear of me, and the chain that was restricting him. The boy struggled against the chain, and in that moment I felt strong, like I was at the top of the food chain. He finally stopped struggling, and reality sunk in of what I had just done to another human being. I was a despicable person, to stoop lower than the bullies and try kill one in return.

I released the flow of magic, and let the boy fall to the ground. I followed. That was how my parents found me, curled up in the snow, next to an unconscious boy with chain marks around both of our necks.

Present Day

"So that's why you think you won't be allowed into Hogwarts" Draco looked at me hesitantly, as if I was going to run away again.

"Think? I know, Draco. I nearly killed a muggle with my magic!" I exclaimed.

"Cerise, you were defending yourself. I'm sure there was no lasting damage done – a bit of memory wiping from some Ministry of Magic officials will sort everything out!" He reassured me.

My mother stayed silent. I think that me being a witch was hard enough to accept, but random outbursts of angry magic scared her. Draco gently touched my arm. "Cerise, please let me come with you. It must have been hard in that situation, being without help. Well now I want to help you, so you won't be alone in that courtroom." He sounded so earnest, sincere, that I almost forgot about his mocking laugh at me earlier. Almost.

"OK, fine." I gave in. "Uh, so where exactly is it?"

He smirked irritably as if to say 'aren't you glad you let me tag along?' He was insufferable, but I appreciated the gesture of escorting me. I looked at my parents. "I'll call you when this is all over, OK?"

"Alright, Cherry! Please take care of our daughter, Draco." I rolled my eyes. Parents. Didn't the accident prove that I could take care of myself? Or maybe my parents wanted Draco to "look after" me so I didn't hurt any other muggles.

Draco offered his elbow, ever the gentleman, but I just frowned at him. "Fine, suit yourself," he muttered. "Just trying to be nice."

Draco

Cerise's story threw me. I had no idea that such a fragile wee thing had nearly killed another, and had somehow carried that burden for months. As we set off for her hearing, I offered her my elbow, hoping that she would take it. Her hands were small, incapable of killing, and pale. Telling me, a complete stranger, a story like that, would have taken a lot of courage for one as fragile as her. My respect for her increased twofold.

She rejected my elbow, so we walked separately along the street. The Ministry of Magic's visitor entrance came into view. She tensed up and walked stiffly. I had to put her mind at ease somehow. We entered the lobby, and made it to the correct lift. Her hands were shaking slightly. I sighed. Putting my hands on her shoulders, I looked into her eyes and promised her that everything would work out. "Trust me on this one," I assured her. "Look, when we're on the Hogwarts train tomorrow, I'll buy you a Chocolate Frog!"

She smiled half-heartedly, and we stepped out of the elevator into the corridor. "This is as far as I can go, but you'll be fine! I'll wait right here for you, ok?" I vowed to her and myself that I would wait here for the good news. Cerise walked into the courtroom, and the large door closed with a hint of finality.

I waited for two hours. There must have been some intense discussion in that courtroom. I hoped Cerise was holding up alright, I knew she was more frightened than she let on. The doors creaked open, and Cerise stumbled out in a daze. I stood up, and walked to her side. She looked at me with teary eyes. "I'm going to Hogwarts tomorrow!" Cerise sounded baffled. We walked towards the elevator side by side.

"That's great! See, I knew everything would work out!" I smiled at her. She stopped walking. "I'm going to Hogwarts tomorrow!" She repeated. Her eyes brightened, and she began to grin. "It's my dream come true!" She almost squealed. I was shocked when she hugged me tightly, but as I went to hug her back, she pulled away. "Oops, sorry, I…just got really overexcited!"

"Don't worry, I'm sure I'll learn to live with it," I smirked. Damn, hopefully I would get another chance soon. "Looks like I owe you that chocolate frog, huh?"